Sorry to Bother You - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Sorry to Bother You

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Telemarketers are kind of a plague in modern societies. I mean, how many of us truly relish the though of picking up our phones, seeing a brand new number and answering only to be asked in an overly cheerful and pseudo helpful voice if we’re happy with our long distance carrier? It’s an irritant to the point of even HAVING a telemarketing job is considered kind of an insult. An embarrassment to be had in order to pay the bills. Now that take that concept and just blow it up into a wild and darkly satirical take on modern capitalism, with hints of nihilism and some insane fantasy and you have just a taste of Boots Riley’s new film that has taken film festivals by storm.

Boots Riley is most famously known for his rap group, “The Coup”, but takes a huge step into the film world with his first directing and writing roll with Sorry to Bother You, a biting commentary that takes a hard look at those who employ us and does so with a surprisingly “unionish” tone as well. Boots had originally written the script for Sorry to Bother You several years ago, but for some reason couldn’t get the project off the ground. However he incorporated the thematic elements of the script into his last album (also called Sorry to Bother You), but finally was able to get the funding he needed and the project going last year. Suddenly Sorry to Bother You was making waves at the film festivals this last go around, and EVERYONE had to see it by all accounts. Almost 6 months later I finally get around to watching the flick and admit that it’s a stunning piece of work that has elements of absolute brilliance to it, along with a few directorial nuances that show Riley’s newness to the game.

Describing the film is almost a moot point as spoilers are something I’m REALLY trying to avoid here, as well as the fact that Riley’s film moves from slightly dystopian satire to full on fantasy flick part way through the film, rendering it one of the more unique films I’ve seen in some time. Lakeith Stanfield plays one of his best roles to date as a young man struggling to make it in this world named Cassius “Cash” Green (hint hint at the name). Cassius is forced to live in his Uncle’s house due to not being able to make his own rent, and just barely eeks out a living. However, his fortunes change when he goes to work for the mega corporation RegalView as a telemarketer. Not exactly the pinnacle of society, but for Cash it means that he can actually live up to his girlfriend Detroit’s (Tessa Thompson, Thor Ragnarok) and actually pay his rent.

Moving up the ladder quickly, Cash realizes that in order to survive and succeed you have to adapt. Using his “white” voice (voiced by comedian David Cross), Cash can sell a vacation home to a dying man. Soon he’s caught the attention of the higher ups, and moves on from selling piddly stuff, to selling things that humans really shouldn’t be selling. This comes in the form of being a “Power Caller”, where Cash is now selling human slavery (in the form of indentured servitude where people can voluntarily give up their freedoms and live a life of work in order to have all their basic needs covered).

At this point Sorry to Bother You is kind of hard to describe, as it jumps off the rails of satire and gets more and more fantastical as it goes along. Needless to say, it’s more of a “watch this” type of situation rather than a simple “read this review” type. Boots Riley does a fantastic job at matching the anti-capitalistic/pro union message of his film from beating you over the head with itself, but rather incorporates his message INTO an entertaining story. Labeled as a comedy, Sorry to Bother You is really a dark satirical comedy that gets it’s laughs from BEING uncomfortable. Riley deftly moves the from from subject to subject, letting us know his rather virulent social justice ideas, but does so in a way that you still get caught up in the bizarre (and hilariously entertaining at times) story line. Too many times I’m watching a movie with a political/social message, only to lose sight of the entire story, and get drenched in the stench of unadulterated diatribe that comes with valuing the message more than the delivery. Not so here. Honestly, I couldn’t always agree with Riley’s subversive message, but what I could agree with was a how hilariously funny and darkly enjoyable the film is. Everything WORKS on a surface level, and even more so on a deeper level. Each and every character is deftly placed throughout the film, from the nervous sounding Stanfield, to the ever amazing Tessa Thompson, all the way up to the hilariously evil boss played by Armie Hammer (one of the best small roles in the film, as Hammer ham’s it up with obvious gusto).




Rating:

Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and drug use




Video:

Just like the movie itself, the 2.39:1 AVC encoded image is a bit of a bizarre thing. Different scenes are graded wildly differently, ranging from neon shades of pink and blue, to more neutral shots withing the confines of the telemarketing gig. The same goes for the nuances of detail as well, although it never drops below “good” at the very least. Faces can be right up close and personal, with every line and crease available to the eye, and then the next minute there’s some definite softness and stylized tweaking to the colors that give the film a diffused look. Still, the Arri Alexa shot digital film is stunning to behold, and the wild array of colors and different visual styles employed throughout the film make for an incredible viewing experience. Artifacting is almost nonexistent (I saw some mild crush in a few scenes and one split second moment of banding when Cash and his boss are talking halfway through). Overall this is a great looking image and 20th Century Fox has given it a hefty bitrate to keep things running smooth.







Audio:

For being a comedy, Sorry to Bother You carries with it a rather robust and exciting 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix to enjoy. Infused with the electric sounds of “The Coup”, the pulsating energy of the music fuels the rest of the track, giving it a sense of urgency, excitable fury, and calm that is one of the defining aspects of the subversive film. The dialog is always above reproach, and the LFE channel is given more work to do than I was initially expecting. Not only does it compliment “The Coup’s” score, but it also adds some serious weight to some of the more fantasy inspired elements of the second half and is used to supplement simple noises like a party, or the slamming of a door. Surrounds are used with great aplomb too, coming alive during the party and the music flowing through at a near constant rate. It’s a great track, and once again proves that you don’t NEED to have 7.1 or Atmos to have a great audio mix.







Extras:

• Beautiful Clutter with Director Boots Riley
• Audio Commentary with Director Boots Riley
• Gallery
• The Cast of Sorry to Bother You
• The Art of the White Voice

Final Score: ​

Sorry to Bother You is going to be one of those love it or hate it films in my opinion. It’s not mainstream enough to really follow the traditional comedy path, and Boots Riley’s message is more of a black version of Idiocracy more than a laugh out loud slapstick comedy. The deviation into the bizarre fantasy realm in the second half of the film further pulls itself away from cinematic norms, and marks it as one of the most unique and personal films I’ve seen recently. I loved every second of the film, fully knowing that I didn’t 100% agree with the message of the film, and I find that many people will be in my position. E.g., not completely agreeing with all of the message, but loving the execution of the story. Others might find the movie too esoteric for their tastes and I fully understand why too. Sorry to Bother You is a very different film than your typical blockbuster, but no matter you tastes, it’s definitely worth checking out to decide for yourself.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Terry Crews, Omari Hardwick, Kate Berlant, Danny Glover, David Cross
Directed by: Boots Riley
Written by: Boots Riley
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R
Runtime: 111 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: October 23rd 2018

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Bizarrely Fun Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I will check it out on a lazy day once it is on amazon prime/netflix.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Hmmmmmm.... looks like a rental if I ever get around to it. Never heard of this one.