(A) Despite some compression-related pixelation that's obvious in a few scenes, but certainly not distracting, the picture looks great. Brightly lit outdoor scenes are razor sharp and feature plenty of detail, while the colors are lush and deeply rich in their hues.
AUDIO:
(B+) Featuring only the old Dolby Surround Sound (instead of the newer Digital 5.1), the audio is decent, but far from outstanding. Except for a few songs, the audio track is dialogue driven, and while not particularly exceptional (as to be expected), is easy enough to be understood.
EXTRAS:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
COMMENTS:
One of the first big screen efforts from the charming cast of TV's mega-hit sitcom, "Friends," this is a rather mediocre retreading of elements from the far superior "The Graduate." Much like Dustin Hoffman's character in that film, David Schwimmer plays a young man who's uncertain of his future. He is certain, however, of the romantic/sexual mess in which he's become entangled, and thus tries to sort out his varying relationships with both a young woman and an older "Mrs. Robinson" type character.
The results are nowhere near as delightful or poignant as in Mike Nichol's 1967 film. Schwimmer, who's since at least partially expanded his acting range, is far too reminiscent here of his TV character, Ross, in both mannerisms and vocal style and delivery. Gwyneth Paltrow's performance lacks the charisma for which she's later become known and she can't do much here with her shallowly developed character. Other performers, such as Carol Kane as Tom's doting mother and Barbara Hershey as the mother of the deceased, are pretty much wasted as well.
Despite a halfway intriguing premise -- notwithstanding the similarities to "The Graduate" -- the film never really succeeds as a comedy or a romantic drama. While fans of Schwimmer or Paltrow may find something in it to make it worth watching, most everyone else will probably find the production mediocre at best.
As far as the DVD itself, the picture, despite some moments of pixelation, looks great and at times is exceptionally sharp. The audio, on the other hand and not too surprising considering the genre, is decent but not particularly worth noting. The supplemental material, however, is completely lacking and doesn't even feature the standard theatrical trailer. As such, this isn't much more than a glorified VHS version of this title.
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