Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Magic of Belle Isle Blu-ray Movie Review

From Tap to Tapped.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 1, 2013

The direction of Rob Reiner’s career has been quite curious as of late. After scoring a major hit with 2007’s “The Bucket List,” the helmer has retreated into smaller films of a more wholesome nature, including 2010’s unexpectedly tedious family offering, “Flipped.” “The Magic of Belle Isle” furthers Reiner’s newfound interests in unexceptional entertainment on a slightly more victorious note, though the picture isn’t something that demands attention. Better with intimacy than artifice, the movie shines intermittently, holding out hope that Reiner will wake up before the feature concludes and deliver a string of amazing scenes. Instead, “Belle Isle” contains very little magic, at least the sustained kind.

A physically challenged, alcoholic curmudgeon, Monty (Morgan Freeman) is being relocated to the coastal town of Belle Isle for the summer, with his nephew (Keenan Thompson) hoping the change in scenery will reignite a passion for writing within the once great western author. Moving next door to Charlotte (Virginia Madsen) and her daughters Willow (Madeline Carroll), Finnegan (Emma Fuhrmann), and Flora (Nicolette Pierini), Monty is faced with inquisitive neighbors, with special attention from the middle child, who wants to learn more about the process of writing and the expanse of imagination. While soaking himself in booze, Monty decides to work with Finnegan, growing close to the family along the way, sparking up chemistry with Charlotte, a divorcee trying to hold her family together without a father figure. Finding his creativity rejuvenated, Monty gradually returns to his typewriter, creating short stories for young Flora as a way of relearning the importance of heartfelt communication.

The screenplay by Guy Thomas has a tendency to lean toward overly precious storytelling ornamentation, with the small town of Belle Isle a picturesque collection of specialized shops and quaint community characters, including a local tax professional (Jessica Hecht) and her mentally challenged son, Carl (Ash Christian), who Monty befriends by filling the young man’s head with fantasies of gunslinging sidekickery. The great Fred Willard also pops in to play a local fan of the writer, urging Monty to eulogize a recently deceased man he’s never met. Reiner doesn’t exaggerate the neighborhood interactions, but it’s enough to pull the viewer out of the bond developing between the grumpy author and his probing neighbors. There’s also a canine in the mix, an arthritic pooch named Ringo that Monty renames Spot and attempts to motivate for the duration of the summer. Unwilling to let a cheap joke sneak past him, Reiner includes three punchlines where Spot licks his genitals for comedic effect. Sometimes it’s difficult to remember that Reiner once directed “This is Spinal Tap.”

It’s a season of discovery for Finnegan, who’s desperate to sail to a nearby island and retrieve mysterious treasures, also developing her creative muscles with Monty, who teaches the girl the value of fabrication while receiving his own lesson in honesty, finding time with the child loosening his writer’s block and encouraging sobriety. It’s certainly a worthwhile subplot to chase, yet Reiner plays the relationship on the cutesy side, with Furhmann’s gee-whiz performance too eager to land its emotional beats, while Freeman is more of a cartoon grouch than a genuinely shattered man unwilling to piece his life back together after years of loss and disillusionment. Their scenes are cute, but never as touching as the production imagines.

Where “Belle Isle” shines the brightest is in the relationship between Monty and Charlotte, which takes on a pleasingly adult nature of mutual respect and confession that’s sweetly performed by Madsen and Freeman. It’s romantic, but in an emotionally grounded manner that’s more appealing to watch, captured in a handful of cozy moments between the characters as they learn more about each other. A dream sequence where Monty finally indulges his feelings for Charlotte is especially well done, showing a patient, almost seductive side to Reiner I wish he would reveal more often.

The Magic of Belle Isle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Belle Isle" is extremely clean, with HD cinematography and a touch of filtering removing any possible grit from the viewing experience. There's a dullness to the image that's disappointing, though colors remain in good spirits, with lakeside atmosphere contributing hearty primaries and costuming offering agreeable hues. Shadow detail is acceptable without being remarkable, preserving depth and evening interactions to satisfaction. Fine detail is quite appealing when fully illuminated, supplying a textured look at skin quality and set design particulars, also contributing a fibrous touch to sheets of paper. Skintones are accurate, looking pink and human. Some mild banding is detected.

The Magic of Belle Isle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix doesn't offer a generous immersion into the "Belle Isle" world, but the basics are cared for, supplying a track that keeps to a front stage presence with conviction. Dialogue exchanges sound purposeful and deep, with Freeman's low tones especially pleasing to the ears. Scoring is pronounced enough to launch intended emotional moods, but never steamrolls over the action, maintaining solid support with crisp instrumentation. Surrounds are limited to musical expanse and some atmospheric touches (befitting an outdoorsy movie), remaining subdued. Low-end is sparse. No distortion was detected.

The Magic of Belle Isle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with director Rob Reiner and stars Morgan Freeman and Virginia Madsen is a disappointment, with these three charismatic and talented folk reduced to passing around empty platitudes and delivering aggravating play-by-play conversation, adding little to the "Belle Isle" experience. Madsen "loves" everything, Freeman seems happy but keeps quiet, and Reiner doesn't dig deep enough into the creative process. It's a missed opportunity to explore the picture in a detailed manner, with long passages of silence to work through as the participants simply kick back and watch the movie.

• "Discovering 'The Magic of Belle Isle'" (17:27, HD) covers the basics of development, story, and production, with cast and crew interviews (conducted on-set) walking though dramatic arcs and location love. The featurette is careful to underline the family film appeal of the picture and Reiner's quest to make a movie about life. Admirable endeavors, but something was clearly lost in the translation.

• Behind the Scenes Picture-in-Picture Comparison: "Birthday Party" (3:33, HD) combines a look at BTS footage (the film was shot under the title "Summer at Dog Dave's) and final footage. No real surprises here, but this type of workday snapshot is always valuable.

• Interview (11:02) with Reiner furthers the conversation started in the earlier featurette. Excitedly recounting the plot, character arcs, and location miracles, Reiner is breathless, with a clear love for the work. However, all the info here is covered elsewhere on the disc.

• "AXS TV: A Look at 'The Magic of Belle Isle'" (4:59, HD) is pure promotion from Reiner, who provides expository commentary for a collection of scenes.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:26, HD) is included.

The Magic of Belle Isle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Magic of Belle Isle" is predicable, with Reiner giving in to every emotional rehabilitation moment to work the story to a close, even bringing in Spot to make sure every character is tied off with a bow. The picture could've done with a little less formula and more emotional verve, creating an endearing union that wraps around the viewer. Instead, the feature tastes vaguely of plastic, ruining what little dramatic life manages to sneak into sections of the film.