Review of Okay

Introduction

Whether the language is Danish, French or any other European language, stories are broadly similar and tackle familiar subjects; gay couples wanting children, husband/wife getting to a stage where they tire of each other, and parents dealing with teen angst. Dysfunctional families are par the course and no less so than in Okay.

Video

Okay is presented with a pretty good looking 1.85:1 widescreen enhanced video transfer. Colours are bright and well balanced with well-lit scenes; though there is some marginal grain coming through, this isn`t a problem. Detail looks fine and I couldn`t spot any dust, dirt or other problem.

Audio

Presented with just a Danish Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack, Okay sounds okay. It`s mainly dialogue, which sounds perfectly clear from the centre while the music too sounds good from the front speakers.

Features

Easy to navigate menus with a few extras:

• Biographies for actor Paprika Steen and Director Jesper W. Nielsen - Just text scrolling up the screen for those that want to know more.

• Photo Gallery - A pointless extra of stills from the film.

• Trailer (2:24) - The usual trailer fare.

• Booklet - This is more a leaflet with the same bio for Paprika Steen and Jesper W. Nielsen that`s on the disc, as well as an advert for other titles in the C`est la Vie range.

The back of the box states the Special Features Content as Trailers (there`s only one), Scene Selection, Colour Booklet (a leaflet!), Moving Menu (!) and Feature - 1:16.9 (?). Talk about looking for ways to fill the space on the box twice in a row (the other C`est la Vie title, Rain has the same errors).

The film has English subtitles.

Conclusion

I liked Okay. So it`s about a group of characters that try and redeem themselves, what`s new there? Nothing much really except that watching it in a foreign language makes it feel different to the other dysfunctional has beens; you take more note of what the subtitles say for starters. Add to this the good acting, interesting story, characters quirks and the documentary style, almost dogme, of filming and it all adds up to an entertaining film with a nice moderate pace. The central character, the father who`s about to die but doesn`t, seems to be the pivotal figure that most points hinge on. This helps the film to stay focused on the family and a couple of other characters.

The DVD transfer here looks really good and you can tell attention has been paid to the scene lighting. Colours and contrast are very good, making the film even more engaging. It`s a pity there are no extras to speak of as this is a film I enjoyed watching twice.