The Last Married Couple in America Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

The Last Married Couple in America Blu-ray Movie Review

An uninspired comedy with no-laughs.

The Last Married Couple in America is a comedy exploring marriage in America and the rising divorce rate across the country – with a comedic spin. Produced by John Herman Shaner (The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Little Shop of Horrors) and Edward S. Feldman (Witness, Near Dark), The Last Married Couple in America is an exploration of marital ups and downs (and the odd comedy that results from being married). Starring George Segal and Natalie Wood.

Jeff (George Segal) and Mari (Natalie Wood) are a married couple attempting to live out the American dream. Yet Jeff and Mari's best friends are getting divorced left and right (as divorce rates across the country begin to soar). As the couple starts to wonder if they are too old fashioned and if they need to get a divorce to stay hip, Jeff and Mari are tossed in to one mishap after another along a bumpy marital road.

Jeff's best friend, Marv Cooper (Richard Benjamin) attempts to set Jeff up with a sexy young date while Mari's friend, Barbara (Valerie Harper), attempts to hook up with Jeff. Meanwhile, plumber turned adult-film star Walter (Dom DeLuise) starts a party at Jeff and Mari's home. Can the last married couple in American survive without divorce?

The feature-film has a strong cast with George Segal and Natalie Wood leading the way. Segal is his quirky and off-beat self while Natalie Wood is a natural charmer. However, the characters in the film are enormously frustrating at times, and aren't much fun to spend time with. The performances fit the script well but the end-results aren't exactly pleasing. Yuck.

The cinematography by Ralph Woolsey (The Iceman Cometh, The Great Santini) is average-at-best. Nothing about the visual element of the film impresses. The cinematography is simply bland and boring. Simply put: nothing to write-home about.

"Divorce, Italian style?"

The music by Charles Fox (9 to 5, National Lampoon's European Vacation) offers a decent enough backdrop but nothing about the music stands out much. The score works well for the production at times. Yet the effort feels under- cooked.

One of the weakest elements of The Last Married Couple in America is the editing by Peter E. Berger (Star Trek: Generations, Fatal Attraction). The edit seems contrived and uninspired. The film was a boring, frustrating, and underwhelming experience. There just wasn't much to appreciate about the production – or the way it dragged on unnecessarily.

The art direction by Peter Landsdown Smith (Groundhog Day, The Shawshank Redemption ) is one of the better elements of the production. Though a simple and uninspired comedy, the production merits are decent. The art direction and production design have decent elements. The production design by Gene Callahan (Steel Magnolias, America America) showcases the sets well.

The screenplay by John Herman Shaner (The Darker Side of Terror, The Island of Dr. Moreau) is the worst part. The script has a lot of cringe-worthy dialogue. The jokes fall flat. There was not a single time during the run-time where I laughed out loud. The comedy simply falls flat – and it is absurd, uninspired, and mean-spirited. The entire film makes a joke out of marriage and the jokes aren't so funny.

Gilbert Cates (Dragonfly, The Promise) attempts to imbue the film with a nice directorial style. The comedy has plenty of moments where it seems like it might work in theory – but it never does. The direction is too uninspired. The Last Married Couple in America is a dull and pessimistic effort.

The Last Married Couple in America Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Last Married Couple in America is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. Featuring decent high-definition visuals, the film looks reasonably good on the format and the presentation works well. Colors are average looking but look true to the cinematographic style.

There are no egregious issues to report in regards to compression woes. The print is crisp and free from significant damage or wear. There are no scratches. A decent looking video presentation.

The Last Married Couple in America Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. The lossless audio on the release is decent sounding but the track isn't particularly impressive either. Dialogue is crisp sounding and reasonably easy to understand. The sound design is average.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

The Last Married Couple in America Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historian Lee Gambin

The Last Married Couple in America Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:35)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available on home media from distributor Kino Lorber: Where's Poppa? (SD, 2:55), All Night Long (HD, 1:41), and Sweet Liberty (SD, 1:01).

The Last Married Couple in America Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Last Married Couple in America is a comedy train-wreck. The film fails to ignite a single laugh-out-loud moment. The story and characters are cringe-worthy. The filmmaking is pessimistic and frustrating to watching. Despite some good actors (with both George Segal and Natalie Wood involved), The Last Married Couple in America is worth skipping. SKIP IT.