Liberal Arts (2012/IFC/MPI Blu-ray)/10
Years (2011/Anchor Bay DVD)
Picture: B-/C+ Sound: B-/C Extras: C/C- Main Programs: C/C-
Now for
two of the lamer mumblecore independent releases of the year…
Actor
Josh Radnor is back as a writer/director again with Liberal Arts (2012), a lame follow-up to his tired, forgettable,
and (when it got kudos) overrated 2009 dud HappyThankYouMorePlease. This time, we get scene after scene after
scene after scene of talking non-stop that says little in a work that really
goes nowhere. He plays (himself again?)
a 35-year-old college admissions advisor who is debating everything with
everyone (including a former professor played by Richard Jenkins) when he meets
a pretty 19-year-old gal (Elizabeth Olsen) in what is essentially an HD
recorded stage work that takes place in many outdoor locations.
However,
everyone talks so much that it really is all talk and little to no action. This eventually leads to repetition, overlap
and pointlessness in its approach, plus the ending is abrupt and this all
starts loosing credibility early on never to recover. Even the great Allison Janney shows up, but
she cannot save this mess either and I sat there wondering what Radnor was
trying to say, if anything. It certainly
was not anything we never heard of or have not seen before. And you see why real liberal arts are in
trouble. The title is even bad and does
not fit.
Extras
include a feature length audio commentary track (yawn), Original Theatrical
Trailer, featurette and Deleted Scenes that all should have stayed in versus
what we got.
Even
worse and more pretentious in the mumblecore sweepstakes is Jamie Linden’s 10 Years (2011) which can sometimes
feel like it is going on that long, but also plays like a stage show in several
locations, but this one is more restrictive and seems more desperate.
Some
famous and mostly semi-famous younger actors play character they could be and
are part of a high school reunion that you know will not go too well. Channing Tatum is here, but even the new Hollywood box office champ could not sell this mess to
the tune of a hit, joined here by Rosario Dawson, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Kate Mara,
Brain Geraghty, Justin Long, Max Minghella and some other faces you might
recognize, but could not necessarily name.
I blame the flat script, but it reminds me that many talented actors of
this generation are not stars because no one can seem to write and/or direct a
full length feature that anyone can remember anymore. As a result, all this talent is trapped in an
indie hell like this.
The
actors do their best to overcome the material, but it is a losing battle. Hope they find better work next time, save
Tatum, who does not need the well-wishings after having three blockbusters in
2012.
Extras
include Deleted Scenes that are as lame as the final result.
The 1080p
2.55 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Arts is obviously going to be better than the anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Years,
though both are HD shoots. However, not
by much as both have motion blur, dumb shaky camerawork, softness and detail
issues that only add to their troubles. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix on Arts is dialogue-driven, so its quiet spots are expected, though it
is clear enough to hear the non-stop talking.
The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on Years
is weak, spreading out simple stereo that is not always well recorded to begin
with and weaker than expected to the point that we recommend caution when
volume switching.
- Nicholas Sheffo