Irrational Man - DVD

Film: When Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) takes up his lectureship at a tranquil small-town college, it's just the culmination of a life of pettiness for him. Listlessly, he embarks on an affair with his colleague Rita Richards (Parker Posey) and never misses an opportunity to numb his mind with alcohol. Only in the presence of student Jill (Emma Stone) does Abe regularly blossom. But not enough to give his life a new meaning. That's not until he and Jill overhear a woman talking about how much she suffers at the hands of her erratic, violent husband. Hearing this, Abe makes a decision that flips a switch inside him. Completely intoxicated, he can suddenly enjoy his life and love again. But he has no idea what the consequences of his decision will be and that he is about to lose his new found happiness right away.

Irrational Man may not be one of Woody Allen's best films. But even though it may only be in the middle of the pack in the director's oeuvre, that still means that this mix of drama and comedy, spiced up with a dash of crime, is a really good film. The whole thing starts off a bit ponderous, leading you to expect a light love triangle comedy. But when Abe discovers a new purpose in his life, the whole thing takes a significant turn, and not just thematically. The tone of the production changes as well. It becomes more upbeat, but also shows a little bit of bitter-cynical humor. More and more you feel as a viewer how Allen is back to his best here.

The actors offer no real surprises in their performances. They all play more or less as you know them to play - most notably Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone - and as you probably expect them to play. But even though they're on fairly safe ground, that doesn't detract from the pleasure you get as an audience member watching them bring their characters to life. The fact that the chemistry between Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix is perfect can also be seen as a big plus.

The dialogue may not be some of the best Allen has written so far. But they are still full of multi-layered cleverness and wonderful wit. At the same time, Allen always strikes the right balance to give the story the seriousness it needs to work. So if you generally have a soft spot for the films of Woody Allen and don't expect a shallow romantic comedy, Irrational Man can really be warmly recommended to you. Absolutely worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The audiovisual realization of the film is on a good level, although especially the sound remains very restrained due to the genre. At some moments the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is pleasantly lively, but for long stretches the dialogue, restrained soundtrack and general silence dominate the proceedings. The DVD's image is absolutely clean and also pleases with warm colors and good overall sharpness that doesn't disappoint in detail presentation. Good!

Extras: That Woody Allen does not like bonus material has long been known. Therefore, no making of, cut scenes or even an audio commentary should be expected with his films. Unfortunately, that is also the case here. As a bonus, there are only impressions from the film premiere in L.A. (about 3:32 min.) with short interview sequences and a picture gallery. Too bad.

Conclusion: Irrational Man is another fine example of Woody Allen's versatility. The mix of comedy and drama may not be one of the director's best films. A hugely entertaining one it certainly is. The somewhat ponderous starting story takes a surprising turn about halfway through, which gives the film its very special touch. The good actors and the usual clever dialogues make sure that Irrational Man is once again a really good Woody Allen film, despite a few hangs. The DVD pleases with good picture and sound quality, but bonus material is again - as typical for Allen's films - scarce. Nevertheless: Clearly recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp