Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Fabulous Baker Boys Blu-ray Movie Review

Requests: $5.00. "Feelings": $500.00.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 13, 2015

It’s not always easy, but it’s similarly very rarely dull, to be a lounge pianist, as I can tell you from years (decades, but who’s counting?) of personal experience. I’ve encountered funny little things like what I call “dyslexic requesting,” where I would play a tune and then ten or fifteen minutes later some audience member would come up and ask for that song, obviously responding to some subliminally planted “suggestion,” since (as virtually any lounge pianist will tell you), the live music tends to become part of the background, almost like wallpaper. I’ve also had other somewhat more outré things happen, including a gig I had as a young 20-something on a raucous Friday evening at a “happening” nightclub where a probably inebriated woman came up, sat down next to me on the piano bench and then promptly (and incredibly quickly) shoved her hand down my pants, causing me to play one of the most severely altered dominant seventh chords ever created (that’s a little theory joke for those of you who are music geeks). I’ve even performed in a number of cabaret or theatrically inclined shows with various chanteuses where they have in fact perched atop a grand piano for a tune or two, an image made famous by Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys, a film which takes a somewhat whimsical but at times surprisingly accurate look at this rather odd career choice. The chief conceit of the film is that there is not one, but two, lounge pianists, the titular siblings Jack (Jeff Bridges) and Frank (Beau Bridges), who have managed to cling to a middlingly “successful” run (a decidedly relative term) as a duo, a la the celebrated pair of Ferrante and Teicher. When a "third wheel" of sorts, a sultry vocalist named Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) is hired to spice up the act, various entanglements ensue, porting the film over into somewhat more traditional but still surprisingly fresh feeling romantic comedy territory.

Know it all types in Los Angeles and/or New York City tend to think of their burgs as the central meccas for well crafted music in general and jazz in particular, but perhaps a bit chauvinistically (in the tradtitional sense) I’d posit the Pacific Northwest as one of the premiere regions in the United States for jazz, and more specifically for jazz piano. My hometown of Portland has a truly incredible per capita quota of first rate (and internationally acclaimed) piano players, and I will put aside Portland’s traditional rivalry with Seattle to concede that the Emerald City has an equal share of astoundingly gifted keyboardists. The Baker Brothers are in fact Seattle based in the film, playing gigs at clubs rather conveniently stocked with two grands (one of the film’s logical weaknesses is how sanguine certain club owners are about being able to book two pianists who can perform simultaneously).

The film opens with Jack taking off after a one night stand, and his tendency toward being something of a gigolo informs much of the central conflict with Frank, the more down to earth, centered and business savvy of the two. Despite the fact that Frank has succeeded in keeping the two at least reasonably well employed, the brothers have a tendency not to retain gigs, and a decision is made that a female vocalist might help to grease the wheels. That leads to an amusing montage of would be “Seattle idols,” including a wonderfully daffy Jennifer Tilly indulging in something of an interpretive dance rendition of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse’s already spectacularly silly “Candy Man.” The litany of auditioners plays something like the parody of such events in The Producers, but when Susie Diamond walks through the door (rather late for her appointment), it’s obvious the boys have met someone with the right image at least. When she launches into a smoky version of “More Than You Know,” it’s equally as obvious that Susie can actually sing. (Trivia alert for those who thrive on such things: one of the lyricists of this tune was none other than Fanny Brice’s husband, Billy Rose, no doubt one reason it turns up in Funny Lady.)

Despite a rocky first performance (where Pfeiffer gets to exhibit some nice physical comedy chops), the newly minted trio ends up gaining traction, leading to better job offers, but Jack obviously has burgeoning feelings for Susie, something that Frank fears will put the kibosh on the whole enterprise. There are a number of frankly predictable interchanges that ensue, and in fact at least a faltering romance begins brewing, but what sets The Fabulous Baker Boys apart is the smartness and genuine emotion that informs Steve Kloves’ winning screenplay. The Bridges obviously have the whole sibling rivalry thing down pat, and a couple of their more intense scenes really bristle with incredible energy that feels like it’s been building up steam for years. Even the putative romantic angle is handled realistically, and for once a film doesn’t devolve into dewy happily ever afters that would be better suited for a fairy tale.

While not a traditional “musical” in the proper sense, the film is informed by some superb pianism (courtesy of the always incredible Dave Grusin, who received an Oscar nomination for his work) and some surprisingly facile if somewhat lightweight singing from Ms. Pfeiffer. The iconic “set piece” of the film, Susie’s piano top rendition of “Makin’ Whoopee,” has entered the lexicon of classic film moments, but all of Pfeiffer’s performances are extremely enjoyable, and the Bridges boys do at least serviceable jobs of “finger synching” when the camera pans to their hands on the ivories.

The Fabulous Baker Boys Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Fabulous Baker Boys is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.84:1. This transfer has a generally somewhat soft look, one that is perhaps reinforced by its requisite dark, smoky club scenes, where detail can be a bit spotty at times. While shadow detail remains generally good, when the boys are clad in their fancy tuxes, those satiny black jackets come perilously close to merging with shadowy backgrounds on occasion. As should be expected, when the film ventures out of doors during the day or exploits brightly lit environments, the uptick in detail is noticeable. While colors appear generally accurate, the palette is slightly anemic looking at times (contrast the pale tones in the first screencapture with the nicely vivid red of Pfeiffer's dress in screenshot 3 for at least some indication of variances). The elements have a somewhat higher than average rate of minor issues like dirt and nicks. Grain structure is consistent and resolves in an appealingly natural manner.

The Fabulous Baker Boys Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Fabulous Baker Boys features a bright and attractive sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track which more than capably supports the film's wonderful musical moments as well as dialogue scenes. The lack of a surround track actually only reinforces the somewhat intimate feel of the lounge scenes. Clarity is excellent and there's no tinniness or wobbliness to the reproduction of the piano tones, even in those "tinkly" upper registers. Fidelity is fine and there are no problems of any kind to warrant concern.

The Fabulous Baker Boys Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Isolated Music and Effects Track is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.


• Audio Commentaries:

  Writer-Director Steve Kloves, hosted by Twilight Time's Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman

  Director of Photography Michael Ballhaus

• Deleted Scenes (480p; 21:16)


• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:47)


• MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer (1080p; 2:06)

The Fabulous Baker Boys Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I opened for the Smothers Brothers at a charity function in Seattle many years ago, and after the sound check I ventured out into some downtown mall where an "anonymous" (to me, anyway) pianist was doing an absolutely remarkable slow ballad version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's lovely "Wave," a rendition replete with some of the most stunning chord substitutions I have ever heard. While "headliners" tend to flock toward Seattle institutions like Jazz Alley, this anecdote is perhaps just one indication of the depth of talent Seattle offers in the jazz piano arena. The Fabulous Baker Boys might be thought of as yet another prime exhibit in the incredibly large array of great musicians who have never grabbed the (Los Angeles and/or New York) brass ring, but who bring technical mastery and inventive thinking to their playing. The film's examination of this peculiar way of making a living is of course one of its central pleasures, but despite this perhaps odd specificity, there's a universality to the fractious relationship between the brothers that even those who wouldn't know a diminished from a demented chord will find instantly accessible. Technical merits are generally very good (video) to excellent (audio), and the two commentaries are also enjoyable. Highly recommended.