Love blossoms between a young woman on the margins of society and a disenfranchised drifter as they embark on an odyssey through the backroads of America. Ralph Potts reviews the Blu-ray release of Bones and All from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.


Photograph Product Font Publication Adaptation


The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

89​



Details:

Studio and Year: Warner - 2022
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 131 minutes
Genre: Thriller

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1, English, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Taylor Russell, Timothee Chalamet, Michael Stuhlburg, Andre Holland, Chloe Sevigny, David Gordon Green, Jessica Harper, Jake Horowitz, Mark Rylance
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Music by: Trent Reznor
Written by: David Kajganich – Based on the novel by Camille DeAngelis
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: January 31, 2023


"Based on the Novel"​


Synopsis:

Love blossoms between a young woman on the margins of society and a disenfranchised drifter as they embark on a 3,000-mile odyssey through the backroads of America.

My Take:

Bones and All is based on the novel of the same name by Camille DeAngelis and tells the story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive outside of societal margins, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are.


Suffice it to say, I haven’t read the novel. Frankly, I avoided reading anything about Bones and All before sitting down with it. My wife opted to watch it with me. Well, it’s certainly different and not the film I was expecting. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing but, it’s worth noting. The film is set in the 1980’s during the Reagan administration although, I honestly didn’t see that aspect to be relevant within the context of the story. It’s opening moments are what you might expect in terms of introducing the character of Maren, a late teens girl that lives with her single father, is new to her school and, is looking to make new friends.

Shortly afterward, there is a jarring encounter that reveals why Maren and her father are new to the area. This is the springboard from which the narrative jumps, as the layers of Maren’s past are slowly peeled back, revealing a bizarre nature that she must come to understand. This sets her upon the path that will reveal that she isn’t alone in her “uniqueness”. It’s when she meets Lee, that she finds kinship and a connection unlike she has known before. Together, they set out to help Maren find the answers to the questions surrounding her past, specifically, her mother.

Bones and All qualifies as a coming-of-age story but, it’s also a dark tale of tragedy, yearning and an insatiable craving that resides outside of controllable boundaries. This is what rests at the heart of the narrative as Maren struggles with the shameful acts that place her and, those like her, in exile. Despite finding answers to her questions, the prospect of love, and the hope of settling into life, Maren soon realizes she must first come to terms with what she is.

It would be fair to say that I liked, not loved, this film. I liked its unusual and multifaceted take on the genre. I don’t know that the elements of romance were integrated well enough to make you genuinely care about Maren and Lee as a couple. The film dragged at times and needed tighter editing. I liked the odyssey aspect and the differing characters introduced along the way but, none save for Sully (played by Mark Rylance), had a defining impact on the proceedings. Bones and All is a worthwhile film experience but, it’s definitely not for everyone. My wife and I had the same reaction to it.



Replay Value:



Parental Guide:

The rating is for strong, bloody and disturbing violent content, language throughout and some sexual content and brief graphic nudity.


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: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)



    • Dynamics:
    • Low frequency effects:
    • Surround Sound presentation:
    • Clarity/Detail:
    • Dialog Reproduction:
    • DSU/DTS Neural:X Rating * (non-rated element): NA


Video: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)



    • Resolution/Clarity:
    • Black Level/Shadow Detail:
    • Color Reproduction:
    • Fleshtones:
    • Compression:

Dolby Atmos Rating: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)



    • Level of immersion:
    • Soundstage integration:
    • Audio object placement:
    • Effectiveness of Atmos platform:
    • Entertainment factor:


Bones and All comes to Blu-ray Disc from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video and lossless Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1 channel sound.

This is pleasing video presentation that boasts plenty of refinement, stable contrast, vivid colors, and strong dimension. Blacks are punchy and stand out when onscreen with mixed content. Visual perspective in low lighting and darkened areas is estimable. The combination gives dark scenes appreciable depth. Images are film like, and perfectly suited for the source material.

The lossless multi-channel soundtrack has good dynamic range, detail rich clarity and discernible channel separation which enable the detection of subtle nuance within the recording. Dialogue is firmly planted in the center channel which clearly renders voices and effects with appropriate distinction and tonal balance within the front soundstage. Low frequency effects aren’t noteworthy but the subwoofer works in tandem with the rest of the system to appropriately convey the bass associated with the soundtrack.

In listening to the Dolby Atmos surround mix I found it to be of the moderately active variety that makes steady use of the platform. Its use of audio objects placed above is a mix of atmospherics, music and discrete sound effects. This is done very well and creates a tangible level of immersion that coincides with the onscreen events nicely. There are several set pieces that show off the track’s blend of music and, smaller object sounds that create a wonderfully involving listening experience, that broadens the soundstage. For instance, there is some excellent use of the overhead channels during the scene where Maren listens to a tape of her father’s voice through headphones and, later, when Maren and Lee are swimming in the lake during the fireworks display. While this isn’t what I would regard as an aggressive Atmos mix I enjoyed the balance of atmosphere combined with discrete object placement. I think that it made for an entertaining listening experience.



Bonus Features:
  • A Look Inside - Featurette
  • Luca Guadagnino: The Vision of Bones and All
  • Meet Lee
  • Meet Maren
  • Outsiders in Love - Featurette
  • Digital Code



Final Thoughts:

Based on the novel by Camille DeAngelis Bones and All is a compelling, albeit, thematically dark, coming-of-age romance/odyssey that’s lack of convention makes it interesting and off putting at the same time. It comes to Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment featuring good overall audio/sound mated with a fair supplemental package. Bones and All definitely takes to road less traveled which makes it worth checking out for discerning genre fans.


Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews

Reference Review System:

JVC DLA-NZ7 4K Ultra High-Definition Laser Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman color calibration software and Portrait Displays C6 HDR2000 colorimeter from Portrait.com)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Seymour A/V Center Stage XD 2.35.1 100” Wide Retractable Screen
Marantz AV7706 Audio/Video Processor
Emotiva XPA-7 Gen 3 Seven Channel Amplifier
Emotiva XPA-11 Gen 3 Amplifier
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: Apple iPad/Roomie Remote V6 Universal Remote Control
SVS Ultra Tower Speakers (Gloss Finish)
SVS Ultra Center Channel (Gloss Finish)
SVS Ultra Surrounds (Gloss Finish in Bipolar Configuration)
Dual SVS PC4000 Cylinder Subwoofers
Niles Audio In-Ceiling/In-Wall Series Speakers
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
AC Infinity Aircom T8 Component Cooling Systems