Still Mine Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Still Mine Blu-ray Movie Review

That's 'Amour', eh?

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 8, 2014

Evidently anti-government sentiment isn’t solely the purview of citizens of the United States, for the Canadian drama Still Mine posits an unstoppable force in the form of an elderly farmer meeting an immovable object known as institutional bureaucracy, specifically a section of the Canadian government which monitors and approves building permits. Building permits? It may not sound like the basis for a very involving film, but Still Mine, while deliberately small scale in tone and even subject matter, benefits from some deeply heartfelt performances by the likes of James Cromwell as the farmer and a still lovely Geneviève Bujold as his infirm wife. Supposedly based on a true story, Still Mine depicts the trials (literally and figuratively) of one Craig Morrison (James Cromwell), a salt of the earth type who is struggling to come to terms with his wife Irene’s (Geneviève Bujold) increasing memory problems. The Morrisons are obviously deeply in love. In fact the film includes a scene that may actually shock some viewers, but which I personally found incredibly refreshing, one which has the couple disrobing and preparing to make love—yes, at their age. That love notwithstanding, two of the seven Morrison children, including daughter Ruth (Julie Stewart) and son John (Rick Roberts), are only too aware that Irene is exhibiting signs of some serious dementia and forgetfulness as well as an increasing physical fragility, and that Craig is fairly sanguine—perhaps due to denial—about it all. There’s a definite air of melancholy wafting through much of Still Mine, whether it’s fostered by the realization of older people that they don’t have much time left together, or by the worry of kids wondering what’s going to become of their parents. Even these worries start to look relatively minor when Craig decides to build a new, smaller home on his property that will be a better fit for Irene and her waning capacities, only to run afoul of a martinet bureaucracy that fights him due to his resistance to permit things properly.

Still Mine really doesn’t waste time on stuffing its plot full of labyrinthine developments, and instead focuses squarely on the human drama at the core of the story. Craig and Irene are far too resilient, not to mention stubborn, to ever shuffle off to a retirement home, and after a series of issues with Irene makes it clear that their large but frankly dilapidated farmhouse simply isn’t a suitable abode for them anymore, Craig, a master carpenter, decides to build a new, smaller but more modern home on his vast Canadian spread. We’ve already seen that Craig especially is still rather rugged for such an old man, tending to activities around his farm with a somewhat stiff but still scrappy resolve. And while Craig may not rise to the level of some of the anti-Federalist types Americans are used to seeing dot the airwaves with rather predictable regularity nowadays, he’s fiercely proud that his land is—well, his, and that he has the right to build on it as he sees fit. Enter that imperious, unfeeling, bureaucratic nightmare known (pejoratively, of course) as “government”.

While there’s a certain Lifetime or Hallmark ambience afoot in this tale of a guy with an intrinsic pioneer spirit standin’ up to those high-falutin’ gu’ment types, it’s actually in Craig’s reactions and interactions with his family as much as in any of his legal wranglings that his character is defined. He’s an obstinate, opinionated old man, but one whose pride is well earned. Irene is a near perfect foil, one with a spry but occasionally morbid sense of humor, but it’s soon obvious she’s not all that she used to be. Irene is the sort who can joke about her imminent demise and somehow find the comedy in one of her pretty serious pratfalls, but she can also be stubbornly defiant at times, just like Craig. It’s probably a recipe for disaster to begin with, but luckily writer-director Michael McGowan avoids many of the pitfalls of this sort of film, concentrating on some beautifully wrought moments between Craig and Irene, as well as the Morrison kids. There's very little of the innate hysteria these David vs. Goliath tales often involve, and while that perhaps works against any feeling of suspense or even too much oppression, it helps the film avoid any overly melodramatic impulses.

The Canadian film and television industries combined their separate awards last year into one, more Golden Globe- esque assortment of trophies in both media, and James Cromwell took home the Best Actor prize for his work here in Still Mine. Aside from one or two key scenes (there’s an absolutely devastating dolly into an increasingly hysterical Craig at a funeral), it’s actually an incredibly tamped down, restrained performance. Craig may be obstinate— but he’s entirely rational. Bujold comes off as something of an elderly sprite or fairy as Irene. But there’s heartbreak here as Irene reveals her various mental and physical afflictions as the film progresses. (Bujold was nominated for the film as well).

The saga of an elderly couple dealing with increasing dementia and other issues of old age, not to mention impending mortality itself, may remind some of the Oscar winning Amour. While Still Mine is a somewhat sweeter, less bitter, assessment of some of the same issues, it's arguably no less devastating than the French film. The rural setting, not to mention the Canadian locale itself, offer significant but also intrinsic differences between Still Mine and Amour, but both share a kind of elegiac tone that celebrates a slightly loftier version of that kind of crazy old neighbor that used to yell at you to stay off of his lawn.

Still Mine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Still Mine is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Digitally shot with the Arri Alexa, Still Mine displays the kind of beautiful clarity and excellent fine detail that this particular system tends to offer (see screenshot 1). Colors are beautifully varied and accurate looking, with excellent saturation levels. Contrast is very strong, providing ample support for even dimly lit interior scenes (see screenshot 4). Depth of field in many of the exterior shots is excellent. The image is very stable without any obvious digital tampering or compression issues.

Still Mine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Still Mine's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 offers a consistent but often subtle surround experience that delivers some nice recreation of the great outdoors, especially once Craig starts building his new house. Saw and hammer sounds are delivered with punch and precision. A lot of the film is relatively quiet, at times almost hushed, dialogue scenes, though, which prevents any obvious exploitation of the surround channels. Everything sounds fine on this track, with no issues of any kind to report.

Still Mine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements of any kind are offered on this Blu-ray disc.

Still Mine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cromwell and Bujold are the two most compelling reasons to see Still Mine, offering a very specific and real feeling couple toward the end of their lives attempting to wend their through a series of health and legal crises. McGowan is wise to steer clear of hysteria, and to instead depict an ultimately affirmative account of someone standing up to The Man and living to tell about it. There's a really nice visual sweep to this tale as well, something that helps make the Morrisons' pioneer spirit all the more believable. While the basic storyline here is fairly cliché ridden, good writing and direction and some especially good acting make Still Mine a sweetly touching experience. This Blu-ray boasts excellent video and audio, and even without any supplements, comes Recommended.