Ben is Back (Blu-ray) (2018)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Audio Commentary
Rating
Year Of Production	2018
Running Time	103:07
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Peter Hedges
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Julia Roberts Lucas Hedges Courtney B. Vance
Case	Standard Blu-ray
RPI	$29.95	Music	Dickon Hinchcliffe

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 English Audio Commentary DTS HD Master Audio 2.0 English Descriptive Audio DTS HD Master Audio 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.40:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Many American made family dramas can be mawkish or overly sentimental resulting in a less than satisfying film experience for the audience. It is refreshing to see one that does tell the story in an obvious way leaving some of the details to be worked out along the way and also avoids the challenges I mentioned earlier. This film, Ben is Back, is a quality family drama based around the surprise return of a 19 year old son, Ben (Lucas Hedges, son of the director/writer, Peter Hedges) for Christmas at the family home. He has been living in a sober living facility due to addiction, although the true nature and genesis of the addiction only becomes clear later in the film. Due to previous issues his mother, Holly (Julia Roberts) had not been expecting him home for Christmas. His arrival brings a mixture of hope and concern to Holly but mostly concern to his step father, Neil (Courtney B. Vance) and sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton). Neil and Holly now have two younger children together.

    Ben seems to be wanting to fix things with his family and also straighten his life out but the history makes his family concerned about his motives. Can Ben convince his family that it is safe to let him stay for one day or will they take him back to the facility? If they let him stay is he really there for the right reasons or will past history resurface in their lives?

    As a father of teenage boys, I feel the strength of this film is in its believability and sensible approach. The director, Peter Hedges, sets out to take us inside the family to see the dynamics at play between the characters. He does a good job with the material, which he also wrote, creating an intense and hard hitting drama about addiction and its impact on families. The issues portrayed in this film seem to be very prevalent in small town America and are also true in Australia. The cast is excellent, with Julia Roberts giving a marvelous performance as Holly and Lucas Hedges really engages as the troubled but likable son. Both are previous Oscar winners or nominees. The rest of the cast provides great support. It was filmed on location in upstate New York providing a good atmosphere. The music also adds to the atmosphere, composed by Dickon Hinchcliffe. The film made very little impact at the box office in the US or here but did quite well on the festival circuit.

    Recommended.

Video

    The feature is presented in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio which is the original aspect ratio in 1080p. The film was shot digitally and looks quite good, with good colour and sufficient detail. There are no issues to report but it certainly doesn't pop from the screen either. The wintery landscapes are well represented despite the naturalistic lighting.

    There are subtitles available in English for the Hearing Impaired which are clear and easy to read.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    This disc contains an English soundtrack in DTS HD-MA 5.1 and a descriptive audio track in DTS HD-MA 2.0. Similar to the video there is nothing about this soundtrack that makes it stand out but it does a good job with the material. The music sounds nice and full, the dialogue is clear throughout. There is quite a lot of surround activity for such a film which adds to the atmosphere and viewing experience.

    The subwoofer did a good job supporting the music.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    The menu is still and includes the theme music.

Audio Commentary - Peter Hedges - Writer/Director

    A decent commentary which is intimate, earnest and gentle. He talks fairly quietly about the themes, shooting styles, the characters, the acting, facial expressions, production design and more. He has interesting things to say but does pause quite often seemingly to watch the film. Worth a listen. In DTS HD-MA 2.0.

    The US release of this film includes a picture gallery but this is not enough reason to import. Technically a win to Region A.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is very good.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall