(A-) Set mostly indoors and/or at night in scenes that are dimly lit or downright dark, the film's video quality is good, but certainly can't stand out due to it being brightness-impaired. Although some pixelation occurs in several scenes (most notably with the few daytime, blue sky shots), the picture is otherwise sharp and detailed and its colors — such as that of a vibrant crimson dress — are also good.
AUDIO:
(A) Although most of what appears on the audio track is dialogue (this being a rather "talky" picture), it and the pleasant sounding but limited jazzy soundtrack (plus a few other songs that occur in the bar/nightclub scenes) sound quite good.
EXTRAS:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
Running audio commentary by writer/director Richard LaGravenese.
Additional audio track featuring readings of two short stories by Anton Chekhov (presented with the film's standard video).
5 deleted scenes (ranging from 1 to 4 minutes long), including the full performance of "Lush Life" by Queen Latifah.
Theatrical trailer.
Cast & Crew filmographies and biographies (on screen text).
COMMENTS:
Reportedly "inspired" by two short stories from Anton Chekhov, writer/director Richard LaGravenese's screenplay might not be long on story -- and ultimately never really resolves anything -- but the characters ring true, the humor is dry and witty, and most importantly, the film is easy and always enjoyable to watch.
For many, it will feel quite similar to the hit TV show, "Ally McBeal," what with the similarities between the two fantasy laden, angst ridden, romantic "dramedies" and their central characters. Despite the "theft," borrowing, or a matter of sheer coincidental timing, the film still manages to feel fresh despite those similarities to "McBeal."
While the protagonist's fantasy moments are obviously the film's highlights and clear crowd pleasers, the strong performances, stemming from LaGravenese's finely tuned and well-written script, are what really make the film work. Since the characters come off as realistic, flesh and blood creations, they manage to carry the film simply due to our immediate and sustained interest in them.
Quirky and dryly funny, and featuring solid performances from its leads, "Living Out Loud" may not appeal to everyone and might be a bit slow for others, but it contains a great performance from Holly Hunter and turns out to be a decent first directorial outing for LaGravenese (who provides his insights on the disc's supplemental audio track).
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