I Melt with You Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "I Melt with You" on Blu-ray offers a visually eclectic experience that is both intriguing and problematic. Shot primarily on Canon HDSLRs, including the EOS 5D MkII, the film exhibits an intentional layer of composited-in film grain added during post-production. This technique aims to soften the highlights and create a more filmic aesthetic but introduces varying degrees of clarity. Some scenes feature sharp close-ups, while others suffer from a soft, sometimes blurry appearance, particularly noticeable in longer shots. The high-contrast color grading contributes to vibrant outdoor sequences, but indoor shots often display overly saturated skin tones and a yellow-skewed color balance, detracting from the visual consistency.

The film's experimental nature further complicates its visual presentation. The use of varied filters and fluctuating picture quality results in an inconsistent viewing experience. Particular scenes exhibit crushing shadows, especially during darkly-lit sequences, impacting fine detail. Color shifts are frequent; hues oscillate from teal to magenta within the same scene, rendering skin tones unnaturally bronze. These visual quirks, combined with noticeable artifacting issues such as rolling shutter judder, aliasing, and color banding, underscore the film's low-budget origins. Although this Blu-ray release appears to faithfully reflect the source material's idiosyncrasies, the resultant image is an inconsistent mix of aesthetically pleasing moments and amateurish visuals.

The audio presentation of "I Melt With You" on Blu-ray is notable for its dynamic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, which primarily showcases the film's extensive punk/post-punk soundtrack. The music, featuring bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash, blasts through all channels with gripping intensity and exceptional low-end action, creating an immersive and almost relentless auditory experience. While this approach effectively underscores the film's music-video-like sequences, some viewers might find the loudness levels excessively aggressive, making it a challenging experience at times.

On the technical front, while the sound design incorporates some unique elements such as impressionistic subwoofer outputs for emotional scenes and ambient noises in the rear channels (like wind, waves, and party sounds), there are occasional imperfections. The film's low-budget origins manifest in on-location dialogue that can sometimes sound distant or muffled. Vocal clarity fluctuates, with dialogue occasionally getting lost within the booming soundtrack. Thankfully, the Blu-ray comes equipped with optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles to aid comprehension during these moments.

Overall, the Blu-ray’s audio mix is punchy and resonant, delivering a powerful musical backdrop that matches the film's intense and frenetic energy. The music's excellent quality is undeniable, yet this comes at the cost of occasional overwhelming loudness and some loss of dialogue clarity. Nonetheless, for those who appreciate a robust and impactful audio experience, the presentation on this Blu-ray does not disappoint.

The Blu-ray extras of "I Melt with You" offer a commendable depth of content, ranging from detailed audio commentaries to extensive interviews. The two commentary tracks, one featuring director Mark Pellington with actors Rob Lowe and Jeremy Piven, provides engaging insights despite the film's polarizing nature, while the second track delves into low-budget filmmaking techniques with screenwriter Glenn Porter and cinematographer Eric Schmidt. Deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes complement these, showcasing the production process and creative discussions. Interviews with Pellington and Piven provide personal reflections on the film and its themes. Additionally, promotional materials and mood pieces add further dimensions to the viewing experience. Technical details are preserved meticulously across these features, delivering a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the film's creation.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentaries: Insights from director, actors, and crew.
• Deleted Scenes: Seven scenes offering additional context.
• Behind the Scenes: Discussion of screenplay origins.
• HDNet - A Look at I Melt with You: Promotional synopsis.
• Interview with Mark Pellington: Extensive director interview.
• Interview with Jeremy Piven: Actor's perspective on his character.
• Jeremy Piven Mood Piece: Conceptual piece on life stages.
• Thomas Jane Teaser: Monologue with imagery.
• Director's Statement: Inspiration and film controversy.
• Director's Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery
• Alternate Theatrical Poster Gallery
• Theatrical Greenband Trailer
• Theatrical Redband Trailer
• International Trailer
• Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment

"I Melt With You" begins with an intriguing yet familiar setup: four middle-aged friends on a hedonistic vacation. Replacing humor with a dark, drug-fueled examination of mid-life crises and personal failures, the film aims to be a profound commentary on wasted potential and jaded adulthood. Set against the picturesque California coastline of Big Sur, Richard (Thomas Jane), Ron (Jeremy Piven), Tim (Christian McKay), and Jonathan (Rob Lowe) indulge in a relentless binge of drugs and alcohol to cope with their sorrows. Richard is a failed novelist-turned-teacher, Ron is a shady investor facing FBI scrutiny, Tim mourns a lost boyfriend, and Jonathan is a corrupt doctor dealing out prescriptions illicitly. Their escapism, accompanied by a rebellious college rock soundtrack, quickly transforms from adventurous debauchery to a grim revelation of their life's futility.

Despite a promising start characterized by a palpable sense of impending doom, the film falters with an overblown second act catalyzed by one friend's drastic decision to end his life. Here, the narrative takes a questionable turn involving a long-forgotten suicide pact, leading to exaggerated melodrama that strains credulity. This pivot lacks the necessary subtlety and substance needed to sustain its bleak themes and results in unintentional absurdity. The overextended runtime, padded with irrelevant mood shots and insipid montages reminiscent of a dated music video, further diminishes the film's emotional impact.

While "I Melt With You" suffers from pretentiousness and an underwhelming script filled with cringe-worthy dialogue, it is not without merit. The committed performances from its cast are praiseworthy, with each actor authentically embodying his character's despair and inner turmoil. Additionally, the film's energetic soundtrack boasts notable tracks from punk and post-punk icons such as The Sex Pistols and The Pixies, providing a rare highlight in an otherwise soul-crushing cinematic slog.

"I Melt With You" on Blu-ray is a deeply polarizing film, marked by its heavy-handed approach to storytelling and stark nihilistic themes. The film follows a quartet of middle-aged men grappling with existential angst, veering sharply into a territory that seeks to be profound but instead comes off as pretentious and overbearing. The movie's production values are high, with a polished, almost music video-like presentation that clearly aims to enhance the emotional weight of the narrative. However, this stylistic choice does more to distract and exhaust the viewer than to engage or entertain them.

Technically, the Blu-ray release showcases excellent visual and audio quality, enhancing the film's vivid and dynamic soundtrack which stands out as perhaps its only redeeming feature. Despite this, the narrative falters severely due to poor writing and uninspiring direction. The plot quickly devolves into an incoherent series of melodramatic episodes that feel more like a self-indulgent ramble than a cohesive story. The characters' despondency and lack of depth render them unrelatable, making it hard to muster any real empathy or interest in their plight.

And the award for most pretentious dreck of 2011 goes to I Melt With You, a dopey, insufferable, almost laughably depressing mid-life crisis movie that seems intent on driving its audience to suicide. Besides a kickass soundtrack, the film has little to offer. I've said enough—skip it.