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Two Girls and A Guy
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]
I sat stonefaced through "Two Girls And A Guy". When sitting down and thinking about what sort of review I should write, I drew a blank. I am completely and utterly indifferent towards this film, which neither excited nor bored me. I didn't laugh, and I didn't groan. I just sat on a black couch, staring blankly at a screen, with neither a smile nor a scowl passing across my face for 84 minutes. I'd rather watch a bad movie than one that illicits no reaction whatsoever. The composite reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are particularly interesting -- the overall score is a dismal 36%, but the 'Cream of the Crop' rating is more than twice that. Perhaps there's some element of "Two Girls And A Guy" that's buzzing loftily over my head that more respected, experienced critics are able to appreciate. Perhaps it's that I can't relate to the discussion about modern relationships -- I am an Internet critic afterall, not the type typically known for having multiple beautiful women hanging off my arm. Those of you who have seen the movie are probably getting irritated at my rambling right about now, so I'll crank out the obligatory plot summary and move on to my comments on the DVD itself.
The title "Two Girls And A Guy" comes close enough to a synopsis -- two women, played by Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner, are waiting outside of an apartment, hoping to surprise the man they love. As the title suggests, they discover that they've been dating the same fella, and wackiness ensues. Wagner's Lou, who has as much spunk as one would expect from someone named "Lou", breaks into the apartment, buzzes in Carla, and the two lie in wait for the deceiptful Blake Allen (Robert Downey Jr.) to return. Blake, a performer by trade, tries to explain away his infidelity, and as is often the case with a movie that's little more than a three-character play (a description writer/director James Toback hates) taking place in more-or-less real time, they each learn more about themselves and each other. Awww... Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Blake, and with his innumerable drug arrests, it's easy to forget what a gifted actor he really is. Graham shines on occassion, but Wagner's talent is wasted on the character of Lou, whose dialogue never seems to be delivered in any sort of believable way, particularly in her spastic scenes early on. "Two Girls And A Guy" never seems to take full advantage of its skilled cast and moderately-interesting premise, making for the sort of film where I could best summarize my feelings with a shrug.
Video: "Two Girls And A Guy" is presented at 1.85:1 and is enhanced for widescreen televisions. The quality of the image seems decent enough. The picture is fairly crisp and clear throughout, aside from a couple of shots where we can see the camera briefly go in and out of focus -- obviously not the fault of the transfer. Commenting on colors is a little different, given a limited palette and the variety of lighting used throughout, though nothing struck me as seeming grossly out-of-place. No print flaws of any note were spotted, and dust and specks are minimal, particularly after the first reel. The image quality is neither exceptional nor disappointing, much like the film itself.
Audio: The Dolby Surround track is on the low side. I rarely adjust the volume on my receiver, but I had to bump it up a couple of notches with "Two Girls And A Guy". The quality is about what I was expecting for a dialogue-driven film -- aside from a brief flicker of distortion when Downey screams, there aren't any elements of the soundtrack that cry out for any comments, positive or negative. The dialogue is always discernable, and the score, sparse though it may be, sounds fine and is the sole part of the track to make it to the rears. Unremarkable but perfectly listenable.
Supplements: With the amount of improvisation, I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of deleted scenes, and those more familiar with the film's notoriety might be disheartened to learn that this is the R-rated version, with no trace of the shots the MPAA deemed offensive. "Two Girls And A Guy" isn't totally lacking in extras, however. Along with the trailer for this and other Fox releases is a feature-length commentary track with writer/director James Toback, Robert Downey Jr., and Natasha Gregson Wagner. Toback dominates the track, offering numerous production anecdotes and specific comments about characters and bits of dialogue. Neither Robert Downey Jr. nor Natasha Gregson Wagner offer much; Downey sticks mostly to quips and one-liners, and the bubbly Wagner prefers to ask questions than relate information. Still, the track successfully manages that balacing act between humor and information, making for a pretty solid commentary overall.
Conclusion: Fox has given "Two Girls And A Guy", a film that didn't strike me as exceptional in any way, a reasonably respectable presentation on DVD. A rental would probably be best for anyone interested in the film, but with most retailers carrying the disc in the $18-range, a sight-unseen purchase wouldn't break the bank.
The title "Two Girls And A Guy" comes close enough to a synopsis -- two women, played by Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner, are waiting outside of an apartment, hoping to surprise the man they love. As the title suggests, they discover that they've been dating the same fella, and wackiness ensues. Wagner's Lou, who has as much spunk as one would expect from someone named "Lou", breaks into the apartment, buzzes in Carla, and the two lie in wait for the deceiptful Blake Allen (Robert Downey Jr.) to return. Blake, a performer by trade, tries to explain away his infidelity, and as is often the case with a movie that's little more than a three-character play (a description writer/director James Toback hates) taking place in more-or-less real time, they each learn more about themselves and each other. Awww... Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Blake, and with his innumerable drug arrests, it's easy to forget what a gifted actor he really is. Graham shines on occassion, but Wagner's talent is wasted on the character of Lou, whose dialogue never seems to be delivered in any sort of believable way, particularly in her spastic scenes early on. "Two Girls And A Guy" never seems to take full advantage of its skilled cast and moderately-interesting premise, making for the sort of film where I could best summarize my feelings with a shrug.
Video: "Two Girls And A Guy" is presented at 1.85:1 and is enhanced for widescreen televisions. The quality of the image seems decent enough. The picture is fairly crisp and clear throughout, aside from a couple of shots where we can see the camera briefly go in and out of focus -- obviously not the fault of the transfer. Commenting on colors is a little different, given a limited palette and the variety of lighting used throughout, though nothing struck me as seeming grossly out-of-place. No print flaws of any note were spotted, and dust and specks are minimal, particularly after the first reel. The image quality is neither exceptional nor disappointing, much like the film itself.
Audio: The Dolby Surround track is on the low side. I rarely adjust the volume on my receiver, but I had to bump it up a couple of notches with "Two Girls And A Guy". The quality is about what I was expecting for a dialogue-driven film -- aside from a brief flicker of distortion when Downey screams, there aren't any elements of the soundtrack that cry out for any comments, positive or negative. The dialogue is always discernable, and the score, sparse though it may be, sounds fine and is the sole part of the track to make it to the rears. Unremarkable but perfectly listenable.
Supplements: With the amount of improvisation, I'm a bit disappointed in the lack of deleted scenes, and those more familiar with the film's notoriety might be disheartened to learn that this is the R-rated version, with no trace of the shots the MPAA deemed offensive. "Two Girls And A Guy" isn't totally lacking in extras, however. Along with the trailer for this and other Fox releases is a feature-length commentary track with writer/director James Toback, Robert Downey Jr., and Natasha Gregson Wagner. Toback dominates the track, offering numerous production anecdotes and specific comments about characters and bits of dialogue. Neither Robert Downey Jr. nor Natasha Gregson Wagner offer much; Downey sticks mostly to quips and one-liners, and the bubbly Wagner prefers to ask questions than relate information. Still, the track successfully manages that balacing act between humor and information, making for a pretty solid commentary overall.
Conclusion: Fox has given "Two Girls And A Guy", a film that didn't strike me as exceptional in any way, a reasonably respectable presentation on DVD. A rental would probably be best for anyone interested in the film, but with most retailers carrying the disc in the $18-range, a sight-unseen purchase wouldn't break the bank.
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