Save the Date Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Save the Date Blu-ray Movie Review

Stay single.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 27, 2013

Expectations that “Save the Date” is going to be a jaunty affair are cut short in the opening five minutes, when it becomes clear that writer/director Michael Mohan is going to make the viewer feel every last possible moment of discomfort and empty-eyed reflection. A slog attempting to resemble a romantic comedy, “Save the Date” doesn’t have the benefit of likable characters and a reinvention of relationship woe. Instead, it slumbers through routine conflicts, often in the dullest manner imaginable, refusing the lure of a snappy pace to wallow in poor communication contests that grow intolerable as Mohan makes a 90-minute run time feel like three years.

Sarah (Lizzy Caplan) is unsure about moving in with longtime boyfriend Kevin (Geoffrey Arend), though hopeful the two will make a fine pair as they take the next step in their relationship. After the first day, Sarah realizes the cohabitational life is not for her, only to be confronted with a marriage proposal during a concert by Kevin’s struggling band, Wolfbird. Ditching her boyfriend for the single life, Sarah is swiftly approached by Jonathan (Mark Webber), a kindly marine biology student who’s been nursing a crush on the bookstore manager for quite some time. Commencing a relationship, Sarah is thrilled with the romantic energy of the pairing, but when reality hits hard, she once again hunts for a way to back out of the coupling. During this time, Sarah’s sister, Beth (Alison Brie), is struggling in her relationship to Wolfbird drummer Andrew (Martin Starr), preparing a wedding that her groom-to-be doesn’t show much interest in, creating a divide between the pair as the date of their everlasting union approaches.

Mohan has gone on record describing “Save the Date” as a romantic comedy, which is a curious label considering there’s nothing dreamy about these fussy, neurotic characters and their easily avoidable situations of despair, and laughs are, at best, minimal. Taking the indie film route to make a statement about commitment-phobic people for a twentysomething audience, Mohan (and two additional screenwriters) has a solid idea to exploit Sarah’s anxiety as she’s hit from all sides with male interest, but he doesn’t know what to do about the bigger picture, attempting to meld two plotlines of disgruntled unions into a single stream of discontent, with basic interests in pace and tension shooed away to make room for stillborn atmosphere and mild improvisations that often go nowhere of interest.

Although the picture has a very modern feel and a hip soundtrack to boot, Mohan appears interested in creating a Cassavetes experience of interpersonal strife, trying to generate a tidal wave of drama for universal fears. Trouble is, nothing drives the movie along, with Sarah’s concern not massaged to full strength, stopping somewhere in the whiny, self-absorbed middle. There’s plenty of concern to dissect in her faulty relationship with Kevin and the toxic way they keep weaving in and out of each other’s lives, and time spent with Jonathan seems ripe for something more substantial than the tepid new car smell of attraction Mohan summons, which soon turns into sitcom-ish confrontations as the “nice guy” is made aware of his rebound status, which he casually ignores. Even less interesting is time spent with Beth and Andrew, two supporting characters included merely to reinforce the demands (and ultimate decay) of commitment. The sibling dynamic isn’t investigated to satisfaction (their chemistry suggests a distant acquaintance, not a lifelong bond), while a few “bridezilla” moments reinforce cliche.

Save the Date Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is handcuffed a bit by the original digital cinematography, which favors a duller, softer look common to HD-shot indie films that doesn't emphasize the textures of the frame. However, fine detail is available when the image is fully illuminated, capturing facial imperfections, fibrous wardrobe offerings, and interior design. Colors are generally muted, but when bolder hues come into view, they're treated rather well, showing vividness with concert lighting and exterior greenery. Skintones look natural. Blacks do run muddy during encounters with minimal lighting, pulling detail out of the frame, while patches of noise and banding are detected throughout the presentation.

Save the Date Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix on "Save the Date" shows some life despite the film's limited sonic scope. Surrounds display a satisfactory sense of crowd life for party sequences, while concert performances also push out around the listener, enveloping them in the intended mood. There's no determined directional movement, but atmospherics are pleasant. Dialogue exchanges are a touch too disconnected from the mix, with the center unable to settle into the flow of sounds emerging from the front. It's a minor complaint but leads to a few shrill peaks of argumentative behavior. Low-end is decent for musical performances and soundtrack cuts, while scoring is supportive but never remarkable.

Save the Date Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with writer/director Michael Mohan is impressively breathless. The excitable helmer delivers a personable discussion of the picture's creative challenges, focusing on the day-to-day business of securing locations, lighting demands, and performances. Recorded in his apartment, Mohan makes the most out of the opportunity to share how "Save the Date" was pieced together, and his enthusiasm is refreshing, including some moments of honesty as he details the hectic pace and compromises of low-budget filmmaking. Mohan's a personable commentator, and his efforts to defend himself from accusations of foot fetishism, explain the film review inspiration behind one of the Wolfbird's songs, and share the temptation to title the movie differently to place higher on VOD listings is quite entertaining.

• Deleted Scenes (3:32, HD) provide a slightly more caustic take on the domestic interplay between Kevin and Sarah, who find a moment of casual urination cooling their relationship for a moment. A few moments from Beth's bridal shower are offered as well, including Sarah's accidental gifting of a vibrator in front of ladies of advanced age. The scenes can be viewed with or without commentary from Mohan.

• Outtakes (1:56, HD) are a pretty subdued collection of mix-em-ups, focusing on accidents with props and botched improvisations. Laughs are minimal, though the cast looks like they're having fun.

• "Accidents" (2:19, HD) is a music video from The One AM Radio, directed by Mohan.

• Mini-Comic is a graphic representation of screenwriter Jeffrey Brown's history with "Save the Date," sharing the project's hurdles and filming atmosphere as the movie inched its way to its Sundance debut.

• A Teaser Trailer (1:13, HD) and Theatrical Trailer (2:28, HD) are included.

• And an Easter Egg (1:19, HD) showing off a particularly impressive bit of cat wrangling is easily found on the main menu.

Save the Date Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Performances are expectedly scattered, especially from Caplan, who's played the damaged, unstable girl one too many times in her career. Work from Webber is strangely Eric Stolz-esque, but he has the benefit of being the only character with a life outside of the foursome, and his amiability is refreshing. "Save the Date" is reliant on its actors to sell the emotional connections the script is lacking, leaving the majority of the work to people visibly unsure how they should be playing critical scenes of disorientation. The ending is also something of a cheat, with Mohan installing a test to see if viewers have developed affinity for the characters and their unknown future. I failed.