The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
82
Studio and Year: Lionsgate - 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 104 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Kristin Wiig, Annette Bening, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss, Bob Balaban, Christopher Fitzgerald
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Music by: Bob Simonsen
Written by: Michelle Morgan
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: November 5, 2013
"She has a lot to live up to. And a few things to live down."
Film Synopsis:
After her career and relationship both hit the skids, Imogene (Wiig) is forced to make the humiliating move back home to New Jersey with her eccentric family, including her gambling-addicted mother (Bening) and her mom’s oddball new boyfriend (Dillon). Adding further insult to injury, her bedroom is being rented out to a pop-star impersonator (Criss). Through it all, Imogene eventually realizes that as part of her rebuilding process she must finally come to love and accept both her family along with her Jersey roots if she's ever going to be strong enough to get the hell away from them.
My Take:
Girl most likely revolves around Imogene (Kristin Wiig), a once aspiring young New York playwright whose promise never came to fruition and who now finds herself frustrated in a dead end job. Having thrown all of her eggs into her burgeoning love life and interconnected high society friends life takes a drastic turn when the wheels come off of all three leaving her with only one place to turn, her estranged gambling addict mother Zelda (Annette Bening), and the home she never saw herself returning to in Ocean City New Jersey. After years away Imogene must finally deal with her family, including her “eccentric” brother Ralph (Christopher Fitzgerald), Zelda's new boyfriend George aka “The Bousche” (Matt Dillon), and newly acquainted lodger Lee (Darren Criss),who together help Imogene sort out her place in the world.
I am most definitely a Kristin Wiig fan and although I had never heard of this film prior to reading the press release I couldn’t help but look forward to checking it out. Based loosely on events from screenwriter Michelle Morgan’s life/experiences Girl most likely is a quirky and somewhat dark comedy a young woman that gauged her life based notions that inevitably prove fruitless forcing her to come full circle only to learn an important life lesson. The narrative is somewhat metaphoric occasionally leaving us on the outside looking in but overall the gist is clear. Imogene isn’t the most sympathetic character but as the story progresses she grows on you as Kristin Wigg makes the most of what’s on the page. Convention abounds but the offbeat characters in brother Ralph, mom Zelda (love Annette Bening!) and boyfriend George (Matt Dillon has fun with it) add the right amount of daftness and affable buffoonery to keep things from getting overly dramatic.
In the end Girl most likely doesn’t take any risks and isn’t especially memorable. I watched it with my wife and we both agreed that it’s schematic more often than not but had enough merit to keep us interested and ultimately entertained.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for sexual content and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 78
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Video: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Girl most likely comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lionsgate featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 22 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.3 Mbps.
This video presentation offers little in the way of high Gloss, razor sharp imagery but it seems to represent the film’s elements well. Primary colors appear satisfying while the remaining spectrum colors intentionally impart a cooler visual aesthetic. Complexions are texturally descriptive with lifelike tonality that varies only slightly among the cast. Resolution is very good although the film’s inherently softer elements leave some wide angle shots with smoother lines and average delineation. Close ups and mid level shots are more revealing of the resolvable detail that draws out subtle textures in the people and objects within the frame. Contrast is on the money and blacks are stable but not overly dynamic in appearance. This isn’t really a problem as there are few scenes that utilize low level material where this is consistently apparent. I saw no overt signs of video anomalies or compression related artifacts and thought this appeared to be a pristine quality encoding.
The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack had no trouble rendering clear and well articulated dialogue. Sound effects had estimable clarity and depth so that they sounded full bodied and aurally satisfying. This is not a film that requires heavy use of surround sound to deliver its message but it does rely on the entire soundstage for proper atmosphere and low frequency detail from time to time. The mix excels at creating the right sounds at the right levels and placing them appropriately in the sound field’s acoustic environment. Low frequency effects are used to deliver bass response that primarily remains in the upper registers adding solidity to the film’s music. I thought that it sounded just fine.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Girl most likely is a quirky, unimaginative comedy that suffers from an incidental and middling script. Luckily it features a solid cast that make the most of what they had to work with resulting in a watchable film that we ultimately didn’t mind. It comes to Blu-ray from Lionsgate Home Entertainment featuring solid high definition video, clear lossless sound quality and a bland assortment of bonus supplements. Girl most likely is worth a rental on date night just keep expectations in check.
Here is the trailer:
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8801 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
82
Studio and Year: Lionsgate - 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 104 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.78:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Kristin Wiig, Annette Bening, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss, Bob Balaban, Christopher Fitzgerald
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Music by: Bob Simonsen
Written by: Michelle Morgan
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: November 5, 2013
"She has a lot to live up to. And a few things to live down."
Film Synopsis:
After her career and relationship both hit the skids, Imogene (Wiig) is forced to make the humiliating move back home to New Jersey with her eccentric family, including her gambling-addicted mother (Bening) and her mom’s oddball new boyfriend (Dillon). Adding further insult to injury, her bedroom is being rented out to a pop-star impersonator (Criss). Through it all, Imogene eventually realizes that as part of her rebuilding process she must finally come to love and accept both her family along with her Jersey roots if she's ever going to be strong enough to get the hell away from them.
My Take:
Girl most likely revolves around Imogene (Kristin Wiig), a once aspiring young New York playwright whose promise never came to fruition and who now finds herself frustrated in a dead end job. Having thrown all of her eggs into her burgeoning love life and interconnected high society friends life takes a drastic turn when the wheels come off of all three leaving her with only one place to turn, her estranged gambling addict mother Zelda (Annette Bening), and the home she never saw herself returning to in Ocean City New Jersey. After years away Imogene must finally deal with her family, including her “eccentric” brother Ralph (Christopher Fitzgerald), Zelda's new boyfriend George aka “The Bousche” (Matt Dillon), and newly acquainted lodger Lee (Darren Criss),who together help Imogene sort out her place in the world.
I am most definitely a Kristin Wiig fan and although I had never heard of this film prior to reading the press release I couldn’t help but look forward to checking it out. Based loosely on events from screenwriter Michelle Morgan’s life/experiences Girl most likely is a quirky and somewhat dark comedy a young woman that gauged her life based notions that inevitably prove fruitless forcing her to come full circle only to learn an important life lesson. The narrative is somewhat metaphoric occasionally leaving us on the outside looking in but overall the gist is clear. Imogene isn’t the most sympathetic character but as the story progresses she grows on you as Kristin Wigg makes the most of what’s on the page. Convention abounds but the offbeat characters in brother Ralph, mom Zelda (love Annette Bening!) and boyfriend George (Matt Dillon has fun with it) add the right amount of daftness and affable buffoonery to keep things from getting overly dramatic.
In the end Girl most likely doesn’t take any risks and isn’t especially memorable. I watched it with my wife and we both agreed that it’s schematic more often than not but had enough merit to keep us interested and ultimately entertained.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for sexual content and language.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 78
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Girl most likely comes to Blu-ray Disc from Lionsgate featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 22 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.3 Mbps.
This video presentation offers little in the way of high Gloss, razor sharp imagery but it seems to represent the film’s elements well. Primary colors appear satisfying while the remaining spectrum colors intentionally impart a cooler visual aesthetic. Complexions are texturally descriptive with lifelike tonality that varies only slightly among the cast. Resolution is very good although the film’s inherently softer elements leave some wide angle shots with smoother lines and average delineation. Close ups and mid level shots are more revealing of the resolvable detail that draws out subtle textures in the people and objects within the frame. Contrast is on the money and blacks are stable but not overly dynamic in appearance. This isn’t really a problem as there are few scenes that utilize low level material where this is consistently apparent. I saw no overt signs of video anomalies or compression related artifacts and thought this appeared to be a pristine quality encoding.
The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack had no trouble rendering clear and well articulated dialogue. Sound effects had estimable clarity and depth so that they sounded full bodied and aurally satisfying. This is not a film that requires heavy use of surround sound to deliver its message but it does rely on the entire soundstage for proper atmosphere and low frequency detail from time to time. The mix excels at creating the right sounds at the right levels and placing them appropriately in the sound field’s acoustic environment. Low frequency effects are used to deliver bass response that primarily remains in the upper registers adding solidity to the film’s music. I thought that it sounded just fine.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) “Making Most Likely” – 8 minute featurette
- (HD) Life in the human shell – 3 minute featurette
- (HD) Gag reel – 2 minutes
- (HD) Deleted scenes – 2 minutes
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy
Final Thoughts:
Girl most likely is a quirky, unimaginative comedy that suffers from an incidental and middling script. Luckily it features a solid cast that make the most of what they had to work with resulting in a watchable film that we ultimately didn’t mind. It comes to Blu-ray from Lionsgate Home Entertainment featuring solid high definition video, clear lossless sound quality and a bland assortment of bonus supplements. Girl most likely is worth a rental on date night just keep expectations in check.
Here is the trailer:
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8801 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package