Life Blu-ray offers decent video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Rayford Gibson, an opportunistic con man, and Claude Banks, an ambitious bank teller, are complete opposites who cross paths in 1930s Harlem. In order to pay off their debts to a local crime lord, the mismatched pair travel into the Deep South on a moonshine delivery only to be framed for murder by a racist Southern cop. Sentenced to life in a Mississippi state prison, the bickering duo spend the next 60 years trading barbs and planning their escape, at the same time forming an unlikely but touching friendship.
For more about Life and the Life Blu-ray release, see the Life Blu-ray Review published by Brian Orndorf on January 7, 2013 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.0 out of 5.
In 1999, the pairing of Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy was considered a major event. While the two already worked together in 1992's"Boomerang," "Life" caught the pair during a celebratory career run, with Murphy riding high on the success of "The Nutty Professor" and "Doctor Doolittle," while Lawrence was burning off his "Bad Boys" goodwill, developing his transition from sidekick tomfoolery to leading man responsibility. This collision of comedic spirits creates an interesting atmosphere of improvisational skill in "Life," though the movie itself feels short-sheeted, without a full sense of the titular experience, despite a premise that could reasonably carry a pleasing episodic narrative. Laughs are found in the film, supplied by its varied cast and director Ted Demme's patience, but "Life" is far from satisfying, only masterminding a few compelling scenes of character interaction and conflict before it's buried back in the screenplay, which never figures out exactly what it wants to be, often content to permit star power to carry the story along.
In the 1930s, Ray (Eddie Murphy) is a scam artist looking for a big score to help him realize his dream of nightclub ownership. Claude (Martin Lawrence) is a fussy man looking to do the right thing, hoping legitimate employment with a bank will be his golden ticket to a bright future with his girlfriend (Sanaa Lathan). Bonding over shared misfortune at a nightclub, Ray and Claude are tasked with bootlegging job by gangster Spanky (Rick James), only to arrive at their destination and stumble upon a murder, with corrupt Caucasian locals nailing them for a crime they didn't commit. Sentenced to life in a prison camp, Ray and Claude are faced with idiosyncratic inmates including Jangle Leg (Bernie Mac) and hulking Goldmouth (Michael Taliferro), while Sergeant Dillard (Nick Cassavetes) reminds them that escape equals certain death. As time passes into the 1940s, the duo greet a promising mute baseball player named Can't Get Right (Bokeem Woodbine), find hope with a sympathetic superintendent (Ned Beatty) in the 1970s, and end up tasting freedom in the 1990s. All the while, the unlikely friendship between loudmouth schemer Ray and practical Claude endures its ups and downs, with the pair developing a core union of humor and mutual disgust the longer they remain locked up.
"Life" feels like it should be a cinematic home run. Not only is there participation from Murphy and Lawrence, but Demme (who sadly passed away in 2002) has proven himself to be a good judge of the funny stuff (helming 1994's "The Ref"), while the supporting cast is teeming with the hilarious, the famous, and, in the case of funkmaster James, the infamous. The premise also lends itself to a careful inspection of time and the changes that Ray and Claude observe as they watch their lives slip through their fingers, wasting away in prison for a crime they didn't commit. The script could easily pop in on the pair every five years, providing a minor adventure or concern to explore, increasing the pressure on the inmates as they unravel over their shared injustice. However, the writing isn't that ambitious, instead picking four eras to dramatize, spacing out the experience in a manner that deflects a deeper appreciation of the imprisonment, while washing out the complexity of the central personalities. "Life" is in a rush to go nowhere in particular, revealing considerable strain when it comes time to make the entire effort mean something in the end.
The screenplay is more random than reflective, though Murphy and Lawrence do manage to keep command over their performances, while Demme throttles the misbehavior with skill. The helmer allows his cast to freely roam with their work, yet the improvisations are largely hilarious, especially when there's a certain gleeful atmosphere in the frame, emerging from professionals delighted to be working with one another. Mismanaged is the overall tone of the picture, which opens as a comedy and concludes as a dramedy, finding Ray and Claude confronted with the great unknown of life beyond the prison camp, even witnessing an inmate commit suicide to avoid dealing with the outside world. There's also an underdeveloped subplot with the superintendent, which feels rushed to help the film reach a satisfying climax; however, the plot turn leaves more questions than it answers. "Life" has moments of greatness, but they are few and far between, with the production's self-consciousness eating away at the potential of the piece, finding Demme scrambling to keep the movie funny and meaningful when all it really needs is consistency and a few more incidents to understand the passage of time and its lasting effect on Ray and Claude.
Also worth deleting is music by Wyclef Jean, a trendy choice at the time, and an artist who stumbles through the soundtrack, at one point simply commentating on screen images to find lyrics. I'd rather hear Eddie Murphy sing.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation suffers from some noticeable filtering, which blurs movement mildly and provides the picture with a waxy crispness that's unnatural. Some edge haloing and banding is detected as well. Fine detail is adequate, permitting a survey of the movie's iffy make-up accomplishments (Ray and Claude aren't always the most convincing seniors) while costuming and set design also display tolerable textures. Colors are stable with some fatigue, with a decent read of primaries emerging off prison uniforms and outdoor decorations, while cooler hues are investigated in bar and barrack visits. Skintones are natural if a bit too bloodless at times. Shadow detail isn't as durable as hoped, thickening with limited lighting and deep backgrounds, with a few shots almost completely solidified.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is capable without ever reaching an extraordinarily immersive hold. Center dialogue dips in strength on a few occasions, necessitating some volume riding, yet the majority of verbal antics are pronounced and understood, with the group dynamic during prison yard sequences nicely arranged. Low-end is hefty with soundtrack selections, keeping a booming bass to reinforce the beats, while scoring is held back some, keeping a presence without taking command of the track. Surrounds are limited, explored during camp atmospherics and a few of the broader acts of comedy, keeping minimal beyond basic emotional cues. No distortion was detected.
Commentary with director Ted Demme is extremely conversational but also very celebratory, with the director happily walking listeners through the details of the frame. Emphasis is primarily on the performers, pointing out background info and cameos. Location particulars are also revealed, explaining how the deep south is not actually the south at all. Demme is proud of work and happy to share his experiences making the film, making sure to limit his dead spots, though he often turns to fawning to fill the gaps (e.g. comparing Lawrence to Richard Pryor), which tests patience. The age of the commentary is revealed by Demme's references to DVD technology, which was relatively new at the time of the picture's initial home video release.
Outtakes (5:58, SD) is a standard collection of mix-em-up and giggle fits, focusing on the light interplay between Murphy and Lawrence, who appear to enjoy cracking each other up. A few of these clips are included in the film's end credits.
"Spotlight on Location" (20:16, SD) is a pay cable exploration of the "Life" production experience, using interviews with cast and crew to inspect the history of the project, the pairing of Lawrence and Murphy, and the challenges of balancing story and comedy. Closer inspection is also paid to the make-up routine and how the actors worked under rubber.
"Director's Edits" (5:33, SD) provides two extended scenes with surprisingly candid commentary from Demme, who basically admits his lack of power in the post-production decision process.
Soundtrack Presentation (9:07, SD) is a glorified commercial that supplies music videos for "Life" (performed by K-Ci & Jo-Jo) and "Fortunate" (by Maxwell).
"Life" has charm, an agreeable broadness, and I'm pretty sure I could watch Bernie Mac do his thing as Jangly Leg all day. There are laughs to be had, but significance is difficult to come by, especially with a feature that seems better suited as a weekly television series, following the years as they tick by slowly, not just random confrontations slapped together to transmit a profound experience. "Life" has a solid sense of humor and a few inspired ideas, yet it's also the rare movie that could carry on for much longer.
