|
|
 |
The Oranges
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (13th August 2013). |
|
The Film
 It seems like there is just a glut of indie comedies trying to be the next “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006) or “Juno” (2007, and, man, was that a terrible film), hoping a respectable cast and a twee poster will entice viewers. Most miss the mark, resulting in a lot of wannabe success stories earning no higher distinction than a limited run in less than 200 theaters and a quiet dump onto home video. That isn’t to say such an ignominious end is warranted, but more often than not? Yeah, pretty much. Such is the fate that befell “The Oranges” (2011), a suburban dark comedy that isn’t all that dark and it isn’t all that funny. And when that happens, and nobody really notices your film or showers it with accolades, it gets dumped. The film premiered in September 2011 and is only now hitting home video. Again, not an indicator that a film sucks, as plenty of perfectly good – maybe even great – films have been unceremoniously left to die in Wal-Mart bargain bins across the nation. The Wallings – David (Hugh Laurie) and Paige (Catherine Keener) – and the Ostroffs – Terry (Oliver Platt) and Cathy (Allison Janney) – are about as close as two families can get. They live across the street from each other, they regularly dine together, and Cathy even has hopes of getting her rebellious teenage daughter, Nina (Leighton Meester) to hook up with Toby Walling (Adam Brody), which would really make them a tight knit bunch. After Nina breaks it off with her cheating former flame, a night home with the families turns awkward when she and David share a kiss. Their attempt to deny their feelings fails, and when Nina goes to meet David at a motel her mother trails her and uncovers the conceit. Immediately, the dynamic of both families is thrown into the grinder, opening wounds and destroying relationships all in the pursuit of happiness. Oh, and also there’s Vanessa (Alia Shawkat), the Wallings’ daughter who is more or less the wallpaper of the film. A capable cast can only take a film so far, and this group ably does just that. I was surprised to learn this was Hugh Laurie’s first feature film - figured somebody would have cast him in something ages ago. It’s hard to tell exactly why he chose this role over (presumably) others, but it may have something to do with the script showing up on 2008’s Black List of the best unproduced scripts in town. That list is somewhat of a joke, though, since many films that appear on it are usually in the midst of getting a deal; it isn’t an indicator of quality by any means. Most viewers – me included – know Laurie only as the House, star of the eponymous show. He actually beat out Richard Gere for this role because director Julian Farino felt he had an “innate decency”. It’s hard not to agree with that assessment; Hugh does seem like an affable chap, even without his accent. Oliver Platt has had the “stressed out, overweight, likeable guy” thing down for years. He nails it here, too. Janney and Keener are both gorgeous, MILF-y women who can act. They’re also both blessed with some extraordinarily expressive faces, which aids in conveying the necessary pathos they experience. The only one of the kids who really shines is Leighton Meester as Nina, the young seductress still trying to find her way in life. Although the film telegraphs it early on, her relationship with David feels earned; it isn’t forced or inorganic. Having just broken up with the man she planned on marrying, because he cheated, her vulnerability in getting sucked back up into another inappropriate (by her parent’s standards) relationship feels genuine. She isn’t someone to question her own feelings, either – not at this point in her life, at the age of twenty-four. Meester displays a healthy balance of sure-headed stubbornness mixed with fragile emotion wrought with confusion. As for the other kids… Adam Brody isn’t given much to do as the Wallings’ son, Toby; and Vanessa spends the entire film hating on her dad’s decisions and generally seeming jealous that Nina, her former best friend, lives a carefree, party-time lifestyle that she envies. Curiously, she’s also made the narrator of the film, a role that doesn’t feel necessary or earned. We, the audience, can figure things out without the needless exposition. This isn’t that deep of a film. The film has a terrible title, too. “The Oranges”? Why, because they live on Orange Dr.? When I saw the cover art I assumed one of the families had that name. I realize not every film is going to have a title that makes sense, but this one does so very little to grab attention. It did, however, make me want some delicious orange juice.
Video
“The Oranges” comes home with a 1.85:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded picture that neither thrills nor disappoints. Color reproduction looks good, with a varied palette on display throughout. Many characters wear patterned clothing, the details of which look sharp and clear on this release. Facial close-ups reveal a nice amount of fine detail, too. Skin tones appear natural and flesh-like. The image does appear to suffer from some compression issues, which may have to do with it being on a 25 GB disc. Regardless of the reason, it’s there. The black levels are most affected by it, but not to the point that the image suffers terribly.
Audio
Here’s a snoozer of a track. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track (48 kHz/24-bit) lacked an semblance of range, dynamism, balance… you know, the stuff that lossless tracks should employ. Now, with this being a dark comedy there isn’t going to be much, if any, bombastic action. But they couldn’t even get the dialogue levels right. Everything sounds low right from the get-go. The opening narration sounded particularly weak, and things never picked up from there. The score swells up and envelopes viewers at the appropriate moments, however, that is just about the only time this track shows signs of life. Rears are on a break for the majority, with their assistance only being called in for the aforementioned soundtrack cues. Subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
There are just a couple of featurettes here but, in typical modern fashion, this set comes with a DVD copy as well as a digital copy. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY “Opening Doors: Inside The Oranges” (1080p/1.78:1) is a featurette that runs for 6 minutes and 32 seconds. Typical EPK stuff; the actors talk about the film. “Juicy Secrets: Behind the Scenes of The Oranges” (1080p/1.78:1) is a featurette that runs for 3 minutes and 22 seconds. Did someone just cut part of the interviews out of the last piece and call it something else? Sure seems that way. Nothing juicy here, either. Bonus trailers (1080p) are included for the following: - “Blu-ray promo” (sounds like an exciting new product!) runs for 1 minute and 18 seconds. - “A Late Quartet” runs for 2 minutes and 24 seconds. - “The Sessions” runs for 2 minutes and 21 seconds. - “Won’t Back Down” runs for 2 minutes and 24 seconds. - “Atlas Shrugged II: The Strike” runs for 1 minute and 58 seconds. DISC TWO: DVD This is a standard definition DVD copy of the feature film. A digital copy code is also included on the insert, which can be used for both iTunes and Ultraviolet players.
Packaging
The 2-disc set comes housed in an eco-case with each disc housed on a hub opposite the other. A slip-cover is included for first pressings.
Overall
The film admirably tries to take some alternate roads that other, similar comedies usually don’t explore. But the end result is a film that features characters we don’t care enough about, with a dearth of laughs and not much else to warrant repeat viewings. The actors elevate material that would have miserably failed in lesser hands.
|
|||||
|