Happythankyoumoreplease does have some clichés but thanks to the writing, directing and performance by Josh Radnor, it stands above the rest making it more memorable than most indie flicks. As far as the Blu-ray is concerned, the video and audio are both alright, although the video transfer could’ve been a heck lot better and there isn’t a whole lot in terms of features.
Happythankyoumoreplease (2011)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama
Anchor Bay | R – 99 min. – $34.98 | June 21, 2011
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Josh Radnor
Writer(s): Josh Radnor (written by)
Cast: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Paublo Schreiber, Tony Hale
Theatrical Release Date: March 4, 2011 (limited)
DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Featurette, Deleted Scenes
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: English (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.40
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Region(s): A
THE MOVIE – 3.75/5
Writer/Director Josh Radnor’s Happythankyoumoreplease (and yes, it is all one word) might be your clichéd, prototypical independent film – self aware what it is –, yet it still works in some ways while not quite connecting in others. First, whenever you have these ensemble films deliberately set in New York City where more than one conversation is about the city itself (see any of the early Woody Allen films), they shoehorn in the connections between the characters and while that does happen here, it never feels forced.
Sam (JOSH RADNOR) is a bachelor and wannabe novelist living in New York City. He’s a popular guy with many friends including Annie (MALIN AKERMAN), a woman living with an ailment which does not allow hair to grow and while she has a lively personality, she also is self-conscious looking for adoration as past relationships have ended in pain. She has a co-worker in lawyer Sam #2 (TONY HALE) pursuing her but she rebuts his advances. Meanwhile, we also meet Charlie (PABLO SCHREIBER) and Mary Catherine (ZOE KAZAN), a couple who are in an impasse in their relationship with Charlie wanting to move to the West Coast while Mary Catherine is in love with New York and all its charm.
The story really begins when Sam, on his way to an important meeting concerning his latest novel, finds that a little boy – who we later learn his name is Rasheen (MICHAEL ALGIERI) – has been separated from his foster family on the subway. Sam tries to do the right thing and get the boy to the right authorities but the boy has other plans and refuses to go along. Despite trying to ditch Rasheen, Sam reluctantly takes care of him and also takes him along in his journeys through his life and friends. This includes meeting a new gorgeous hopeful girlfriend in Mississippi (KATE MARA) who you might guess is from her namesake state.
In terms of the cast, I’ve never seen an episode of “How I Met Your Mother” but it’s obvious Radnor (making his debut as a writer and director) as an actor has the charm to give his character the right balance from a man with a life in moderate chaos to somebody you can actually follow until the very end. The rest are equally engaging especially Kate Mara who I’ve been a fan of since I first saw her in Shooter while the young Michael Algieri, making his feature film debut, has a good balance between precociousness without becoming an obnoxious brat which often happen with other cinematic children who act like adults.
HTYMP is a fine comedy/drama for sure. The tag-along kid aspect certainly was new and interesting and keeps the film from devolving into what so many other indie flicks tend to do meaning the story has been done to death and the characters are walking clichés. Although some of that still holds true, what Radnor brought into the script and these characters makes it tolerable and at times even enjoyable. This is not to say the film is entirely memorable but at the same time it’s a safe movie that doesn’t take a whole lot of risks yet still places itself above its indie counterparts.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.25/5
Audio Commentary – Producer/Writer/Director/Actor Josh Radnor and Producer Jesse Hara sit down for a lively commentary track where they offer up tid-bits on the filmmaking process, writing, director, acting, etc. It’s a good mixture of two friends talking with giving information on the film itself. Note: This track can be found in the audio submenu not within the features menu.
Happythankyoumoreplease (6:40; SD) – This featurette covers the music featured in the film by singer/songwriter Jaymay. It’s an interesting profile on the unknown talent.
Deleted Scenes (8:55; SD) – Here we get a four deleted scenes that are fine on their own but don’t offer anything additional to the film so they were rightly removed.
Theatrical Trailer (2:32; HD)
Previews include Meet Monica Velour, Beautiful Boy, Kill the Irishman and Daydream Nation.
VIDEO – 3.5/5
Anchor Bay Entertainment brings HTYMP to Blu-ray in its original 2.40 aspect ratio and in 1080p high-definition. This isn’t the best transfer I’ve noticed especially since I don’t see much in terms of fine detail like I do in other newer releases. Close-up objects/people look fine but whenever you get anything further away (like actors or objects across the street), things look a little fuzzy. I’m not saying this is a terrible transfer – and it could be attributable to cheaper film –, but it’s certainly not the best.
AUDIO – 3.75/5
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (a rare find on Blu-ray nowadays) is alright though I never expect much within the comedic or dramatic genres. Dialogue sounds nice and clear and when there is music, the depth shows off quite well, otherwise this is a standard lossless track.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, Happythankyoumoreplease does have some clichés but thanks to the writing, directing and performance by Josh Radnor, it stands above the rest making it more memorable than most indie flicks. As far as the Blu-ray is concerned, the video and audio are both alright, although the video transfer could’ve been a heck lot better and there isn’t a whole lot in terms of features. Since this has a low MSRP, you can grab this for less than $20 (and even $15 in some places) making it a worthwhile purchase.
Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 06/17/2011
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2.