6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Evicted from his home, gruff-but-lovable old Rocky (Falk) goes to live with his grandson Michael (D.B. Sweeney)-in the young man's cramped one-room apartment.
Starring: Peter Falk, D.B. Sweeney, Julianne Moore, Ellen Burstyn, Jan RubesDrama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
There’s no denying that Peter Yates is a gifted filmmaker with numerous directorial achievements on his resume. He’s the mastermind of “Bullitt” and “Breaking Away” (put “Krull” in there too if you’re feeling generous), but he’s had more than his share of off years, periodically unable to will himself out of a bad creative situation. 1995’s “Roommates” is mounted with the best intentions, with screenwriters Max Apple and Stephen Metcalfe trying to fashion a valentine for curmudgeonly old men and the pearls of wisdom they leave behind, forcing Yates to master a tone for the picture that’s somewhere between lovable and combative, with a healthy dose of syrup added for taste. Sadly, “Roommates” doesn’t really strive for a sophisticated understanding of multi-generational relationships, instead going a soap opera route that’s wholly manipulative. Yates really wants viewers to bawl like baby during the feature, but there has to be a little more than superficial conflicts and cutesy antics with a senior citizen to melt the heart.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Roommates" is sourced from an older master of the film, showcasing the same visual fatigue common with Disney catalog titles. Colors are generally muted as the story visits old neighborhoods and apartment interiors, with only the strongest hues, usually from costuming, making any sort of appropriate impact, and that's a rare event. Skintones are only somewhere in the neighborhood of natural, also pushing red on occasion. Detail isn't there in full, with mild filtering and general age diluting facial particulars. Locations lean toward flatness, set decoration isn't always easy to examine. Delineation hits a few points of solidification. Source doesn't encounter any significant damage, but speckling is detected throughout.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't offer much heft with the simple design of "Roommates," but it does have basic clarity, which is what a listener will need to make it through some of Falk's mumbled line readings (subtitles aren't provided). Dialogue exchanges retain their emotional power and mild speed of banter. Scoring is supportive, with comfortable orchestral movements that deliver satisfying instrumentation. Atmospherics are acceptable but never remarkable, providing a feel for locations and bustling hospital interiors.
"Roommates" continues on the path of trauma, with Michael experiencing the worst life has to offer, facing growing depression at a critical time of responsibility in his life. However, Yates doesn't steel himself for second half turns of fate, preferring to go limp with highly manipulative plotting and staging that doesn't do the picture any good. Rocky is transformed into a Yoda-like figure for his grandson, and the writing starts to depend on clichés to reach out and connect with the viewer, doing whatever it can to make anyone who goes near the effort a blubbering mess by the end credits. Yates doesn't need to do this to make an emotional impression with "Roommates," but he seems fearful to try anything else. The melodrama clogs the production's gears, eventually forcing it to limp to a close, which is a real shame. In other hands, employment of Falk and a vibrant Moore would likely result in an enlightening feature about the different relationships that help to define our lives, including the importance of a guardian to be there when the going gets rough, imparting critical lessons on self-reliance. Yates and the screenwriters go nearly the opposite route, stumbling their way through banal scenes that highlight the clashing of stubbornness, leading to a conclusion that's perhaps meant to celebrate a life lived in service of the greater good, but instead offers only a surface appreciation of parental protection.
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