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Unexpected Blu-ray Review

There’s nothing unexpected about “Unexpected.”

Sam is going through a time of change. Not only is she about to become jobless because the inner city school she teaches at is about to close down, but she has also become unexpectedly pregnant. On top of that, her boyfriend John has proposed to her (which she accepts). While all of this is going on, Sam begins to bond with one of her students who has become pregnant as well. Sam tries to help Jasmine prepare for her future, but in reality, Sam is really trying to figure out what she wants to do.

With “Unexpected,” Kris Swanberg (wife of mumblecore filmmaker Joe Swanberg) has crafted a sincere drama-comedy character study about race, life, pregnancy, class, uncertainty, education, and family, but unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired. The story isn’t remotely subtle as writers Kris Swanberg and Megan Mercier spell everything out for the audience rather than letting them read between the lines. They spell everything out so much, in fact, that it often feels like an after school special.

Luckily, actresses Cobie Smulders and Gail Bean make the movie watchable. Smulders (best known for “How I Met Your Mother” and her appearances in the Marvel Universe) gives a believable and real performance as Sam. The real heart and soul of the film, however, is relative newcomer Gail Bean. She really impresses as the character of Jasmine and I hope she manages to get bigger and better roles in the near future.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: Widescreen 1080p. How does it look? Sharp.

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

The only extras are trailers for other Alchemy titles.

September 22, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Cobie Smulders, Unexpected Blu-ray Review