Tully (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Aug 30, 2018
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Jason ReitmanRelease Date(s)
2018 (July 31, 2018)Studio(s)
Focus Features/Universal Pictures (Universal)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: B
- Audio Grade: D
- Extras Grade: D
Review
Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, who worked together on Juno, Jennifer’s Body, and Young Adult, have teamed up yet again for a fourth film, Tully. Charlize Theron, the star of Young Adult four years prior, also returns to work with the familiar duo in their most recent collaboration.
Tully is a comedic drama about the Moreau family: Marlo (Charlize Theron), her husband Drew (Ron Livingston), and their two children Emmy (Maddie Dixon-Poirier) and Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica). Young Jonah has an unknown disorder while Marlo, who has a lot of responsibilities in her life, is pregnant and expecting at any moment with their third child. Once she gives birth to her newborn daughter Mia, she becomes even more overworked, stressed, and exhausted. On top of it all, her husband Drew is seemingly lost and not there to provide her with any support. At the end of her rope, Marlo hires a nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) to assist her. As time passes, a special bond grows between Marlo and Tully, but all is not exactly as it seems, leading to some surprising revelations that could affect Marlo’s life.
Tully is a fascinating, moving film which shows a harsh but realistic challenge about parenting, especially with three children. Marlo is a very deep, compelling character, struggling to find herself because her life is demanding too much of her time. Meanwhile, Tully is the type of person that Marlo wants to be. Both Charlize Theron and Mackenzie Davis have good chemistry together and they’re top notch in their respective roles with director Reitman bringing out the best in them. The film also uses fast edits effectively for its storytelling, including a memorable bit where Mia is crying whenever Marlo is trying to take care of other things.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment debuts Tully on Blu-ray with image quality that isn’t overtly eye-popping, but does look above average. There’s a bit of a dullness to the colors in some areas, but on the other side of the coin, there are other parts of the film where colors are vivacious and everything is clear and sharp with excellent detail and textures. Skin tones appear balanced and black levels look deep, but not so dark that you’re unable to see anything. The audio for the film, an English 5.1 DTS-HD track, seems really subdued. Dialogue is very difficult to hear, and as a result, you will most likely have to raise the volume. The only sounds that came in somewhat strong were Mia’s cries. French and Spanish 5.1 DTS tracks are also a part of the audio package, as well as an English 2.0 Dolby Digital descriptive track. Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are offered as well. The lone supplement is a 10-minute featurette entitled The Relationships of Tully, which discusses the writing, the performances, and the cast.
Tully is a film that sends a strong message about the difficulties of being a mother, and also not to lose sight of your own life or who you are as a person. The type of free-spirited escapism character that is Tully is something we as human beings should have inside of us to get by when met by life’s many challenges. While it’s not up to par with the audio and video output of many other contemporary releases, Tully is still a must-see.
- David Steigman