"…Joy To Others…"
- The Bucket List on BLU RAY
Car mechanic Carter Chambers
(Morgan Freeman) is at the garage tinkering with a Chevrolet Camaro – cigarette
in his gob like it always has been for 45 years. He smiles as his younger
co-worker quizzes him on five former American Presidents whose surnames begin with H (Carter has a thing for accumulating knowledge). He of course gets their
names right. But then mid explanation on the next question (which man actually
invented the radio) - his Doctor phones with test results - and the cigarette
that was placed between Carter’s fingers to take the call falls to the greasy
floor…
Meanwhile in a courtroom far
away – four-times married multi-millionaire Edward Penniman Cole (Jack
Nicholson) is assimilating hospital number 16 into his privatized portfolio.
Sipping his Indonesian Kopi Luwak (the most expensive coffee in the world) from
a Gold mobile dispenser - he asks his puppet assistant to give the panel of
trustees "the spiel…" Their financially failing Hospital needs him
and no matter what their 'moral posturing' maybe - in his moneymaking medical
palaces there are two beds to every room for patients (no exceptions). But in
the middle of another crass speech about how he’s running a hospital and not a
health spa - Edward suddenly starts to cough something into his handkerchief
that isn’t phlegm…
Next both wildly different
men find themselves lumped together in the same room of a Hospital Edward Cole
owns. But because of bad PR – the grouchy Cole can’t get a private room to be
away from “the living dead over there”. Gradually across chemo, operations,
puking and diarrhoea - they become reluctant buddies of sorts. One day Edward
finds a yellow jotter page on the floor on which Carter has written "The
Bucket List". It’s what his former college tutor told him to write as a
young man – things you want to do before you 'kick the bucket'…
Recovered momentarily and
now with a diagnosis of 6 months and one year respectively – Edward persuades
Carter not to go home to his Nurse wife Veronica and his three kids to be swallowed
by pity and grief – but to take a shot at all the things he’s wanted to do.
After all money is not a problem. And despite his wife’s misgivings – Carter
knows Edward is right. It’s now or never. So they skydive, get a tattoo, drive
a Mustang Shelby 360, laugh until they cry, kiss the most beautiful woman in
the world, witness something majestic…and so on.
Part of the joy of "The
Bucket List" is watching two acting giants given great material - let rip
with it – and that’s what you get here. The chemistry and obvious respect
between Freeman and Nicholson leaps off every frame and Director Rob Reiner
never interferes – even when the film is being silly and a little preposterous.
In fact in the first 30 or 40 minutes as they navigate the physical and mental
agonies of terminal illness in a Hospital – “The Bucket List” is truly touching
movie-making - with a razor-sharp script and life observations that don’t feel
obvious nor too cutesy.
Even in the second-half
where the story demands they do their comedy party pieces – the conversations
between them on Cole’s private jet and in a luxurious hotel bathtub are filled
with classy one-liners and power delivery (beautifully scripted by Justin
Zackham). And it’s funny too (most of which is provided by the incomparable
Jack Nicholson). By the time it gets to The Shawshank Redemption Morgan Freeman
voiceover end - when a Chock-Full-Of-Nuts tin is being carried up a mountain -
you’re a willing convert.
This is major Hollywood
movie and the picture quality on the BLU RAY is simply glorious. Defaulted to
1.85:1 Full Aspect – the frame fills the entire screen and there isn’t a shot
that doesn’t look immaculate and impressive. Even the CGI of the chat about his
daughter Emily on top of the Pyramids is convincing (title above) - as is the
motorbike ride on the Great Wall of China and their walks around the Taj Mahal.
Audio is Dolby Digital English, French and Spanish 5.1 for each - while the
Subtitles offered are English, French and Spanish.
The Extras are delightful –
interviews with both leads, Director Ron Reiner, the Screenwriter, a Making of
and John Mayer’s gorgeous acoustic balled "Say".
As he treks through snow
keeping a promise to a man he first despised but then grew to love - Carter
Chambers says of Edward Cole - "When he died…his eyes were shut...and his
heart was open…"
"The Bucket List"
has been a joy to re-watch on BLU RAY. Do yourself a solid – and open your
bruised ticker to this modern-day nugget...
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