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Words and Pictures
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Lionsgate Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Ethan Stevenson (14th September 2014). |
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The Film
 “Words are lies.” Characters try to trot out the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” at a couple of key points in Fred Schepisi’s “Words and Pictures”, but neither English lecturer Jack Marcus (Clive Owen) or his colleague, art professor Dina Desanto (Juliette Binoche), are having any of that old cliche, and they shutdown even each other whenever the expression starts to form on their lips. They do so in part because there’s so many different meanings that can be gleaned from a single picture, the same way one can read a single sentence, let alone a thousand words, seven different ways. The saying’s also just really annoying. Over the course of the film, the two educators engage in an initially mean-spirited, but eventually flirtatious debate about which form is more powerful: the written word or a single picture. And they drag their students into the fray for one of those rare, if inevitable, teachable moments, too. But of course, it’s the educators who learn the most, about themselves and each other, in the end. Marcus is an alcoholic divorcee. His college-aged son wants nothing to do with him, especially when he isn’t sober—and he rarely is. I mean, come on, the man drinks in his car between classes. With the threat of budgetary cutbacks at the small community school in costal Maine, where the story is set, Marcus’ job is in jeopardy. Once—technically, still—a successful published author, he hasn’t written anything, decent or otherwise, in nearly a decade. His bosses are even questioning the literary magazine he edits with his students, concerned that it hasn’t produced quality work in years. His poor professional performance has made it harder to look past his many flaws as a person; his arrogance, insolence, and of course, the excessive boozery. Meanwhile, Desanto, a recent import from an experimental art school that shuttered its doors in the economic downturn, has onset rheumatoid arthritis and it's worsening by the day. The pain in her joints has made both teaching about painting and the actual act itself a frustrating near-impossibility. Turned bitter and cold, the staff have nicknamed her The Icicle. But in their battle of wills, Desanto warms to Marcus, as he to her, and together they inspire their students—several of whom are crossovers, due to both teaching honors courses—to think critically, and care, about something beyond the latest Tweet, SnapChat, or post on Facebook. Marcus and Desanto never really seem to agree upon, despite each thinking that the other’s preferred form of expression is filled with lies and dubious deceit, the actual outcome of their debate. Word and pictures not only have equal power, but each plays with our perception of the world around us, even, or especially online. On those very forms of social media, in any media, that make the elemental foundations even more pertinent outside of a hung canvas and book-bound pulp each of them somewhat archaically use in class. Of course, I expect nothing less in a film that glamorizes and romanticizes education and the arts, as much, in fact more so than it does a budding relationship between the two teachers. Taken out of context, pictures and words can be deceitful, and those in control of a distorted message disingenuous, perhaps even downright dangerous. But why should “Words and Pictures” discuss the darker side of either art-form’s power; the politicking and policy-making that give rise to whole propagandized movements, beyond a surface level lesson in one class? Especially when it dabbles in a little manipulative deception of words and pictures itself. But in truth, as pretentious as the premise of Schepisi’s film may seem on the surface, it comes from a reasonably well-meaning place. And the director is smart to never overplay the drama of his troubled characters, thankfully never turning either alcoholism or age-related arthritis into some maudlin message-picture topic. And he makes sure to keep the kind of cute romance at bay, in a way that’s out-of-sync with the norm. Still, I think it’s quite fascinating how perceptual distortion words and pictures are in play even in the film’s marketing materials. The Blu-ray cover art of “Words” greatly misrepresents the film, in that it tells its own thousand-word story, one completely different than what’s packaged behind the cover. With a single picture of Owen and Binoche grinning, almost neck-nuzzling like lovers, one assumes “Pictures” to be a romantic comedy, when in fact the film is more a middle-aged adult drama about broken people, than a rom-com. It’s far more dramatic, than it is romantic; more about flawed intellectuals, and the occasional follies of intellectualism, over anything else. And the comedy comes, mostly, from a sort of bitter disenchantment. Okay, sure, there’s back-and-fourth word play between the leads, and there are some lushly-lit romantic moments, even a sex scene. And the overarching plot is pointed in the direction of Marcus and Desanto’s union. But their personality flaws disrupt the conventional narrative, and the typical romance never quite comes together until the final frames. Even then it’s slightly tweaked, with a tinge of middle-age misery. In the end, Owen, giving his finest performance in years, and Binoche embody their characters so well, even a somewhat predictable journey of slightly over-written words and twenty-four pictures a second becomes very watchable. It’s a quaint film, and a quiet one—even with all the French-woman and drunk-man shouting at times—that’s becoming more of a rarity with each passing big-budget blockbuster. “Words and Pictures” has its flaws, but it has plenty of charms, too.
Video
The popularity of digital capture, especially with the ubiquitous Arri Alexa camera system, has made criticism and analysis of a recent films and their requisite 1080p high definition video transfers on Blu-ray slightly, perhaps entirely superfluous. Differences in framing and the occasional codec switch-up aside—and, for the record, “Words and Pictures” is presented in its original 2.40:1 widescreen, using Lionsgate’s preferred AVC MPEG-4—there’s a blanket truth to any disc containing an Alexa-sourced production: the image will be crisp, with excellent detailing, a clean, grain free texture, and a slightly clinical sheen to the modestly modulated contrast, with slightly clipped whites but inky blacks. Schelpsi, and cinematographer Ian Baker strike a natural palette, with sporadic splashes of intense color, usually by way of Desanto’s paintings or the costal setting of the Cherry Blossom lined locale. Even in medium shots, Marcus’ consistent stubble is defined, and in the extremely wide canvases of art galleries and classrooms bristling with brushstrokes and woodgrains, nary an issue is to be seen. The visual design is rather understated, but “Words and Pictures” a pretty much perfect transfer.
Audio
There isn’t much to day about the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (48kHz/24-bit), other than it has an respectable clarity, with intelligible dialogue and strong prioritization. But “Words and Pictures” is the sort of talky film that doesn’t have many standout moments in sonic terms; atmosphere is realistic, with the acoustics of an enclosed car as Marcus listens to his radio during the lunch hour, or when he and Desanto enjoy a calm evening on her waterfront porch, weaves lapping at the shore, coming across nicely. The most energetic moment of the film undoubtedly comes in an inspired cross-edited sequence, in which Desanto listens to classical music while doing her physical therapy and Marcus listens to some David Bowie and has a drunken tennis match with himself against his garage door. Separation and directionality are superb, as the gliding camera matches a bouncing ball or moving weight machine back and forth between the two parties. Pianist Paul Grabowsky composed the score. The disc also includes subtitles in English and Spanish.
Extras
The nicest thing I can say about the extras included with “Words and Pictures”? Well, there are certainly words, heard in the form of an audio commentary with director Fred Schepisi. And pictures, too, seen in a making of featurette. There’s no need for a back and forth debate like the one in the film over which is clearly superior over the other, because, in fact, both are quite average. A couple of theatrical trailers are also included. Lionsgate has authored the Blu-ray with optional bookmarks and the resume playback function. An HD digital copy of the film is also included in the package. The audio commentary with director Fred Schepisi is pretty dry. He talks about screenwriter Gerald Di Pego’s script, the real school at which much of the film was shot and how the crew made it more cinematic, and his admiration for educators, among other things, including technical topics. It’s by no means an awful track, but I doubt very many with find this talk as engaging as Marcus or Desanto’s impassioned pleas for their respective arts. “Behind the Scenes of ‘Words and Pictures’” (2.40:1/1.78:1, 1080p; 17 minute 46 seconds) is an intermittently informative, but basically boring featurette in which Schepisi repeats some of his commentary about the project's origins and his admiration for educators, only this time with moving-pictures from behind-the-scenes adding, not much, too them. Other members of the cast and crew also appear, amidst the BTS and film clips. A theatrical trailer (2.40:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 32 seconds) has also been included. Pre-menu bonus trailers are for: - “Gloria” (2.40:1, 1080p; 1 minutes 37 seconds). - “In Secret” (2.40:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 2 seconds). - “Stories We Tell” (1.85:1, 1080p; 53 seconds). - “All Is Lost” (2.40:1, 1080p; 2 minutes 22 seconds). - “Much Ado About Nothing” (1.85:1, 1080p; 1 minute 43 seconds). - "EpixHD" promo (2.40:1, 1080p; 1 minute 34 seconds).
Packaging
Lionsgate Home Entertainment wrap “Words and Pictures” in a Blu-ray + Digital HD package. The region A locked dual layered BD-50 is housed in an eco-Elite keep case, with a cardboard slip-cover in first pressings that contradicts the supposed environmentally friendly nature of a disc holder with holes in it. The included digital copy is redeemable on a number of UltraViolet compatible e-trailers.
Overall
With readjusted expectations of what sort of film is really behind that misleading cover, and forgiving the brief side-stepping in any inherent pretentiousness of putting academia on a pedestal—if only for a short time—there's enough to elevate “Words and Pictures” above its lesser genre classmates. The at-times tedious trajectory is off-set by strong character work from Binoche and Owen, who gives his best performance in years, and Schepisi’s insistence on subverting the cliches of the rom-com with a more dramatic, decidedly less romantic, just barely comedic touch. The Blu-ray has excellent video, reserved but satisfying lossless audio, and some standard supplements. “Words and Pictures” gets a passing grade, based almost solely on the cast’s credible work; the film’s charms, through few, ultimately outweigh the outrageously odd premise.
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