Review | The Love Guide | Blu-ray Authority

Jump to a section

Plot: What’s it about?Video: How does it look?Audio: How does it sound?Supplements: What are the extras?

Plot: What’s it about?

Millie (Christy Scott Cashman) runs an egg farm with her husband Al (Jay Harrington), but some tough times have landed the business in trouble. With larger corporate run farms in the picture, making ends meet for a small, family run farm like Millie’s is no simple task. As if the financial issues weren’t enough, Millie’s relationship with Al is also on the rocks. But when Millie has a chance encounter with a television producer, a ray of hope shines in. Millie and Al are soon featured on the reality show Cut the Crap, hosted by the eccentric Angelica Lovecraft (Parker Posey). Millie hopes the exposure will bring in much needed business, while Angelica’s romantic guidance could help the marriage problems. As soon as she arrives, Angelica is entranced by the nature around her, which means her usual drama is absent. At the request of the producers, Angelica starts to stir up some drama and guides Millie on a journey of self evolution. As Millie opens herself to this new experience, she learns a lot about herself and her life. Will this experience restore her love and business as expected, or will it instead open her eyes to the potential of a new life?

When I first read about The Love Guide, I expected it to be an attack on reality television or lifestyle gurus. Instead, the film is more of a look at relationships, though not an in depth one. There are some minor barbs about reality television and gurus, but they’re light hearted. The film tends to be slow, much like the lives of our main characters, whose lives just can’t seem to become interesting enough for the reality television producers. But Millie is an interesting character and her progression with Al is quite good. But the main reason The Love Guide succeeds is Parker Posey, who is great here. She brings a sorely needed energy and presence, without going over the top. The arc of her guru is well done and as always, Posey’s performance is terrific. The Love Guide is short, brisk, and has some good moments. You won’t roll in the aisles or need to dry your eyes, but The Love Guide is a solid movie that features a wonderful turn from Parker Posey.

Video: How does it look?

The Love Guide is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This transfer looks good, with no serious issues to report and a pleasant overall presentation. The detail is good, but the image looks a touch soft in some scenes. This isn’t a huge deal, but it is noticeable, so I wanted to mention it. I found colors to be bright and natural, especially in the outdoor scenes. So overall, a more than solid visual effort.

Audio: How does it sound?

A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is included, but this film is very basic in terms of audio. The surrounds don’t get used much, which is fine in this case. The film takes a low key approach to sound design, with a focus on dialogue and little else. A few scenes have some presence, such as the outdoor farm sequences, but the front channels shoulder the burden. The vocals are clear and at a proper volume, which is excellent news. Not a memorable soundtrack, but a solid one.

Supplements: What are the extras?

This disc includes no bonus materials.

Disc Scores

Plot: What’s it about?

Video: How does it look?

Audio: How does it sound?

Supplements: What are the extras?