A Love Song for Bobby Long

BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: Estranged from her mother, Pursy (Scarlett Johansson) returns to the family home in New Orleans for the first time in years, only to find she has just missed her mother's funeral. For which she's forever thankful. But Pursy discovers that all is not quiet in her mother's ramshackle house - there are a few unexpected occupants: Bobby Long (John Travolta), a washed-up former literature professor with a voracious drinking habit; and his star pupil, Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht) also an alcoholic, who is allegedly writing a novel about Bobby. Afraid of being thrown out on the street, Bobby tells Pursy that her mother has left the rundown house to all three of them. Reluctantly, she moves in with them and begins to re-make the house as her own, barely tolerating her unwanted roommates. As Pursy settles into the diverse and eccentric little Southern community, she begins to uncover some startling truths about her singer mother and the family she left behind. And she even begins to warm to her booze soaked companions. This is a sly, sexy and charming slice of bohemiana set against the steamy back drop of The Big Easy.

FILM REVIEW: Some times a movie doesn't need to be big to be compelling and so is the case with "A Love Song For Bobby Long", a smaller independent film driven by its performances. Perhaps played by other actors they might not have been so interesting, but the washed-up characters on display in this film are given a great life by John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson and a host of others who you normally wouldn't see playing these types of characters. John Travolta in particular is a delight to watch as the alcoholic ex-professor yet loveable and dirty old man, Bobby Long. Ultimately, it's a film about people and their secrets, in this case, it's Pursy's uncovering of her otherwise estranged mother's life and what she was doing with it in New Orleans all the years they weren't in contact.
The story is simple enough. Young Pursy finds out from her boyfriend that her mother Lorraine has died. Rushing off to her home in New Orleans, she in fact discovers that her mother has already been buried, with the funeral having been the day before. Pursy returns to the family home to discover two unexpected occupants, Bobby Long and his pupil, Lawson Pines. Bobby tells her that Lorraine left the house to all three of them, hiding the truth that in fact the house was left entirely to Pursy but that she allowed Bobby and Lawson to stay in the house for at least one year after she died. Taking the former to be true, Pursy at first tolerates her room mates, but eventually they become friends through their trials and tribulations together, eventually leading to a revelation about Bobby that changes Pursy's life forever.
I've spoken already about the performances and they really don't disappoint in this film. The highlight of course is John Travolta. With his white hair, permanent five-day growth, witty dialogue and constant quotes of literature, he plays his cranky old man with delight but with enough intelligence and compassion that you really can't not like the guy. Scarlett Johansson fares well as Pursy, although her performance is a bit more straight-down-the-line given she's the anchor for the film. Gabriel Macht is likewise very good as Bobby's pupil who reveals how both he and Bobby came to live in New Orleans due to a tragic and disastrous series of events that saw their fall from grace. Other characters in the film are also put to screen in a memorable fashion.
The spirit of New Orleans appears to have been captured very well by the director and cinematographer. Numerous shots of the quarter and suburbs are faithfully represented and give you the feeling of actually being there. The pacing of the film is a little slow and at times you feel it could be a bit shorter.
Overall, this is a pleasant way to spend a few hours.
 

TECHNICAL REVIEW: The transfer of the film is excellent, resulting in a colourful, sharp and crisp picture throughout the entire running time of the film. The soundtrack is equally impressive but as this is a character-driven film, there isn't much here to test out the home theatre system. Overall, a great transfer.

EXTRAS REVIEW: There are no extras on this disc besides subtitles for the hearing impaired so there's nothing to review!

BOTTOM LINE: Rent it.

FILM RATING: 7.5/10 -- EXTRAS RATING: 0/10 -- OVERALL DVD RATING: 6.5/10

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net