Welcome to Me Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Welcome to Me Blu-ray Movie Review

AliceTV.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 13, 2015

Some people are drawn to the spotlight even if they have no business being in it. It's not that people don't deserve their 15 minutes, it's that some people just aren't fit to stand under the lights, to carry the burden of fame, to withstand the good and the bad that inevitably follows any amount of public exposure. And for whatever reason, it's television that holds the greatest allure, though that might be changing with the explosion in popularity of self-published Internet videos and the far larger possibility of "making it" as a viral star rather than an established TV personality. It takes at least a modicum of charisma to find success in front of the camera, not to mention the ability to carry those added phantom pounds the lens tends to add. Bravery to actually step in front of it isn't enough. It takes incredible courage to face an invisible audience of hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of people scrutinizing every move and dissecting every word. But for some people, it's not just a dream. It's an obsession. Welcome to Me tells the story of a troubled young woman who finagles her way onto television, a woman who aspires to be like Oprah but who has the personality of a wet sock, someone whose personal burdens are so heavy that even fame and fortune can't ease them, even if she believes that to be the case. That won't stop her from trying, but will people be drawn to the train wreck that is her life and her show, proving that just about anyone can find success on the screen, or will her quirkiness and inability to understand basic on-air concepts do her, and her life, in for good?

Showtime.

Alice Klieg (Kristin Wiig) isn't exactly firing on all cylinders. She spends her days watching prerecorded and fully memorized episodes of Oprah or speaking with her shrink (Tim Robbins), oftentimes through prepared statements. She's socially awkward and lives off of disability benefits. She's also an obsessive lottery player. One day, she hits the jackpot. She wins nearly $90,000,000 and proclaims herself cured of her life's ailments, enough that she's ditching her therapy sessions, particularly since the state will no longer be paying for them in light of her winnings. She finds a moment to shine, to share her life's story, when the world around her focuses its attention on her after the massive lotto win. But when she begins talking about her private life -- sharing details too intimate for television -- she gets cut off. She finds another opportunity when she essentially forces her way on stage at a cooking show hosted by Gabe Ruskin (Wes Bentley) and again begins her spiel. She's cut off for the second time, but when she opens up her wallet in front of network executive Rich Ruskin (James Marsden), she's given her own show. She records her own theme music, enters the stage on a swan, and awkwardly spells out lessons from her life, prepares high protein meals, and recreates past events from her life. Her fame steadily grows and her bank account quickly dwindles. Can she find what she needs from her fame and fortune before she's taken off the air for good?

Welcome to Me isn't short on potential, but it never quite lives up to the possibilities inherent to its characters and the broad story in which they operate. The movie suffers through some sluggishly repetitive stages that linger too long on Alice's quirkiness in front of the camera. It overkills its primary plot device in its second act that could have been trimmed in half and still reinforced all of the movie's fundamental character ideas and dynamics. Even at an otherwise brisk 87 minutes, the movie drags on too long at times, particularly as it becomes ever more clear that the film isn't taking any chances with either its story basics -- how things will play out -- or its deeper themes which, frankly, aren't particularly well developed or emotionally satisfying by film's end. The movie paints Alice as a comfortably quirky sort who isn't afraid of the world seeing who she is. She wants to tell her story, in her own way, on her own terms, on her own show, but the emotional payoff isn't remarkable and the idea that it takes nearly $100,000,000 to settle one's soul is more than a little odd, particularly considering all the (mostly) free outlets available to people today through YouTube and social media. Alice isn't particularly relatable, either, beyond her status as something of a celebrity sideshow whose lone strength is her comfortable awkwardness. The film fails to really do anything dramatically satisfying with it, at least beyond the expected basics of where she'll be when it's all said and done, which seems like a wasted opportunity considering the absolute brilliance of her portrayal.

Indeed, the movie's true strength comes by way of Kristen Wiig's remarkable performance as the unbalanced and infinitely quirky Alice. Wiig is brilliant in every scene, finding the perfect rhythmic interpretation of the character, nailing every subtle nuance that extends from every extremity and each syllable and seems obvious even beyond the seen, seeping deep down into the character's oddball essence. Every verbal delivery is either a revelation or reinforcement of the character's qualities. Wiig never takes a second off and manages to both develop and maintain the character's extreme awkwardness with impeccable timing, body language, and dialogue. She's surrounded by a plethora of top-quality performers who are overshadowed by Wiig but nonetheless satisfy requirements and bring a welcome familiarity to the movie, including Tim Robbins as her therapist, Joan Cusack as the unsupportive program director, and James Marsden as a studio executive.

Welcome to Me Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Welcome to Me's 1080p transfer, sourced from a digital shoot, looks quite nice, though it doesn't necessarily stand out from the pack. The image is swarming with beautiful, bold colors. Whether in bright, sunlit exteriors or the hotly illuminated studios, the transfer presents a rainbow of hues that are vibrant and stunningly accurate across the board. There's no shortage of colorful clothes and accents to enjoy in most every scene. Flesh tones appear naturally accurate. Darker shots feature blacks that are a little on the pale side and teeming with light noise, but the image is otherwise a pleasure. Details are crisp and welcoming, revealing intricate clothing stitches with ease, facial textures with intimate precision, and basic objects around the studio, a well appointed restaurant, or Alice's color-coordinated home with great accuracy. The transfer never struggles with banding, blockiness, or other eyesores. By 2015 Blu-ray standards it's not special, but it's still a technically proficient image that won't give most viewers any major headaches.

Welcome to Me Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Much like its video companion, Welcome to Me's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is technically fine but ultimately unremarkable. The movie plays with basic elements presented in fine working order, no more and no less. Music is generally light and finds good basic definition throughout the range. Mild surround support engages the audience from the back, but the bulk is handled up front. There are a couple of pronounced sound effects but nothing that comes remarkably or memorably. Light ambient effects are scattered throughout as well, helping to give mild but important basic sonic shape to various environments. The movie's primary element, however, comes by way of the spoken word. Alchemy's lossless soundtrack presents it with natural center placement, consistent evenness, and effortless definition.

Welcome to Me Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Welcome to Me contains a supplement simply titled Featurette (1080p, 7:59). It takes a look at story basics, character specifics, cast and crew camaraderie, Shira Piven's direction, and more. Also included are trailers for Welcome to Me, Are You Here, Accidental Love, Fading Gigolo, and The Humbling.

Welcome to Me Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Welcome to Me is more often than not an entertaining little diversion. The film is dominated by a flawless and fun performance from Kristin Wiig in what might very well have been the performance of a lifetime if she was surrounded by a more deeply rich, fully developed, and emotionally satisfying story. As it is, Welcome to Me grows tiresome and repetitive through its second act and it disappoints with a rather simple and shallow character arc beyond the qualities Wiig brings to the part. But it's still fun in spots and always intoxicating under the spell of Wiig's efforts. This could have been something special, but it's too hollow to be anything more than a mildly entertaining diversion with a top-flight lead performance headlining. Alchemy's Blu-ray release of Welcome to Me features solid video and audio. Supplements are limited to a short featurette and a trailer. Rent it.