The Movie
Every once in a while a disc comes across my desk that I might not have heard of, but it gives me the chance to discover a terrific film that somehow slipped between the cracks until now.
Waiting for Forever is not one of those discs.
A pretentious tale of lifelong love and devotion, Forever--perhaps so surnamed in reference to how long these 94 minutes feel like--gives us Jim (Tom Sturridge), who has been drifting for most of his life. His childhood chum Emma (Rachel Bilson) was there for him at a time of tragedy and gave him some heartfelt advice, and at some point he has decided that they are destined to be together.
Trouble is, he's the sort of "lovable" aimless lug who would have been annoying in the freewheeling 70s, but today he comes off as just a weirdo, and pretty much a loser. He has never had a job other than street performing, and in an eerie blurring of the lines between would-be-boyfriend and stalker, Jim has been secretly following Emma from town to town for years.
The dialogue is supposed to be offbeat and romantic but instead sounds like excerpts from a novel written by fifth graders, while the heavier-than-dwarf-matter plot involves either dead or dying parents, manslaughter, and a reunion of sorts in the not-a-couple's hometown. At times we sense the two young stars are trying to do the best they can with this script, but other times we have to wonder if they just gave up, too.
The Picture
The high-bitrate AVC image is extremely crisp, with little touches like thin telephone wires on the open road spanning the 1.85:1 screen with no stair-step issues. Freckles, facial crags, and the tightest textures of cloth are maintained with minimal noise, while blacks are deep and pleasingly natural-looking. Colors meanwhile are distinctively washed out in the flashbacks. Visually at least, Forever is worth Waiting for.
The Sound
The accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is less impressive. It does at least take advantage of the entire available soundstage, even if sometimes the rears are utilized for somewhat vague environmental noise such as a windy street or the inside of a moving car. Music is thankfully mixed to surround us, and while the audio is adequately clean and professional, it never really excels.
The Extras
Nothing to see here, just trailers. It's okay, I'm kind of busy today anyway. (Although you know you've been watching a lot of Fox Blu-rays when you notice that they've changed the featured movie in the Digital Copy commercial from Ice Age 3 to Rio.)
Final Thoughts
Waiting for Forever is a lot like its main character: He assumes he's charming us, but all too soon we're checking our watch or looking for the door, or at least the Eject button. The Blu-ray looks good though, sounds fine, and won't waste any more of our time than that.
Product Details
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