|
|
 |
Butter
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Anchor Bay Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (19th February 2013). |
|
The Film
 Greed, blackmail, sex, and butter. These are the essential ingredients for director Jim Field Smith’s darkly humorous film, “Butter” (2011). I’m aware that butter sculpting is a thing, but that statement also sums up everything I know about the art form. And while this film is most certainly a dramatization of folks on the butter circuit, I can’t imagine it strays too far from some possible behind-the-scenes drama that might have unfolded at a state fair or two. In this world, people take their works of buttery art very seriously. One of those “people” is Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell), who has been an acclaimed butter sculptor for most of his life, winning so many awards that near the start of the film he’s asked to step down and give someone else a chance. His wife, Laura (Jennifer Garner), however, will have none of that. Butter runs through the veins of the Pickler’s, so rather than see someone else wind up with the calorie-heavy crown, Laura decides to enter the county competition in an effort to maintain her status as the self-proclaimed queen of butter. But there’s a little someone standing in her way: 10-year-old foster child Destiny (Yara Shahidi), who impresses Bob with her natural skills as a butter prodigy. As expected, the film eventually sees the two women pitted against each other in a butter showdown to prove who’s got the skills to take the title. Now, ostensibly this is a film about butter sculpting but, really, that’s just the MacGuffin to get this black comedy ball rolling. The backdrop of a butter competition is secondary to the antics of the film’s characters. I’ve got to give Jennifer Garner major praise as the maniacal wife who is so desperately clinging to what she feels is her only lot in life. Laura is a determined woman who goes through life with blinders on, eschewing everything in her way to obtain this minor achievement. Her marriage is in shambles. When she catches Bob nailing Brooke (Olivia Wilde, looking outrageously gorgeous), a local stripper, she merely shrugs it off as a minor annoyance without even verbally railing the guy. Her step-daughter, Kaitlen (Ashley Greene), clearly hates her with a passion. But she ignores it. She’s practically sociopathic, even going so far as to hire a (very bad) saboteur to assist her in winning the big prize by ruining Destiny’s sculpture. I haven’t seen Garner in many films or TV shows, but she’s proven here to be more than capable of tackling dramatic & comedic roles. There’s a very solid supporting cast at work here, too. Yara Shahidi is an absolute joy to watch as Destiny, the young foster child who learns to get out of her shell and go for her dreams. Despite her clear abilities, she seems reluctant to enter the competition until her foster dad, Ethan (Rob Corddry), pushes her to follow what she loves. Ethan, and his wife, Julie (Alicia Silverstone), not only feel like a genuine couple, but their reactions to situations as new parents felt very believable. Destiny gives the film an injection of heart, which is much needed when you take the other characters into account. Olivia Wilde’s rebellious stripper is almost annoyingly rebellious, like someone who tries too hard to be controversial or offensive. But she knows how to work a pole, and there’s an uncomfortably hot sex scene between her and Kaitlen that will likely catch many viewers off guard. Her character tries to serve as a foil to Laura’s plans, but mainly she’s just here to provide the eye candy. And I ain’t complainin’. I’m not entirely sure why Hugh Jackman agreed to appear in what is basically a glorified cameo (despite receiving top billing on IMDB, not that that means much…). Maybe he owed someone on the production team a favor? Not that I’m grousing about having more gravitas added to the mix. Jackman’s character, Boyd Bolton, only serves a minor purpose – and he could have probably been cut out altogether – but he’s got a 3-minute monologue that is so f*cking great it makes his inclusion here absolutely worth it. This hodgepodge of wacky characters and a bizarre butter backdrop might not be for most, but fans of black comedy will enjoy the subtle humor throughout. The film doesn’t beat you over the head with every joke. In fact, some are so subtle they could be missed. Very little attention is explicitly paid to Garner’s final sculpture, which is a spot-on recreation of Kennedy’s assassination. She even made sure to include a buttery chunk of brain for Jackie O to reach for. Astounding. There are a countless number of these quirky indie comedies released each year, and this is one that I’d recommend checking out if for no other reason than to see a black comedy centered around such a novel contest.
Video
“Butter” slides onto Blu-ray with a sharp 2.35:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded picture that really shines from start to finish. The opening features some news footage that is appropriately aged, but once the film itself kicks in we’re treated to a constant series of exemplary scenes. Cinematographer Jim Denault perfectly captures the homogenized, glossy suburbs where the Pickler’s reside. He also employs color filtering in several scenes, which helps in giving key moments a distinct appearance. Colors look slightly over-saturated at times, but mostly the picture carries a natural look that works well for a suburban Midwest film. Black levels look to be on par with what you’d expect from HD, and the image holds up well in the shadows. There really isn’t a whole heck of a lot to complain about here; it’s not very dimensional, but overall this is a very pleasing image.
Audio
I can’t find much to crow about regarding the film’s English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit. The film is a dialogue-heavy affair, and I found that – surprisingly – the voices seemed to be mixed a little low. I had to crank up my system just to make sure I was catching everything. This was particularly odd since the dialogue usually isn’t fighting with anything else for ear time. The score is very minimal, and forgettable. Rear speakers are sporadically employed, even during scenes where their inclusion should be a given, like a group of people at a fair clapping with bravado. No matter. It may be unimpressive by most standards, but for a film like this it’s perfectly serviceable. Subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
Unfortunately, there isn’t much here at all. An audio commentary would have been nice, but at least one featurette on how they crafted all of these buttery concoctions would have been even better. Instead, we get a (not really) gag reel, along with some deleted & extended scenes. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY A gag reel (1080i) runs for 5 minutes and 15 seconds. Although some of these feature the actors losing their mark, most are alternate lines and outtakes from the film. And some are pretty damn funny, mostly Corddry’s stuff. Some deleted & extended scenes (1080i) are included: - “Pickler home video” runs for 47 seconds, this is just footage of the video of Bob doing his Newt Gingrich piece, as shot by Laura. - “Destiny Needs Toilet Paper” runs for 32 seconds, she explores her new home looking for toiletries. - “Laura’s First Speech” runs for 1 minute and 38 seconds, this is an extension of her speech at the contest. - “Destiny’s Party & Painted URL” runs for 2 minutes and 37 seconds, Destiny has a b-day party, then later her parents find some graffiti on their fence. - “Jill Dislikes Laura & Boyd Needs Laura” runs for 1 minute and 40 seconds, Jackman has barely any screen time yet they cut his role down? Odd. - “Destiny Auditions Butter Ideas” runs for 2 minutes and 14 seconds, this is more of the concepts for her final project. DISC TWO: DVD This is a DVD copy of the feature film.
Packaging
As per most Anchor Bay/Starz titles, “Butter” comes home in an eco-case with each disc housed on a hub opposite the other. The cover art is terrible, but luckily the title might spark enough interest to get someone to check it out.
Overall
By no means is this a contemporary black comedy classic, but I had enough fun with the unique premise and characters to give this one a recommendation. Garner really nails it as the housewife with seemingly nothing to live for but a butter sculpture contest. And, really, that’s just insane. Watching her melt down and then attempt to reform is painfully funny. But this is really Yara Shahidi’s film to shine in, and she does great work. Someone get this kid in a bigger picture!
|
|||||
|