6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Jeffrey Willis has just finished high school and isn't quite sure what the future holds. His parents expect him to go to college but he is starting to find his close-knit family stifling. He gets a summer job at the Flamingo club where he meets Phil Brody, a successful car dealer who fills Jeffrey's head with ideas about how to make his fortune. Phil is everything Jeffrey would like to be - popular, rich and the best gin rummy player the club has ever seen. Jeffrey's coming of age includes a romance with the very pretty Carla Samson, but the shine on Phil Brody's philosophy of life wears off when he uncovers a significant flaw in his character.
Starring: Matt Dillon, Hector Elizondo, Richard Crenna, Brian McNamara, Fisher StevensDrama | 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 (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
For his second directorial outing, Garry Marshall taps into the golden memories of his youth. 1984’s The Flamingo Kid” feels like autobiographical work from Marshall (who co-scripts with Neal Marshall), helming a low-energy coming-of-age dramedy that’s thick with atmosphere and generally attentive to characterization. There’s plenty of charm to go around in the feature, which hits on all the teen horndog trends of the era, but does so with restraint and good taste (earning the distinction of becoming the first movie to be rated PG-13 in the process), finding Marshall more interested in perfecting the screen details of the setting, stepping away from crude hijinks to make a sincere endeavor. Granted, Marshall’s oeuvre isn’t littered with gems, but “The Flamingo Kid” is one of his best pictures, showing a relaxed approach to jokes, relationships, and setting, making it catnip for viewers who enjoy nostalgia and tales of dented maturity.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation has not been refreshed for the movie's Blu-ray debut. Restrained by an older scan, detail is softened throughout, providing only the basics of bodily particulars and beach sights. Textures fight to be seen but aren't completely erased, with a few close-ups passable, but never remarkable. Colors are on the muted side, but it's hard to stamp out this summery palette, which survives with brighter pinks and blues. The ample amount of skintones also makes an impression, delivering bronzed bodies and more urban pinkness. Delineation is adequate, threatening solidification during a few evening scenes. Grain becomes periodically zombified, as found on the "Prizzi's Honor" release, missing a natural structure that allows for a more filmic viewing experience. Source is in decent shape.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix supplies welcome clarity to the feature, but it's mostly a frontal affair, lacking anything truly exciting or immersive in the surrounds. Dialogue exchanges are clear, rising above crowd bustle that infests most scenes. Soundtrack selections are varied, but older tunes are comfortable, without shrillness, and newer tunes deliver some low-end response. Atmospherics are basic, capturing beach action and neighborhood commotion.
Marshall isn't known for creating complex entertainment, and he's personally responsible for some of the worst movies around ("Georgia Rule," "Raising Helen," "Exit to Eden"), but when he finds a pocket of charm and production detail, he does just fine, and he's usually good about casting, finding ways to make Dillion appealing (not always an easy task), and Crenna is strong as the Gin Rummy shark ready to make and break Jeffery's dreams of instant independence. "The Flamingo Kid" goes down easy, avoiding sharper edges of adolescent awakening to play Jeffrey's odyssey with a breezy vibe, but there's plenty of heartfelt material to keep the picture endearing, and there's always the sights and sounds of resort life in 1963 to sustain interest in the effort.
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