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Afternoon Delight
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Cinedigm Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (3rd February 2014). |
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The Film
 Since the passing of legendary film critic Roger Ebert, there aren’t too many “Top Ten” lists that cinephiles gravitate towards as each year draws to a close. But one list that seems to gain traction in the press, perhaps to fill that void left by Ebert, comes from director Quentin Tarantino. Each year he delivers a summary of the year’s best films, and each year film fans pore over it and pick it apart. Just because the guy is an amazingly talented filmmaker doesn’t mean everything he selects is golden, but this past December his list was topped by one film that most cinema-goers hadn’t heard of, let alone seen: “Afternoon Delight” (2013). Now, it only “topped” his list because he presented them alphabetically, but people still took notice of the fact he included a movie that essentially flew under most radars. This was also a list that included “The Lone Ranger” (2013), so some found the entire thing dubious at best. I, however, am always interested in knowing what other films my favorite directors enjoy. It’s akin to getting musical recommendations from your favorite frontman. You might not agree with his picks, but the interest in checking them out is usually high. Anyway, enough about QT. The only point I was trying to make is that his picks are influential to a number of film fans, something the filmmakers of “Afternoon Delight” know because his selecting of this film is used as a selling point on the back cover. The film’s plot follows Rachel (Kathryn Hahn), a disconnected housewife who sees a therapist, Lenore (Jane Lynch), once a week to discuss the loss of her journalist career, a sexless marriage, and the terror of dealing with PTA moms at her son’s school. Nothing seems to be going right. One night, she decides to spice things up with her husband, Jeff (Josh Radnor), by taking him out to a strip club. He pays for her to get a lap dance from McKenna (Juno Temple), a 19-year-old slice of sex who writhes all over Rachel so much that she seems instantly smitten with this kitten. The next day McKenna is all she can think about, Rachel drives back over to the strip club and hangs around a coffee truck that all the strippers frequent, eventually running into McKenna again. They strike up a conversation and hit it off, mainly because Rachel is doing and saying whatever she can to get into this girl’s good graces. When McKenna’s car gets towed and she’s left with no place to go, Rachel invites her into her home to become live-in nanny to their son. But, really, she invites her in because she’s infatuated with this woman and what she represents, which is a carefree freedom she hasn’t enjoyed in years. What follows is a series of typical interactions for this type of film, with all of the expected outcomes hardly deviating from where they seem to be headed. McKenna is open about her sexuality; her frankness shocking to most of Rachel’s closed-off housewife friends. The film makes note early on that McKenna is recently sober, with expectations that she’ll fall off the wagon at some point. She does, and it just so happens to be on poker night when just the guys are at home and Rachel is out, so McKenna can have free reign to get wild. What’s frustrating is that we’re set up with a plot about a crumbling marriage and the steps a woman is trying to take to get it back no track, yet the film never really gives weight to big issues, preferring to use rote plot points to arrive at the expected destination. As a comedy-drama, it succeeds in laying the foundation for something a bit atypical, but once the gears get into motion it’s hard to find anything unique furthering the story along. Kathryn Hahn shows off her drama and comedy skills as Rachel, the listless housewife going through the motions of life. Although there’s a little too much humor in her efforts to right her marriage (I suspect a little more sincerity and emotional weight would be found if this were trying to emulate reality), she does a commendable job of selling us on how discouraged a woman can be despite the appearance of having everything you need in life. Her husband is a software app developer who makes big money, as evidenced by the huge modern home they live in, but he’s also stressed out and doing business all day long. She wants for nothing, except a spark in her life. And the obsessive desire to attain this spark consumes her days until McKenna comes along, then Rachel’s entire mood shifts. In the end, having McKenna in her life is enough to get her to value the things she’s been taking for granted. Hahn doesn’t plumb the depths of emotion in getting there, but she does vacillate between humor and heartbreak well enough to sell the character’s arc. Juno Temple is just a knockout, and any film that takes the opportunity to show off her impressive physical attributes should get a pass. McKenna isn’t anything abnormal to cinema; she is the quintessential “hooker with a heart of gold”. When she first comes into Rachel’s life, there’s an uneasy feeling about whether or not the right decision was made to allow her to live in their home. But McKenna wins everyone over with her unvarnished commentary on life and sex, as well as how her childlike demeanor is a natural fit for taking care of kids. Temple carries the weight of the film because there’s so much honesty and a lack of pretension in her character. Rachel fakes it until she can’t any longer, but McKenna is who she is through and through. Jane Lynch is here, playing Jane Lynch. Or, at least, the patented persona she plays in nearly every project. There is virtually no variance between any of her characters, and so far I don’t care. She’s got the market cornered on the dry, acerbic brand of humor she frequently wields. She gets plenty of work playing the role everyone is expecting her to, so why fight it? Her delivery is always fantastic, so unless you’ve tired of her shtick her inclusion here will likely add to the humor. “Afternoon Delight” starts off with some engaging ideas about marriage, sex, and revitalization in one’s later years, but the climactic moments aren’t any less typical than other films of this ilk. The audience is dragged through an emotional gauntlet early on before the film yields to convention, eventually reaching the you-knew-it-was-coming finale. I wish the film had the balls to go in a different direction. Instead, it’s a mostly-good film that ruminates on life’s problems without digging too deep. I was a bit surprised to learn that director Jill Soloway nabbed the Best Director prize at Sundance 2013, as I didn’t really find anything particularly noteworthy about the direction of the film on any level. This isn’t to say the direction wasn’t good, just noting the surprise that this was lauded despite being fairly routine in its depictions. It wouldn’t have made my Top Ten of 2013, but that’s the beauty of cinema – everyone sees things differently.
Video
The 1.85:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encode displays a picture that could be described as perfectly unspectacular. Emulating a real-world appearance, the image is very plain and natural in its aesthetic. It looks like most of the shoot was done using handheld digital cameras. Details and definition could certainly be sharper, with only tight close-up shots and a handful of daytime locales looking truly strong. Colors are well saturated, though they also lack any kind of pop to get them leaping off the screen. Contrast is strong for the most part. There are a handful of shots that have a softness to them, whether that is due to lighting, equipment, or other I couldn’t say.
Audio
An English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound (48kHz/24-bit) track is the default here. The sound mix here is low-key in a number of regards; hardly making use of the multi-channel options it is afforded. The strip club scene should have been booming, with some thick bass and an enveloping sense of being right there with our leads. Instead, it’s narrow in its design and hardly provides the feeling of really being there in the club. The score is elevator music as played through an acoustic guitar – simple background ambiance to keep the flow moving. Dialogue registers high in the mix, with a nice balance amongst others effects when there’s some activity on screen. Subtitles are included in English.
Extras
Cinedigm’s Blu-ray comes stacked with a host of bonus features, including an audio commentary, numerous featurettes, deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, and a DVD copy. DISC ONE: BLU-RAY Director Jill Soloway and actress Kathryn Hahn deliver a lively, energetic audio commentary to get things going. Soloway has a lot to say about how scenes were changed, where they chose to shoot the film, covering most of the technical aspects of making the movie. Hahn mostly breaks down her creative process and how she approached the role. “Making Of Afternoon Delight” (1080p) is a featurette that runs for 9 minutes and 17 seconds. This is a film about women and intimacy, as we are told, and there are many cast & crew interviews to back that up. “The Gustavo House” (1080p) is a featurette that runs for 1 minute and 47 seconds. We get a closer look at the home used in the movie, which is located in Silverlake. And it is gorgeous. Several deleted scenes (1080p) are included: - “A Kiss” runs for 2 minutes and 7 seconds. - “Dildo Bag Scenes” runs for 1 minute and 45 seconds. - “Kosher Amanda’s Sexy Fantasy” runs for 2 minutes and 6 seconds. - “Pool Monologue” runs for 2 minutes and 20 seconds. - “Rachel Calls Lenore” runs for 48 seconds. - “Wetsuit Sequence” runs for 4 minutes and 41 seconds. A handful of featurette (1080p) are also available: - “Becoming An Exotic Dancer” runs for 1 minute and 33 seconds. Temple talks about learning her character’s trade. - “Dr. Lenore” runs for 1 minute and 49 seconds. Jane Lynch talks about her role. - “Poker Night” runs for 1 minute and 21 seconds. Meet “the guys”. - “Rachel & McKenna” runs for 1 minute and 9 seconds. The two ladies talk about their characters’ bond. - “Women & Wine” runs for 1 minute and 42 seconds. The film wanted to have funny actresses playing straight. The film’s theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 2 minutes and 10 seconds. DISC TWO: DVD This is a DVD copy of the feature film.
Packaging
The two-disc set comes housed in a Blu-ray keep case, with each disc on a hub opposite the other.
Overall
“Afternoon Delight” starts off with an interesting take on a real-world dilemma, but once the novelty of the concept appears to run its course the film veers into predictable territory that ends no differently than expected. There are good performances from Hahn and Temple, and everyone else, really, making this an easy viewing with some solid moments.
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