Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Paint Blu-ray Movie Review

Ross, dress for less.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III September 5, 2023

A quirky homage to -- and kinda mean-spirited swipe at -- the singular Bob Ross, Brit McAdams' Paint laughs with and at its main character Carl Nargle (Owen Wilson), a popular PBS painter in Burlington, Vermont. A certified chick magnet who's been trapped in time* for at least three decades, Carl has women of all ages knocking down his van door and is liked around town, where he enjoys a steady income from his TV show but secretly dreams of having work on display at The Burlington Museum of Art. Sadly, time marches on and when perky young Ambrosia (Ciara Renée) is brought on to host a second art show for the now-struggling network, Carl's career and livelihood are suddenly in jeopardy.

It sounds like a workable setup for a quirky, unassuming, and enjoyable little indie project, and to an extent Paint has the right framework to make everything run smoothly: interesting subject matter, a suitable star in Owen Wilson, and a game supporting cast peppered with recognizable faces like Stephen Root, SNL alum Michaela Watkins, and the reliably good Lusia Strus. Sadly, the film doesn't really come together in a satisfying way: Paint's narrative is fatally scattershot and has trouble keeping pace, using sudden shortcuts and detours to fill out the plot in a way that will most likely keep viewers confused. Ambrosia's sudden appearance and eventual dominance doesn't make a lot of sense; Carl transforms from an untouchable demigod to a has-been almost overnight, sending him into a downward spiral that reaches critical mass after his behavior at a yearly fundraiser gets him the pink slip. Carl's schtick doesn't translate to a new teaching position at the local college either, leaving his classroom almost empty in only a matter of weeks.

From here, the film just kind of drifts along through Carl's mushy love life, one that currently features young vegan Jenna (Lucy Freyer) while he pines for Katherine (Watkins) with multiple flashbacks to their failed romance more than two decades ago. It's not engaging enough to carry Paint through its vaguely "Gotcha!" finale, which teeters on some sort of late-career Shyamalan twist. All signs point to first-time writer/director Brit McAdams, who has more than a few TV comedy credits to his name but struggles to fill its 96 minutes in a confident and assured way. Paint mostly banks on quirky dialogue (anchored by Wilson's undeniable charm) and the peculiarity of its subject matter, which winkingly pokes at Ross' nearly untouchable Mister Rogers reputation but feels like it's trying to burst a balloon for no reason. Without the crutch of its jokey premise or star power, this would be an even smaller blip on the radar.

Nonetheless, Paint has a few merits including most of the performances, a comfortable small-town vibe, and several decent stabs as effective drama. (Having grown up as the son of a PBS employee, it also got the whole "Membership Drive" atmosphere pretty spot-on.) I certainly can't say these elements outweighed its shortcomings, but those a bit more receptive to its peculiar charms may be able to enjoy themselves. I'll say one thing: RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray will please established fans and might win over anyone stuck on the fence: it's got solid A/V merits, decent extras, and an affordable price tag that pushes it ever-so-gently into "impulse buy" territory for curious newcomers.

* - Speaking of "trapped in time", Paint doesn't specify the exact year it takes place but likewise plays fast and loose with technology like Napoleon Dynamite: newer companies like Uber are mentioend (which Carl hasn't heard of), but everyone at the PBS office still uses CRT monitors. It's funny, kind of, but again more quirky than clever.

Paint Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

RLJ Entertainment's 1080p transfer of Paint looks mighty good indeed, with this 2.00:1 indie production sporting a well-rounded and finely-tuned representation of its understated but attractive small-town visuals. Armed with a mostly soft-by-design overall appearance loaded with warm tones -- which are dialed up further during numerous flashback sequences, often appearing hazier and slightly grainy to boot -- it offers a smooth and comfortable atmosphere, not to mention crisp image detail and visible textures on costumes, hair, and close-ups. Darker scenes and those dominated by substantially cooler tones (which can probably be counted on one hand) look good as well, with supportive shadow detail and little to no intrusive noise despite the generally unprocessed appearance. Disc encoding is likewise excellent, with its two or so hours of total video content getting more than enough room to breathe on this dual-layered disc. Overall, Paint is a surprisingly good-looking film and that extends to this Blu-ray presentation as well.

Paint Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paint's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix aims quite a bit lower than the visuals but shouldn't be penalized for it, as it's anything but action-heavy and is clearly dominated by dialogue, both at normal volume and in Carl's usually whispered tones. (Yes, even when speaking into a microphone.) Surround use is sparing and mostly represented by light natural ambience: outdoor echo, quiet office noises, and of course the original score by Lyle Workman, no stranger to comedy with composing credits on films like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Superbad, and Get Him to the Greek. Overall, it's just a decently solid track that gets the job done; nothing more, nothing less.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only.

Paint Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art and a matching slipcover. Inside is paint-by-numbers interior art and a sticker sheet, which are both fun little touches. The extras aren't half bad, either.

• Audio Commentary - This feature-length track with writer/director Brit McAdams covers a solid amount of ground including the film's origins, the rare treat of watching TV as a kid, his love of Bob Ross, developing the script, the casting process, shooting locations and other production details, working with Owen Wilson, paying people to stay quiet, The Godfather, and much more. It's a casual, easy listen that's worth a run through, one that has a few mid-length lapses into silence along the way but contains some good insight.

• Deleted Scenes (6 clips, 8:33 total) - A half-dozen deleted and extended scenes (one of which is an alternate ending of sorts), including "Getting a Painting", "Still a Good One", "Love at First Sound", "One of the Painters", "Where Did You Learn That?", and "Missed that View", all presented in 1080p with lossy audio.

• ASMR Videos featuring Carl Nargle (3 clips, 3:35 total) - A trio of short low-res (and low volume) clips including "Listen", "Paint", and "Van".

• Set Illustrations and Photos - Featuring work by production designer Todd Jeffery.

• Gallery of "Paint" Artwork - Carl's paintings and other art pieces seen during the film.

• Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery

Paint Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As a secret admirer of Bob Ross and a fan of Owen Wilson, I wanted to like Paint but could only muster a half-hearted level of enjoyment for this too-quirky indie comedy. Frankly, the story and subject matter rarely make much sense -- or at least don't gel enough to form a compelling narrative -- which means that it has to rely on gags and heartfelt drama that only work about half the time, even if Wilson's performance carries a decent amount of weight. I may warm up to it on subsequent viewings but, for now, Paint is more of a curious detour than a must-see. RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray helps a little with its terrific A/V presentation, decent extras, clever packaging touches, and their usual low price tag. It's perhaps worth an impulse buy if you're feeling lucky, but this one's not exactly a true hidden gem.