Blu-ray Review – Rancho Deluxe

1975's "Rancho Deluxe" is often labeled as a comedy, and there's some evidence in the screenplay by Thomas McGuane that laughter was the intended response to some of the more oddball situations found in the film. Director Frank Perry ("The Swimmer," "David and Lisa") is accomplished helmer who works exceptionally well with actors, but I'm not sure he got the memo that "Rancho Deluxe" was meant to be something more lighthearted, or at least moderately absurd. He treats the material like a drama while the writing aims to cut loose with characters in various states of unrest, creating a picture that's at odds with itself, unable to decide on a single tone, so it simply has all the tones, making for an anarchic feature, like a Robert Altman movie, only without the practice. There are elements to savor in the effort, but Perry seems lost here, laboring to understand McGuane's vision while ignoring it at the same time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com