The
Lunchbox (2013/Sony
Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B-/C Sound: B-/C+ Extras: C Film: C+
Too
often foreign films get cut slack U.S. productions and indies would
not and so, I expect many of the raved-about films not as good as we
are told they are. Ritesh Batra's The
Lunchbox
(2013) is one such recent release which is good and smart, but we've
seen much of this before. Lla (Nimrat Kaur) is trying to reconnect
with her husband (Nakul Vaid) by making some really good food, but he
is ignoring her while wallowing in a sense of misery that he is the
cause of and cannot see through. The food is sent via an old
delivery service, but lands up reaching a friend of his, a widower
(Irrfan Khan) who is amazed by the food (which her aunt helped make)
and he becomes more and more interested in her and the food.
What
follows is a mixed bag of some good drama, some good comedy, many
false, predictable moments and some social commentary the 105 minutes
could have used more of. The actors are convincing and locations
fit, but some of this is just too pat and the result is a little
disappointing by being a little too safe on all levels for its own
good. Still, those really interested should give this one a look.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer in the Blu-ray
is an all-HD shoot that has some nice shots, but also has its share
of minor flaws and issues throughout that we get from most such
shoots. The
anamorphically enhanced DVD version is so soft, it is almost
unwatchable, so stick with the Blu-ray to see it, no matter what you
land up thinking of the film.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix on the Blu-ray is
dialogue-based and often on the subtle, quiet side, but this is
well-recorded enough, while the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the
DVD is weaker and passable at best. The only extra is a feature
length audio commentary track by the director that is not bad,
showing he should have said more of what he was thinking on screen.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
