Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The One I Love Blu-ray Movie Review

As Haddaway once asked, "what is love?"

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 22, 2014

Unexplainable things are afoot when matters of the heart meet the muddied waters of something out of The Twilight Zone in The One I Love, a quasi-comedic, quasi-dramatic, quasi-Science Fiction-inspired story of what it means to love another human being. The film is beautifully vague in meaning yet oddly direct in approach. It's a pleasure to watch unfold for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the novelty of it all, the twists of the unexpected, the confidence it displays even as the plot inches further into murkier, confused territory. Much like The Lake House, Director Charlie McDowell's first feature film plays with love on a different plane, something completely unexpected that produces a story that can be interpreted ins several different ways that will shape the movie for each viewer rather than mire itself in a one-size-fits-all pile of dramatic chaos turned into thematic order.

Happy...for now...

Sophie (Elisabeth Moss) and Ethan (Mark Duplass) met and engaged in a whirlwind love-at-first-site romance. They couldn't be happier together until the test of time starts to strain their childlike enthusiasm for one another. Now, instead of sweet pillow talk and passionate lovemaking, it's off to the therapist for another round of tit-for-tat, the irreconcilable type. As a last-ditch effort to save the relationship, the couple's doctor (Ted Danson) suggests they go on an intimate, one-on-one retreat to a beautiful little getaway about 90 minutes from home. It seems to work. Instantly, their passion is rekindled, but it turns out that the retreat's small guest house is home a secret that will push their relationship to the limits and test their very definition of what it means to love.

The One I Love is another recent title best enjoyed as blindly as possible the first time through. Much like Snowpiercer (two totally different style and tone movies otherwise), The One I Love's plot, and one's ultimate enjoyment of it the first time through, requires an open mind rather than one filled with information, and more importantly, a willingness to just say "the heck with it" and go with the very unusual flow the story presents. And that flow is sure to be bumpy, more so for some than others. Taken at face value, the film is borderline ridiculous. Taken as a metaphor for something else entirely -- whatever one wants to read into it, really, from the true meaning of deeply held, soulful love to the whims of the superficial human condition -- it's borderline genius. One must be willing to take what the film gives rather than give back based on erroneous expectations, expectations built on pre-established notions of what a movie like this should be, not what this one offers. A willingness to accept and take, then, is the only thing potential viewers should bring into a watch. Everything else is up for grabs and interpretation, and the film is sure to engender quite a bit of the latter.

The film proves confident in its delivery, sure of its thematic vagueness, and positive of its ability to make a point -- or points -- even through the façade of the bizarre that runs through it. That confidence is almost entirely the product of a terrific sell-job by the leads actors who are challenged to go above and beyond the call of duty in shaping the film in more ways than one. Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss are excellent as the film's leads, breathing life into every angle and displaying a full, satisfying grasp of the story's broader plot points and the finer details of both their getaway and the matters of the heart, both of which will challenge them in ways never before considered throughout the brisk 90-minute runtime. The film's center comes in how they deal with the challenges, realities, and ideas that are presented to them over the course of their stay at the retreat. They capture a real sense of fear that becomes wonder, of wonder that becomes unease, of unease that becomes comfort, of comfort that becomes complacency, of complacency that becomes a complete rethinking of who they are, both in their own eyes and through those of their partner. Yet even as the characters are pulled, in some form or fashion, in what seems like a dozen different directions, the movie remains focused and precise, making as much sense as it needs to make while leaving much of it open to the audience's imagination to fill in the gaps of forever after.

The One I Love Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The One I Love's 1080p presentation favors warmth, but not a prevailing warmth. While many interiors take on a slight red push, outdoors are crisply defined and naturally bright. Colors are well defined in both instances, with the outdoor scenes in particular revealing beautiful natural greens. Clothing shades, interior background accents, and skin tones all favor as close to a natural shade as the lighting and mood permits. Details are strong, with excellent image clarity evident throughout. The image is generally crisp and accurate, favoring strongly defined facial features, clothing lines, and home interior details, such as rows of books on a shelf, pillows, and dolls, while exteriors reveal accurate greenery and roughly textured stone surfaces. Black levels are never overly problematic, though there is a hint of paleness in some instances. Light banding is also evident in a handful of shots but is not a major problem. On the whole, this is a solid Blu-ray presentation from Anchor Bay.

The One I Love Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The One I Love features a pleasant, nicely defined, and richly delivered DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is airy and warmly enveloping, drifting effortlessly through the stage with a healthy surround support in tow. There's a nice mix of effortless, playful notes and heavier, deeper pieces that allow the subwoofer to chip in on occasion. It's all nicely balanced and sonically supportive of the film's mood. There are a few nice supportive ambient effects, such as crickets heard inside the house at one point or gentle exterior ambience in a few spots. Atmosphere, however, is fairly limited otherwise. Dialogue is the main sonic element here, and it's presented richly and fully from the center.

The One I Love Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The One I Love contains an audio commentary and a brief featurette.

• Audio Commentary: Director Charlie McDowell and Actor Mark Duplass open with a discussion of how they opened the film and follow with some basic insights into tone, narrative, film structure, score, story origins, performances, polishing the script, the film's broader technical appearance, and much more. There's also some good, light humor shared between two well-spoken participants. Fans of the movie will definitely want to give this one a listen.
• Visual Effects Reel (1080p, 2:01): A short montage of some green screen effects shots from the film.

The One I Love Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The One I Love earns major points for novelty, and even more for substantive and thought-provoking novelty at that. It's a movie with a premise that's not absolutely unique, but what the film does -- or doesn't -- do with it is its real source of strength. Sometimes offbeat, sometimes darkly serious, sometimes funny, sometimes emotionally challenging, sometimes wholly unsettling, often necessarily vague, but always intriguing, the film has a little bit of something for everyone, including Science Fiction, romance, comedy, drama, and a real sense of mystery, all of which contribute to a wide-open narrative that will leave the audience questioning everything and understanding almost nothing beyond personal interpretation. Anchor's Bay's Blu-ray release of the must-see The One I Love features strong video and audio. A commentary and featurette comprise the extras. Highly recommended.