DVD Corner

The Humbling Blu-ray Review

Al Pacino carries an otherwise lackluster film.

The plot: Simon is aging theater actor who is lost, lonely, and deeply depressed. After taking a stage dive to the floor, the ailing Simon enters a treatment center and begins to receive therapy. While recovering in his spacious house all by his lonesome, the lesbian daughter (Pegeen) of an old friend drops by to pay him a visit. Much to his surprise, Pegeen reveals she has had a virtual lifelong crush on Simon which leads to a strange relationship of sorts. Feeling a bit revitalized, Simon’s life takes a turn for the worse when strange drama begins to pop up here and there. Worse still, Simon begins to lose touch with reality as he begins to have trouble determining what is real and what is fiction. Can Simon work through his issues and comeback to the acting field he treasures so much or will his life continue to fall apart?

If the plot sounds overly familiar that is because a similar story has been tackled in the  Academy Award winning “Birdman.” Truth be told, if you’re going to see a movie about life imitating art and an actor losing touch with reality, “Birdman” is certainly your best option, but “The Humbling” is not without its moments.

The sole reason the movie is watchable is due to Al Pacino. Granted, the actor has been walking through lifeless Hollywood vehicles as of late, but in “The Humbling,” he finally gets a chance to ACT. The character of Simon may be a bit of a creepy old man, but he’s rich and complex which is what every actor wants out of a role. The rest of the cast (namely Greta Gerwig, Dianne Wiest, Dylan Baker and Charles Grodin) are all fine in their parts as well, but make no mistake, this is very much Pacino’s movies.

As for the film itself (which is an adaptation of Philip Roth’s novel), it’s decidedly clunky. Despite being helmed by legendary director Barry Levinson, the arty style of the film is very off putting and strangely unlike the director’s other work. The structure of the film essentially drifts from situation to situation while cutting to Simon telling his therapist stories of what may or may not be happening. It doesn’t particularly flow well together nor is it remotely subtle in any way.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? A surprisingly bright and crisp transfer.

Audio Track: Dolby TrueHD 5.1. How does it sound? A little soft, but adequate nonetheless.

The only extras include Millennium Entertainment trailers and a brief making of featurette.

March 5, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, The Humbling Blu-ray Review