I can’t really say that I am a fan of your typical chick flick. Occasionally, you come across one that is funny enough to enjoy. However, I can’t really recall ever having seen a chick flick with an aggressive and somewhat nasty edge until I had a chance to see the subject of today’s review, The Ugly Truth, which takes chick flicks to a new and thankfully, higher level.
Film
All in all, I must say that I enjoyed The Ugly Truth a lot more than I thought it would based upon the trailer I had seen for the film in the theater. I had really dismissed the film in my mind as one of those predictable chick flicks. While the film is very predictable in terms of the overall plot line, the overall edginess and bluntness of the characters made this a more enjoyable film for me than I anticipated. It helps that you approach these films with an open mind.
The film stars the very photogenic Katherine Heigel as Abby, a highly successful morning TV show producer in Sacramento, with a very unsuccessful personal life. Both her personal and professional lives become much more complicated when, in an effort to boost rating for the TV station’s new owners, the morning show hires Mike (Gerard Butler), the host of an obnoxious public access show where he gives very explicit and blunt advice to men on how to deal with women. Abby is so desperate to find the man of her dreams that she consults with Mike who tries to show her how to capture the man of her dreams.
While the end result is predictable and ends up just where you think it will, the film is filled with some very funny sexual humor and is well worth your time. While I can’t recommend the film as a purchase, it is certainly worth a look. Rated as a rental only.
Video
All in all, I was a bit disappointed with the video here, which does not look quite as good as I had anticipated from the trailer shown on TV. The film has a nice bright and bold color palette that is well saturated. However, the color palette is skewed to the color gold, which really effects the overall look of the film. While certainly pleasing to the eye, it is far from natural looking. I am not really sure of the artistic merit of the skewing of the color palette in this direction but that is the choice made by the director and producer of the film.
Where the look of the film falls a bit short for me isn’t really the color palette, but the overall level of detail and clarity. While blacks are deep and stable throughout the film, the level of clarity and detail falls a good bit short of the very best looking films on Blu-ray. Facial and background details in particular are not as finely delineated as they are in the best looking films. The film has a general overall softness to it that robs the image not only of detail, but of depth and three dimensionality, looking a bit flat overall.
Audio
The audio presentation here is just what you would expect with a romantic comedy. There is certainly nothing wrong with the overall fidelity which is smooth and open with good although not stellar levels of transparency and imaging. The real issue rests with the overall sound design, which is rather front heavy, lacking the aggressive use of the surrounds that I prefer. This is not an immersive sound mix and is on par with the overwhelming number of romantic comedies I have ever seen. On the plus side, the dialogue track is well recorded and always intelligible. The overall fidelity of the music in the film is excellent as well.
Special Features
The extras included with the Blu-ray release of the film are rather standard faire. Included are 6 deleted scenes and 2 alternate endings for the film. It is safe to say that the director chose the best ending for the film. Also included is a gag reel that I can’t say I found to be all that funny. Select scenes of the film are accompanied by a commentary from director Robert Luketic and producer Gary Lucchesi.
Two fairly routine featurettes on the making of the film are included, “The Truth Is Ugly: Capturing the Male & Female Point of View” and The Art of Laughter: A Making of Hilarious Proportions”. Also included is a movieIQ feature which enables viewers to access real time in movie information about the cast, crew, music and production via BD-Live. A digital copy of the film is also included compatible with MACs, PCs and iPods.
Final Thoughts
On the whole, I have to say that I enjoyed The Ugly Truth a good deal more than I thought I would. This definitely a film worth seeing and would make a great choice for a Friday or Saturday night rental with your wife, girlfriend or significant other. Recommended as a rental only.
