The Film
In every one of his movies, Sir Michael Caine never seems to age. In Is Anybody There?, the actor's 76 years of age is front and center -- even some of the not-so pretty parts.
Caine plays Clarence, an ex-magician who voluntarily pulls his party van up to a residence that doubles as a retirement home. This is where he attempts suicide and slowly loses his mind. Aside from Clarence and the creepy backdrop, there's also 10-year-old, death-obsessed Edward (Bill Milner). He records sounds that the residents make after they die. Sound like fun? Well, it sort of is. It's the late ‘80s, and the two strike up a friendship, which has its up and downs.
Is Anybody There? is both sweet and sad. Caine plays his part wonderfully. When does he not? However, as much as we love a chain-smoking, magic-making Michael Caine, the film is just sort of slow.
Extra points for David Morrissey's awesome mullet.
Need to know more about the movie? Check out David Kempler's review of the theatrical release of
Is Anybody There?
The Picture
Like the film itself, this 2.35:1 transfer has many warm, beautiful moments. However, director John Crowley added a lot of soft shots and worn colors to project the feeling of the film. A few colors pop, most notably in outdoor areas. The fleshtones are nice, as is facial detail. Overall, it works. However, just don't expect to be breaking this one out for demo material. How many films about ‘80s English retirement homes do you usually use as demo material?
The Sound
A small film set inside a retirement home doesn't lend itself to a killer soundtrack. However, this one was bit of a surprise. Much of the film is dominated by dialogue, with the occasional loud noise crashing near the front speakers. In many of the other scenes, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track projects plenty of chatter from the home's residents as well as birds tweeting it up as added ambience.
The Extras
Bonus-schmonus. The only extras here are a small crop of deleted scenes, which aren't worth more than a quick look.
Final Thoughts
We typically love our old men grumpy or grabbing some fountain of youth from aliens. However, Is Anybody There? has one thing those other films don't: Michael Caine. The film is a bit slow, but his acting skills and a nice transfer make this film worth at least a rental on Blu-ray Disc.
Product Details
- Actors: Michael Caine, David Morrissey, Anne-Marie Duff, Bill Milner
- Director: John Crowley
- Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Region: A
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: PG-13
- Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Disc Release Date: November 17, 2009
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- List Price: $29.98
- Extras:
- Deleted Scenes
- Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment Blu-ray
- BD Live
