Brad's Status - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Brad's Status

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Ben Stiller is a strange comedian. If you look closely at his film history, he has made an entire career out of playing men who are bitterly frustrated with their life (usually in a comedic way). Men who are self centered, frustrated with how their life is, and generally discontent with how things are. He was always the zany one during his earlier years, but as time moves on Stiller has moved to progressively darker and more serious comedies that make you laugh out loud less, but still elicit a sly chuckle at the dark characters he plays. Ironically, even though you love to laugh at his characters, there are very few examples of people he has played that you actually LIKE at the end of the day. Meet the Fockers, While We’re Still Young, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, they’re all darkly humorous people, but his bitter and frustrated personals elicit a chuckle BECAUSE of the idiocy in which they engage, rather than you LIKING them. Which brings me to a supposition. Are all of these bitter, frustrated, emasculated people that Stiller is portraying ACTUALLY Ben Still himself? Are they just different facets of Ben’s inner monologue come to life? Or are they something else?

Brad’s Status is probably the most TRUE to Ben Stiller film that I’ve seen yet. Before he is darkly comedic, or outright hilariously cynical (I adore Zoolander as the self absorbed model who’s really really ridiculously good looking), as Director/Writer Mike White allows guides him in a world of self discovery and contemplation. Despite being very specific to Stiller himself, Mike and Ben bring the character to life as a sort of universal glue that defines each and every one of us as we struggle find out place in life, and have to get over (or not get over) the little competitive side of ourselves that constantly nags the human heart to lust after what we think other people have.

Brad (Ben Stiller) is not exactly pleased with his life right about now. He’s 47 years old, he works at a non profit he set up, and his son Troy (Austin Abrams) is going to Boston with him this weekend to check out schools. Schools that Brad is nervous about paying as Troy has a REALLY good chance of getting into Harvard (not exactly the cheapest school in the world). All he can think about is how his life hasn’t turned out as planned. All of his college friends have moved on to become movie directors, hedge fund managers, or just retired tech company millionaires, while Brad has become what he always wished he wasn’t. A stuck middle aged man with a wife who works, a son who’s going to college, and nowhere else that he can go.

Depressed and contemplating his life, Brad and Troy head out to visit Harvard and everything goes sideways. Troy forgot the time and date of the entrance interview, and not only that, Brad is running into old friends who barely remember him, and generally coming face to face with the reality that his life has moved in a completely different direction than his college friends have. However, this is the crux of the whole thing. Just because your life has moved on from what you expected it would be, doesn’t mean that it is a BAD thing. Mike White lovingly crafts a tale that poignantly looks at the simple mid life crisis with both sets of lenses on. You might think that it is a sappy “be happy with what you have, cuz other people have it bad too” type of story, but its really not. The film is a satirical romp through one person’s lenses. Watching the first half of the movie you almost get as depressed as Brad is. Listening to his inner monologue chew through all of the self depreciating garbage and watching his cynical nature look at all the upcoming youth through the lens of someone who has lived life and seen certain dreams die.

Stiller is coiled as tightly as a spring about to snap, but he is played as the foil to his own son Troy, who’s played so affably calmly by Austin Abrams, making for an odd sort of “yin/yang” relationship. While Austin plays good backup throughout the film, this is mostly a one man show, with Ben Stiller acting as the narrator for the film, as well as the main character. You get to live inside his head as he comes to grips with his life, his failures, his accomplishments, and his continuing journey onward in this chaos that is life. Michael Sheen comes in as his HORRIFICALLY nauseating friend Craig whom Brad has looked up to his whole life in jealousy, but the real standout character is actually on it in for about 10 minutes or so. This comes in the form of Shazi Raza, one of Troy’s old friends, who shakes Brad’s self pitying spiral and shows him just what people OUTSIDE of his own little narcissistic bubble think of himself and the world itself. Her piece with Stiller inside the bar is by far the best part of the whole film and turns the heading of the rest of the movie.




Rating:

Rated R for Language




Video:

I couldn’t find out what type of cameras were used, or what resolution the resulting master was finished at, but Brad’s Status holds all the earmarks of your standard digitally shot film in the modern world. Everything looks wonderful, with a sort of sun drenched hue to the digital shoot, employing a slightly boosted contrast level to create it look warm and homey. Highlights and details look exquisite, with facial details and backdrops looking equally excellent. Fine details on clothing show up nicely, as does the light graying of Ben Stiller’s hair. Blacks are deep and inky, with great shadow detail (in the very few dimly lit scenes), and facial tones are quite natural.





Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track that Universal has put forth on the disc is exactly what one would expect from a dramatic film like this. The track is decidedly front heavy, with large portions of the movie being privy to Ben Stiller’s inner monologue, as well as conversations between himself and his son, Troy. However, there are quite a few moments where the surrounds get some good activity, as the film features many a scene where everyone is in the middle of a hubbub. The characters meet and talk insdid of bars and restaurants where the dialog is the main focus, but the surrounds are always engaged with the dialog of OTHER patrons throughout the area. LFE is mild and appropriate, adding some weight during the plane flight, but mainly used as an accompaniment for the score. It’s not a SIMPLE track, but it isn’t a wild action film’s audio mix either. Either way, Brad’s Status sounds excellent and it fits nicely in the contemplative nature of the film itself.





Extras:

• A Look at Ben Stiller as Brad - Featurette
• A Culture of Comparing Ourselves - Featurette
• Mike White on Directing His Own Script
• The Story of Brad's Status - Featurette

Final Score: ​

Brad’s Status is a great film about taking joy and contentment in all of life’s ups and downs. There’s nothing wrong with striving to be something greater than what you are, but there is this fine line between striving for betterment, and straight out jealousy of what you don’t have. Stiller gives one of his best performances to date, intricately weaving what SEEMS to be portions of his own inner mid life crisis into Brad’s tale in such a way that if feels potently real at times. I mean, we’ve all been there in some way, shape, or form, but Brad’s Life brings the feelings of inadequacy, selfishness, and sense of being into the light in such a relatable way. The Blu-ray itself looks and sounds great, and makes for one of the better watches that I’ve seen in quite some time. Recommended as a good watch.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Ben Stiller, Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer
Directed by: Mike White
Written by: Mike White
Aspect Ratio: 2.00:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Studio: Universal
Rated: R
Runtime: 102 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: January 2nd, 2018

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review.. Will catch it on amazon prime/netflix once available.

Just a note, one typo..

"hedge fun managers"

Although, if there is such a post, it would be fun, right?

 

[Michael Scott]

well, it IS fun to them

typo fixed

 

[JBrax]

Thanks for the review Mike. Based on your recommendation I rented this one last night and plan on giving it a spin today.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Curious to see what you think, Jeff. I might add this to my queue.

 

[JBrax]

It was very good and like Mike said one of Ben Stillers better movies if not his best. Just a great story and a message that definitely should be applied in today’s society. Good call Mike!