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Wish I Was Here
R2 - United Kingdom - Koch Media Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (23rd January 2015). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Life is an occasion. Rise to it. WISH I WAS HERE follows the life of Aidan Bloom (Zach Braff), an L.A-based mid-thirties husband, out-of-work actor and non-practicing Jew. Approaching a crisis point in his life, he's reluctant to give up on his dream of becoming an actor yet feels the strain he s putting on his wife, Sarah (Kate Hudson), the sole breadwinner. When his father (Mandy Patinkin) gets ill and they can no longer afford to send their kids (Joey King and Pierce Gagnon) to a private Hebrew school, Aidan is forced to re-evaluate everything. Not easy for a guy who still daydreams he's a spaceman. Also starring Josh Gad, Jim Parsons and Ashley Greene, WISH I WAS HERE is the uplifting and relatable story of life, love and family for a thirty-something man who finds himself at major crossroads. The talk of Sundance festival on its debut earlier this year, WISH I WAS HERE is renowned as one of the biggest Kickstarter projects ever created, and features soundtrack music from the likes of The Shins, Bon Iver, Coldplay, Cat Power and Paul Simon.
Video
Koch Media have released the Kickstarter funded "Wish I Was Here" on to DVD only (at time of writing) in the United Kingdom, using an anamorphic transfer in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of major problems that make the transfer very disappointing. Right from the off, even the less eagle-eyed viewers will be able to see that this is a poorly authored NTSC->PAL transfer. The feature is absolutely littered with some really abrasive combing during scenes with any reasonable amount of movement (see the first screenshot below taken at 4:16), and there is far more aliasing than is forgivable. You just do not expect such major issues for such a new feature which was made with a decent multi-million dollar budget by a crew that is far from inexperienced. Colours are strong and skin tones are generally natural in most scenes, and slightly warm in others, except in the scene at 24:27 (second screenshot) where there is quite a ghastly green/blue tint which doesn't suit the scene or tone. Blacks are at least deep, and contrast levels are consistent. Details are probably the highlight of this transfer, especially the stonework within the family home. Close-ups also showcase good levels of detail, but are unfortunately disturbed by the aliasing and combing. There's no damage in the print such as scratches or nicks, and there are no major compression issues. The feature is uncut, and runs 106:14 PAL. 
Audio
Koch Media have presented us with a single English Dolby Digital 5.1 track, and thankfully it is much better than the transfer. Although this is a film that is dialogue driven, there are still some nice subtle environmental effects coming through the surrounds at times. LFE doesn't see much action, but then there aren't many opportunities for the LFE to shine outside of the Aston Martin test drive scene. The score by Rob Simonsen (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Foxcatcher) utilises the sound space well, and is never overly enthusiastic. Dialogue is clear and concise at all times with no issues to report. There are no signs of damage to the track such as scratches or pops, and I noticed no background hiss. Optional subtitles have been included in English for the hard-of-hearing.
Extras
Just a couple of start-up trailers: - "Life Before Beth" (1:44) - "Obvious Child" (2:25)
Overall
I'm a big fan of Zach Braff, so much so I actually contributed to the Kickstarter campaign for this movie. Unfortunately though, the picture quality of this release just isn't good enough.
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