Love Song For Bobby Long (DVD)

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The film is rated R for language, including sexual references, but that seems awfully harsh. It plays more like a PG-13.

Video: The video quality on this anamorphic widescreen transfer (1.85:1 aspect ratio) is very good, mastered in High Definition and with bright colors and wonderful contrasts that are all but necessary for Gabel's stylish shots—ones which often leave some figures wallowing in shadows, while others are bathed in light. There's an art-house director hiding inside Gabel, who manages to capture a visual experience that's typical of foreign and independent films while also allowing the story to all but tell itself.

Audio: Likewise, the sound is excellent, a Dolby Digital 5.1 that doesn't have as much rear-speaker action as I would have liked, to reinforce that New Orleans ambience and pump up the musical volume when the groups get playing, but the side-to-side sound movement is very realistic. Spoken language options are English, French, and Portuguese, with English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.

Extras: Full-length commentaries by first-time directors are almost always a pleasure, because they're just so excited about the film and so into it that they're willing to share almost everything about the process. Gabel shares the commentary stage with cinematographer Elliot Davis, and they make a good combo, because the visuals play so large a part in this film, as does the music. Gabel tells how, while the film may have been inspired by a novel, she sought to portray Bobby Long as "the personification of New Orleans," celebrating the beauty of decay and romanticism as an illness. The behind-the-scenes feature is also quite good, and all three stars put in an appearance. In fact, the veteran Travolta even credits Johansson for giving him off-camera insights that helped make him a better actor in this film. We learn that they shot at the house in New Orleans three-fourths of the time, and that the changes Pursy made to the house were real. The actors LIVED those changes, we learn, which added to the realism and the comfort level of the actors. And Lorraine? She is represented by the presence of music. It haunts the movie, and the decision to leave her out of the film was absolutely deliberate. As making-of features go, this one is superior because it's more penetrating and interpretive than most, and the Rosas Productions did a fine job on the editing and production.

Bottom Line: All anyone wants is to be loved, really. And this movie plays like a love song for everyone who's ever felt estranged or alone. Johansson's performance is riveting, and Travolta, playing off of her and reveling in the role of an aging, alcoholic sage, turns in one of the best performances of his career. And Macht? The fact that he holds his own with these two says a lot about his performance, and just as much about Gabel's intelligent script and direction. "A Love Song for Bobby Long" may not be a classic, but it's rock-solid and worth your attention.

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