Laggies appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Expect a good transfer here.
Overall, sharpness came across well. Only light instances of softness occurred, as the image was usually accurate and concise. Jagged edges and moiré effects failed to appear, and edge haloes also didn’t become a factor. No print flaws marred the presentation.
We got a pretty standard palette here, with a mild orange/teal tint on display. That’s typical for modern movies, and the hues looked positive within the moderate stylistic constraints. Blacks were dark and deep, and shadows seemed smooth and concise. I felt pleased with this positive presentation.
As for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Laggies, it gave us the kind of low-key mix I’d anticipate from a character-based comedy. Any instances of a broad soundscape were modest at best. A few minor elements opened up the track but those remained infrequent. Instead, the film offered decent stereo spread to the music along with gentle ambience. It didn’t sizzle, but it suited the material.
Audio quality was satisfactory. Speech always came across as accurate and distinctive, without edginess or other concerns. Music seemed warm and full, and effects provided concise elements, with solid low-end when appropriate. This was a perfectly competent track for a flick of this sort.
A mix of extras pop up here, and we begin with an audio commentary from director Lynn Shelton. She provides a running, screen-specific look at story/character areas, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, design choices, and related areas.
Shelton brings us a pretty satisfying chat. She covers a good array of subjects and does so in a bright, engaging manner. Only a few lulls occur, so expect an informative discussion.
Two featurettes follow and we head to the eight-minute, 46-second Lagging On with Lynn Shelton. We hear from Shelton, producer Alix Madigan, writer Andrea Seigel, executive producer Jennier Roth, co-producer Lacey Leavitt, and actors Mark Webber, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Garlin, Keira Knightley, and Ellie Kemper. We learn about how Shelton came to the project, cast, story and characters. A few minor details emerge, but “Lagging” remains fairly promotional.
Shooting Seattle: The Look of Laggies goes for six minutes, one second and features Roth, Webber, Knightley, Shelton, Seigel, Rockwell, Madigan, Kemper, costume designer Ronald Leamon, production designer John Lavin, costume supervisor Gerard Parr, director of photography Benjamin Kasulke, and location manager Dave Drummond. “Look” touches on locations, cinematography, costumes and other visual elements. Despite the piece’s brevity, it brings us a decent collection of notes.
Six Deleted Scenes occupy a total of nine minutes, 31 seconds. In these, various supporting characters get more attention, and the clips make them less one-dimensional and more likable. These segments probably would’ve helped the final film, as they would’ve made it more apparent why Megan continues to hang out with them.
The disc opens with ads for A Most Violent Year, Life After Beth, Obvious Child, The Spectacular Now and The Skeleton Twins. No trailer for Laggies appears here.
Due to a strong cast, Laggies overcomes a mix of pitfalls. It threatens to collapse under its own illogic but it stays afloat because of strong performances. The Blu-ray brings us good picture and audio as well as a fairly positive set of supplements. I can’t give Laggies a strong recommendation, but it does enough right to entertain.