Blu-ray Review: ‘The Birdcage’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘The Birdcage’ on Blogcritics.

FOX recently released The Birdcage on Blu-ray for the first time. For those very few not familiar with the film, a remake of the Franco-Italian La Cage aux Folles, it is the story of two sets of parents, one straight-laced, one flamboyantly gay, brought together by the marriage of their children. The worlds-colliding tale is not particularly original; many other similar stories in various media have been told before and since, but with a truly terrific cast and sharp writing, it’s still a hilarious movie, remembered fondly by most who have seen it, and worthy of periodic re-watches.

Headlining the film are Robin Williams (The Crazy Ones) and Nathan Lane (The Good Wife) as Armand and Albert Goldman, and Gene Hackman (The Royal Tenenbaums) and Dianne Wiest (In Treatment) as Senator Kevin and Louise Keeley. Each of these four are among the best in the business, and in this 1996 release, at the top of their games. None are stock roles, all with dynamic arcs and distinct personalities. All get to do outrageous things, but they aren’t over-the-top as people, with emotional depth and authentic pathos. They are the main draw of The Birdcage and why it works so well, even with a story that isn’t all that ground-breaking.

The couple getting married are played by Dan Futterman (Judging Amy) and Calista Flockhart (Brothers & Sisters), and while their impending nuptials may be the catalyst of the tale, they are overshadowed by the older actors. Both actors serve the purpose they need to serve, and sparkle in little bits, but they just aren’t the focus, and that’s fine.

The supporting cast includes Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) and Christine Baranski (The Good Wife). Neither of them were big names when The Birdcage came out, but have since established respectable careers for themselves since. Watching them complement the stars of this movie, quietly stealing scenes, it’s easy to see even back in the 1990s that they would go some place.

Perhaps more vital than the stars of The Birdcage is the environment in which it takes place. Homosexuality still carried a lot of taboo two decades ago, which is only now being melted away. It was a strange and alien lifestyle to many, and The Birdcage makes a certain type of gay man accessible to the masses. While focusing on flaming and feminine, playing to a bit of a stereotype, it also communicates that these guys are real people, too, putting faces on the type. It made many in the audience rethink their preconceived notions, and thus serves as an important work in our culture.

After praising all of this, you might expect an impressive, extras-laden release when the title finally gets a Blu-ray edition, especially considering the film topped the box office for three weeks, making plenty of money, and received favorable reviews. You would be wrong.

This single-disc only has the theatrical trailer, with no other bonus features. The only thing that makes this hurt a little less is that the previous DVD edition didn’t have anything, either, but the mistake should have been corrected for this new version.

As far as how the film looks and sounds, this is a decent release. The audio, which does boast a terrific soundtrack, is well-mixed and seems sharp. It is presented in 5.1 surround sound, and the more energetic scenes, especially those in the club, make good use of this. The video is slightly weaker, much better defined that in standard definition, but still not a true high-def experience. Details aren’t as clear as I’d like, but for the most part, the quality isn’t too dated.

The Birdcage is available now on Blu-ray.

MODERN FAMILY Makes "Wedding" Unnecessarily Stunty

Article first published as TV Review: 'Modern Family' - Season Five Finale on Blogcritics.

ABC’s Modern Family is a thoroughly charming, pretty funny, completely typical sitcom. For an example of the last descriptor, you only need to look at the recent season finale, “The Wedding, Part 2,” and its first half. Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) are finally able to get married because California has OK-ed gay marriage, but all manner of mishaps, from wildfire to a runaway bride returning, force multiple changes in venues. An event episode plagued by obstacles is a hallmark of sitcoms, and in this, Modern Family fails to distinguish itself.

There’s a very telling sequence in “The Wedding, Part 2″ for which I wish the writers had listened to themselves. Phil (Ty Burrell) is preparing to officiate the ceremony, replacing Sal (Elizabeth Banks), who has gone into labor, of course, and he tries to work a magic trick into his monologue. His wife, Claire (Julie Bowen), gives him sound advice, saying that he doesn’t need to be flashy, just let the emotion stand on its own. Phil does, and it’s a very moving moment, seeing the love between Phil and Claire, and among the family in general.

I think the rest of episode should have taken note of this bit and more widely applied it. Sure, it’s funny when Pepper (Nathan Lane) has butterfly issues and Sal claims she’s only four months pregnant as her water breaks, and even when Manny (Rico Rodriguez) and Luke (Nolan Gould) unintentionally have a faux marriage, but we don’t need natural disasters and such to get in the way of that. The smaller jokes, built on relationships and the dynamics of a loving clan, are much better than when the series goes to extremes in what seems to be an obvious ratings ploy. Did Modern Family really need two weeks to stage a wedding?

The best part of “The Wedding, Part 2″ by far is Jay (Ed O’Neill) trying not only to come to terms with Mitchell and Cam getting married (something with which he has made great progress), but also to make up with Mitch, who is miffed over an unintentional comment. Jay is old-school living in the modern era, and to his credit, he tries very hard to accept Mitchell for who he is. Jay is not 100% on board, but neither would he ever do anything to impede his son’s happiness. You can absolutely tell that this Jay is not the same one that has raised Mitchell, and it’s resonant for many older men today, struggling to adjust to an unfamiliar world. Some of the craziness of fleeing the fire could have been better spent further developing this relationship, which is well served, but should have been delved into deeper.

An interesting twist, which has built for some time is concerns Haley (Sarah Hyland) falling for Andy (Adam DeVine), who is not her typical type of guy. Andy is a lot like Phil, though, so viewers should see this coming, and Haley being attracted to this guy who reminds us so much of her father  (something she doesn’t see) doesn’t seem too creepy. Yes, Haley basically rejects him late in the season finale, but that may only be a temporary setback. She lets him go because her sister, Alex (Ariel Winter), asks her not to be cruel, and Haley is trying to do the right thing. But Andy could be her chance at not only a solid relationship, but also in maturing and growing as a person. I hope this thread is picked up next season.

Even with its stunts, I still love Modern Family. It does make me laugh, and it almost always nails the emotional stuff. I just wish it cared more about the feelings than the jokes. and let the humor flow more naturally. Much of the time it does, but often enough it seems to sell out. It is mostly watchable, but could be better than it is now, sliding in quality with age.

Modern Family has been renewed and will return to ABC next fall.

THE GOOD, er, Awesome WIFE Hits 100 Episodes

Article first published as THE GOOD, er, Awesome WIFE Hits 100 Episodes on TheTVKing.

CBS's excellent drama The Good Wife, which is barely a procedural any more, thankfully, has never been better than it is in its fifth season. Recently, the show marked its fall finale with an important milestone: the 100th episode. The installment, which is entitled "The Decision Tree," is both very special and very typical of a standard entry at the same time.

The story is simple enough. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) is surprised to find herself in a legal battle over deceased client Matthew Ashbaugh's (John Noble) will. He left her an extremely sizable sum of money, and Lockhart Gardner insists on trying to deprive her of it. Or, more accurately, a hurt, betrayed Will (Josh Charles) wants to make Alicia suffer.

Will and Alicia's romance is a brief footnote for The Good Wife, but one that was much anticipated, and has had a lasting impact. Their relationship came as Alicia's marriage was falling apart, and when she chose to try to repair it, Will paid the price. Funnily enough, though, Will understood Alicia then. He didn't begin taking the break up personally until Alicia quit his firm.

Why has Alicia striking out on her own hit Will so hard? Did he think that as long as she worked for him he'd have another chance with her? Did he believe that they still cared deeply about one another, even if they couldn't be involved? Is Will starting to suspect (wrongly, of course) that she was sleeping with him just to further her career?

Whatever Will's reasons may be, he is very, very angry at Alicia, and wants to cause her pain. We see this when Will questions Alicia in his head, preparing for court, anticipating her answers and trying to hurt her as much as possible. It's a moving, emotionally charged sequence, which continues when he actually confronts her. Their past comes to back him, something he can't move on from, and it really informs his reaction in the present.

Alicia, for her part, handles Will beautifully. She knows he's off his game, allowing emotion to rule him, and takes a more detached approach. I don't think this paints Alicia as cold, as we see that she does have to steel herself to go into court, tampering down her feelings, not being without them. Instead, it just means she's more mature and can compartmentalize more effectively. And that she's a winner.

As much as Cary (Matt Czuchry) helps Alicia in court this week, a crack in their partnership is exposed as they plan their new firm's Christmas party. The turnout is expected to be low until Cary convinces Alicia to invite Peter (Chris Noth). Then, he jumps the gun and announces Peter's attendance, which inflates their guest list but annoys Alicia, who doesn't want to use Peter to help build the business.

It's easy to put oneself in Cary's shoes, and Alicia's, too. Their law firm has a trump card that can really help them soar, but Alicia is reluctant to play it. In a competitive world, they need to use every resource at their disposal. However, it's also understandable that Alicia doesn't want to be seen abusing her husband's reputation for her own financial gain, and it's up to her to block such an occurrence, as Peter is only too willing to step in, even when it's not wise in regards to his own career. So it's a sort of awkward situation. Alicia and Cary have been through worse, though, so as long as they take time to talk to one another, I think they'll eventually strike a balance that works.

Of course, whether their firm succeeds or flops may not be completely up to them. The new partner Will recruits, Damian Boyle (Jason O'Mara, Terra Nova, Life On Mars), is clever and devious. He seems to want to prove his loyalty by taking down Alicia and Cary. They're smart, too, and his early efforts have inflicted more boo-boos than major wounds, but he may still be sizing up his competition, biding his time before a damaging blow.

Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) isn't sure whether Damian can be trusted. She tails him to try to figure him out, a splendidly hilarious scene that ends in her arrest by Damian's friend, Jenna Villette (Jordana Spiro, My Boys, The Mob Doctor).

Kalinda and Jenna sleep together, which is kinda great. I love their chemistry, Kalinda needs a new partner, and I'll take any excuse to have Spiro on my screen. However, I really thought The Good Wife was building towards a Damian-Kalinda pairing. Granted, Damian seems awfully similar to Kalinda's abusive ex, which was a very unpopular plot arc, but it really felt like that's where "The Decision Tree" was going earlier in the hour.

Damian may not be Alicia's only problem. "The Decision Tree" ends with Marilyn (Melissa George) telling Eli (Alan Cumming) that she's going to name her baby Peter. As Peter's ethics adviser, it seems very unlikely that Marilyn means to say that the baby is biologically Peter's, which would be a huge violation of the public's trust in Peter. On the other hand, Peter does have a history of cheating on Alicia with blondes, and Eli certainly falls for the jibe, spectacularly spitting out in his drink in a hell of a cliffhanger.

I don't think Peter and Alicia could survive him fathering a baby with someone else. They've been through a lot, but this crosses too many lines and shows he hasn't changed as he claims to have done. If Marilyn is carrying his baby it could explain why he's been so overeager to be attentive to Alicia, or he may try to blame her avoidance of his help on why he strayed. But it all adds up to an implosion of their marriage, should Marilyn's implication turn out to be true.

Besides the wonderful recurring parts played by Nathan Lane, Mary Beth Peil, George, Spiro, and O'Mara, "The Decision Tree" gives us more of less-seen great performers like Noble, Stockard Channing, Kurt Fuller, and others. Toss them in with an already-stellar across-the-board cast and a guest appearance by Donna Brazile as herself, this episode is bursting with terrific people doing what they do best, making The Good Wife highly engrossing.

The focus of The Good Wife is now solidly on the characters. When Zach (Graham Phillips) tells his mother she's a very interesting person, he's right, and viewers will agree. It's easy to fall in love with the various parts, and the way each is written so authentically, often leaving disagreements with more than one reasonable side. The writing is as excellent as the acting. As far as broadcast network dramas go, this one is tops.

The Good Wife will return January 5th on CBS.

Blu-ray Review: ‘Modern Family – The Complete Fourth Season’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘Modern Family – The Complete Fourth Season’ on Blogcritics.

As ABC’s Modern Family kicks off its fifth season on the air, those who may have fallen behind last year can catch up with Modern Family: The Complete Fourth Season, available now on Blu-ray and DVD. Season four is a time of change for the family, and you won’t want to miss this important part of their lives, played out in 24 episodes.

As this season begins, Jay (Ed O’Neill) is turning 65, a milestone for the old man. What he doesn’t know yet is, he’s about to become a dad again. His wife, Gloria (Sofia Vergara), isn’t sure how to break the news, further complicated by that fact that Jay’s son, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), and his partner Cam (Eric Stonestreet), just lost the chance to adopt a baby themselves, something they really wanted.

Don’t let the drama of the situation get you down; it sure doesn’t hurt the tone. Modern Family is a comedy, pure and simple, and even the most uncomfortable situations are played for laughs. More effective than most sitcoms at landing those gags, the talented and most-Emmy-nominated cast can take any scenario and turn it into a series of amusing bits. There is definitely character development, and sweet moments between relations, too, mixing heart and humor in a (literally) winning combination, finely polished after several years on the air.

Among the happenstances of The Complete Fourth Season, Mitchell tries to convince Cam to get a job, Claire (Julie Bowen) makes efforts to tone down her haunted house to be kid-friendly, Luke (Nolan Gould) decides to quite magic, much to the disappointment of his father, Phil (Ty Burrell), Hayley (Sarah Hyland) is arrested at college for underage drinking, the family suspects that Alex’s (Ariel Winter) new boyfriend is gay, Gloria’s hidden secrets are revealed, Claire and Cam attempt to flip a house, Jay’s New Year’s plans are ruined, Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) proves challenging to parent, Manny (Rico Rodriguez) gets a surprise party, Cam directs a production of Phantom of the Opera, Dylan (Reid Ewing) moves into the Dunphy household, Jay offers Claire a job, and Phil buys an RV. And those are just some of the plots.

As you may have surmised, Modern Family works best when the family is together, and that is the bread and butter of the show. Sometimes others drift in and out, and they’re great, but there are few episodes better than when a group of main characters get together. In particular, anytime Claire, Phil, Mitchell, and Cam hang out is priceless.

There are also fantastic guest stars this year. Shelley Long returns as Mitchell and Claire’s mother, Dede, and Nathan Lane is back as Cam and Mitchell’s friend, Pepper. Matthew Broderick plays a man who thinks Phil is gay and hitting on him. Benjamin Bratt makes another appearance as Gloria’s ex, Javier, this time with Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds) in tow as his fiance. Mitchell’s ex-boyfriend Teddy (Larry Sullivan, Will & Grace) remains beloved by the clan. Potential spin-off subject Gil Thorpe (Rob Riggle) gets involved in the house flipping arc. We see Phil’s dad (Fred Willard) when the family flies down to Florida for Phil’s mother’s funeral. And look out for Star Wars‘ Billy Dee Williams!

There are quite a few extras in this three-disc set. As one would expect, there are plenty of deleted and alternate scenes, as well as a gag reel. The season finale gets the Director’s Cut treatment, extending the running time slightly. There are commentaries with the writers of the show for select episodes. Plus, a number of featurettes, including one on said writers, a focus on the family’s newest addition, “A Day with Eric,” a fun little bit featuring Stonestreet, and more are within.

Why buy the Blu-ray versus the DVD? I’m going to be honest, there aren’t a lot of special features or obvious advantages. However, if you’re like me, you want the best picture and sound possible. With Blu-ray, the details are crisp and the sound is pretty much perfect, though it’s front-heavy, as the show intended, with variations in tone and color, as rare as they may be, readily apparent. It looks great in HD, so why not? Plus, you get “Season Mode,” which keeps track of what you’ve watched previously.

Modern Family – The Complete Fourth Season is available now.

The Good Wife fights the law

CBS's The Good Wife returns with the episode "I Fought the Law." The episode title refers to an incident where Zach (Graham Phillips) is pulled over and subjected to a search under false pretenses, as so many have been before him, because he is profiled as possibly having drug money. He's clean, of course, but the event spurs Alicia (Julianna Margulies) to fight back in order to protect her son, which leads to the uncovering of this immoral practice.

I liked the story because Zach rarely gets anything good to do on the series. Having him involved in a court case, and proving his mettle as an online investigator, is a worthy plot, allowing the actor some positive focus. It also lets he and Alicia bond as they play hero together. In the end, they win, and the arresting officer (Matthew Del Negro, United States of Tara) apologizes.

The question is, what repercussions might occur? The district attorney of the county where the arrest takes place is not happy to have Peter's (Chris Noth) family interfere with the way they do things. At one point in "I Fought the Law," he vows retribution. Even though Zach comes out on top, it would not be surprising if this comes back to haunt Peter in his attempt to seek the governor's office. This might even happen as early as next week, as that episode will be called "And the Law Won."

Poor Peter. He is already suffering because his opponent, Kresteva (Matthew Perry, Go On), is selling himself with his sick kid, and Alicia will not allow Peter's children to participate in the campaign. How do the voters not see through such an obvious ploy? I mean, it's one thing to trot out your smiling family for photo ops, but it's quite another to play on sympathy the way Kresteva does. And one would think that parents would understand Alicia's desire to keep her kids out of the spotlight, and appreciate that Peter agrees to this.

At the firm, things are tense. There have already been cutbacks, and now, facing bankruptcy, there will have to be more. This means people are going to lose their jobs. Hopefully, not Alicia or Cary (Matt Czuchry), as they are more senior now, and have earned their spots. But it will surely make things tougher on everyone.

At first, the court appointed man who gets to make the budget decisions, Clarke Hayden (Nathan Lane, The Lion King, The Producers), seems like a jerk, telling the partners bluntly that he will be making cuts to their budget. But then, seeing him manipulate David Lee (Zach Grenier) into staying, and seemingly approving of Diane (Christine Baranski) and Will's (Josh Charles) loyalty to each other, which he immediately tests by offering them both sole leadership, it seems that there may be compassion within him. He may not turn out to be bad news, after all, as Diane and Will are clearly not good at managing money, and it would be nice to have someone who knows what they're doing in that arena, but still cares about people.

Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) sure has a weird relationship with her husband, Nick (Marc Warren, Hustle)! She beats up his point man, then fist fights with Nick himself, then falls into bed with him, before pulling a gun on the guy. So there's a strong physical attraction, but she's also afraid of him? And he definitely seems up to no good, throwing punches at a girl he's supposed to care about. It would almost be funny if Warren didn't play Nick so scary. Kalinda has a real ugly situation on her hands.

"I Fought the Law" is exactly what an episode of The Good Wife should be. There is character development for most of the leads, wonderful (but not too showy) guest stars, some thrilling legal issues, and an overall entertaining package. New episodes air Sundays at 9pm EST(-ish, depending on stupid sports run overs) on CBS.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Modern Family has a "Boys' Night"

     Who knew that Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill) would enjoy hanging out with a bunch of gay guys so darn much? In this week's episode of ABC's Modern Family, that's exactly what is revealed, as Jay ditches his wife, Gloria (Sofia Vergara), and the symphony, for a bar. He happens to pick the bar where his son, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), Mitchell's partner, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), and their friends are enjoying cocktails. Jay gets a frilly drink and joins in the fun, having probably the best time we, the audience, has ever seen him have.

     I very much enjoyed Jay's drinking experience, but there is something that nags me just a bit. In the past, we have seen Jay be accepting of Mitchell, but never embrace the homosexual lifestyle as much as he suddenly does. The next day, nursing a hangover, Jay is disturbed and put off when Mitchell and Cam's friend, Pepper (Nathan Lane), shows up to take him on a day outing. Jay blames his commitment to the plan on alcohol. Sure, Jay may have been inebriated when he agreed to hang out with Pepper, but Jay bonded with all of Mitchell's friends the moment he sat down at their table, before he started drinking. That's why the plot rings hollow, if only slightly.

     How many movies have been made where a young boy befriends an old man? OK, so not that many, but enough that it's a familiar setup. Yet, it feels fresh as Luke (Nolan Gould), in all his ignorant naivety, warms up to scary Mr. Kleezak (Philip Baker Hall), even while Luke's parents cower in terror. This time. Luke gets away with it because he has always been portrayed as dumb. I question how much longer that can go on. Perhaps it's because I know the actor playing Luke is incredibly smart, well above average, but after two seasons, it's starting to feel a little fake when Luke says things like "I'm still growing into my tongue", even as I laugh. I'm not saying Luke should change fundamentally, but it's time to start growing him up.

     And those are my only complaints about last night's Modern Family. In general, it is a very funny show. While at times it borders on unbelievability, for the most part, the humor is good enough to whitewash any flaws. In fact, had I not waited half a day and let my feelings on the episode simmer, it is likely I would not have found even those couple of criticisms above to complain about. Great main cast, fun guest stars, zany situations, and a real heart make Modern Family far better than most sitcom offerings.

     For instance, last night, I absolutely loved the way Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire (Julie Bowen) are terrified of Mr. Kleezak, though they have no logical reason to be. Even better, I think they realize how silly their fear is, but stick with it anyway because they are more comfortable with the status quo than risking an upset. Cam's reluctance to let niece Haley (Sarah Hyland) babysit his infant daughter was highly relatable. When do you trust family just because they're family, and where do you draw the line? Those are just two examples, off the top of my head, that prove just how well this show works in context.

     Watch Modern Family Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Article first published as TV Review: Modern Family - "Boys' Night" on Blogcritics.

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