It acknowledges the world it inhabits and never shies away from poking fun at itself.
As I alluded to a bit earlier, we know how romantic comedies end. There is no deviation from the formula because, frankly, the idea of this genre is to have the characters happy by the time the credits roll. So it´s not so much the destination for them, but the journey. How they get to their final destinations, the trials they go through, whereas in life, there are no guaranteed happy endings. What incident will precipitate Paolo coming out as straight to Jacks? Will Peter stop obsessing over a "perfect" man in favor of someone who pops up throughout the story? Can Talullah set aside her snark long enough to allow someone with the same background into her life? The answer should be obvious.
There is a singular problem in the film: the running time. Clocking in at only 90 minutes, "Love and Other Disasters" concentrates on the "big three" (Jacks, Peter and Paolo) to the detriment of Talullah and James. If we´re to be emotionally invested and therefore "happy" in the finale for each character, we need to see some sort of "in between" bridge scenes to create a relationship. A simple subtitle saying "one year later" isn´t going to cut it. Not for a film as witty, sly and well done as this one turns out to be.
But then, maybe the short running time is by design. "Love and Other Disasters" never overstays its welcome and, what´s more, leaves us wanting more from this group. From wild flights of fancy (cameo´s from Orlando Bloom and Gwyneth Paltrow near the end) to a gorgeous London, whimsy and top tier performances, this is a movie ripe for a sequel, though I hope it never happens. It would dilute the charm of this installment.
VIDEO
Presented in its original 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format, I can´t complain about the look of the film. While the picture does appear washed out and, thus, looks like a British production, there aren´t any technical issues with the product. Blacks are generally spot on and the vast array of colors used in the Vogue world are reproduced flawlessly. A very minor amount of grain is evident in Jacks´ apartment with its white walls, though it is never distracting.
AUDIO:
I would have been more than content with a straight 2.0 stereo mix, but Image has provided a 5.1 variant along with the 2.0 version. They both do their jobs well, bringing dialogue to the forefront while keeping background noises where they should be-the background. There really isn´t a reason to go for the 5.1 over the 2.0, even with a full stereo set up. Directional effects don´t help or hinder the production and, as usual, 5.1 sounds a little less forceful. English and Spanish subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
A making of featurette (26:04) is surprisingly devoid of the warmth found in the film. If anything, the interviews with the cast and director come off as EPK material. They´re not on screen to tell us anything about the movie-no behind the scenes stories, no flubs, nothing. The cast loved each other, brilliant script, you know the drill.
A couple trailers lead off the disc: "Organizm" (1:56); "Taxi to the Dark Side" (2:28); "Careless" (2:09); and "Banshee" (1:49). This film´s trailer is also included (1:48).
PARTING THOUGHTS:
I was enchanted with "Love and Other Disasters" thanks to a smart script and terrific performances up and down the cast. It´s a small, unknown gem, which is a tragedy. With a little luck, this DVD release will find its way into more homes, giving Murphy, Rhys and Tate a wider audience. And maybe even influence the creation of more films in its mold. We could do far worse.
There is a singular problem in the film: the running time. Clocking in at only 90 minutes, "Love and Other Disasters" concentrates on the "big three" (Jacks, Peter and Paolo) to the detriment of Talullah and James. If we´re to be emotionally invested and therefore "happy" in the finale for each character, we need to see some sort of "in between" bridge scenes to create a relationship. A simple subtitle saying "one year later" isn´t going to cut it. Not for a film as witty, sly and well done as this one turns out to be.
But then, maybe the short running time is by design. "Love and Other Disasters" never overstays its welcome and, what´s more, leaves us wanting more from this group. From wild flights of fancy (cameo´s from Orlando Bloom and Gwyneth Paltrow near the end) to a gorgeous London, whimsy and top tier performances, this is a movie ripe for a sequel, though I hope it never happens. It would dilute the charm of this installment.
VIDEO
Presented in its original 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format, I can´t complain about the look of the film. While the picture does appear washed out and, thus, looks like a British production, there aren´t any technical issues with the product. Blacks are generally spot on and the vast array of colors used in the Vogue world are reproduced flawlessly. A very minor amount of grain is evident in Jacks´ apartment with its white walls, though it is never distracting.
AUDIO:
I would have been more than content with a straight 2.0 stereo mix, but Image has provided a 5.1 variant along with the 2.0 version. They both do their jobs well, bringing dialogue to the forefront while keeping background noises where they should be-the background. There really isn´t a reason to go for the 5.1 over the 2.0, even with a full stereo set up. Directional effects don´t help or hinder the production and, as usual, 5.1 sounds a little less forceful. English and Spanish subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
A making of featurette (26:04) is surprisingly devoid of the warmth found in the film. If anything, the interviews with the cast and director come off as EPK material. They´re not on screen to tell us anything about the movie-no behind the scenes stories, no flubs, nothing. The cast loved each other, brilliant script, you know the drill.
A couple trailers lead off the disc: "Organizm" (1:56); "Taxi to the Dark Side" (2:28); "Careless" (2:09); and "Banshee" (1:49). This film´s trailer is also included (1:48).
PARTING THOUGHTS:
I was enchanted with "Love and Other Disasters" thanks to a smart script and terrific performances up and down the cast. It´s a small, unknown gem, which is a tragedy. With a little luck, this DVD release will find its way into more homes, giving Murphy, Rhys and Tate a wider audience. And maybe even influence the creation of more films in its mold. We could do far worse.
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[release]24095[/release]