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A Christmas Carol (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

November 7, 2010 by · 3 Comments 

A wonderful CG animated adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic!  Impressive visuals and a fantastic vocal performance by Jim Carrey.   This film has now become my favorite adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” and on Blu-ray,  you can’t help but love the wonderful picture and lossless audio quality plus the special features.   A magnificent Blu-ray release that is highly recommended!

Images courtesy of © Walt Disney Studios Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: A Christmas Carol

FILM RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: 96 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24bit), English 2.0 DVS, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French and Spanish

COMPANY: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

RATED: PG (For Scary Sequences and Images)

Release Date: November 16, 2010

Based on the novel by Charles Dickens

Screenplay and Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Produced by Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey and Robert Zemeckis

Executive Producer: Mark L. Rosen

Co-Producer: Steven J. Boyd

Associate Producer: Katherine C. Concepcion, Heather Kelton

Line Producer: Peter M. Tobyansen

Music by Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by Robert Presley

Edited by Jeremiah O’Driscoll

Casting by Scot Boland, Victoria Burrows, Nina Gold

Production Design by Doug Chiang

Art Direction by Marc Gabbana, Norman Newberry, Mike Stassi

Set Decoration by Karen O’Hara

Featuring the voices of:

Jim Carrey as Scrooge / Ghost of Christmas Past / Scrooge as a Young Boy / Scrooge as a Teenage Boy / Scrooge as a Young Man / Scrooge as a Middle-Aged Man / Ghost of Christmas Present / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

Gary Oldman as Bob Cratchit/Marley/Tiny Tim

Colin Firth as Fred

Robin Wright as Fan/Belle

Jacquie Barnbrook as  Mrs. Fezziwig / Fred’s Sister-in-Law / Well-Dressed Caroler

Bob Hoskins as Mr. Fezziwig/Old joe

Lesley Manville as Mrs. Cratchit

Molly C. Quinn as Belinda Cratchit

Fay Masterson as Martha Cratchit/Guest #1/Caroline

Leslie Zemeckis as Fred’s Wife

Steve Valentine as Funerary Undertaker/Topper

Daryl Sabara as Undertaker’s Apprentice / Tattered Caroler / Beggar Boy / Peter Cratchit / Well-Dressed Caroler

Sage Ryan as Tattered Caroler

From Walt Disney Pictures comes the magical retelling of Charles Dickens’ beloved tale – Disney’s A Christmas Carol, the high-flying, heartwarming adventure for the whole family. When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas – but he must act on it before it’s too late. Complete with spirited bonus features, this exhilarating and touching Disney classic is destined to be part of a family holiday tradition, adding sparkle and heart to all Christmases yet to come.

The Charles Dickens classic has been a popular story since it was first published back in 1843.  Created during a time during the Victorian Era when people were forgetting Christmas traditions, Charles Dickens wanted to create a Christmas tale that was inspired by his humiliating experience of his childhood and his sympathy towards the poor.

A tale that actually came from his love/hate relationship for his own father, the character of Ebenezer Scrooge was inspired by him having to work at a young age because his father was imprisoned and because after his father’s release, he was still forced to work and make money.  So, the cold and stingy character was inspired by his own father, while the discovery of the goodwill of men towards the poor inspired the rebirth of Scrooge.

Needless to say, his perspective towards the intolerance towards the poor made him craft this powerful Christmas tale which would inspire many dramatizations of “A Christmas Carol”.  Even for Walt Disney, the company would do their own version in 1983 titled “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” using Donald Duck as Scrooge and Mickey Mouse as the character of Bob Cratchit.  And in 2009, Disney would once again take on an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.

This time around, the studio would experiment with their first film in IMAX 3-D and also release it via Disney Digital 3-D.  The technology would utilize performance capture that was used effectively for “The Polar Express” (2004) and “Beowulf” (2007) and would feature director Robert Zemeckis (known for the “Back to the Future” films, “Cast Away” and “Gothika” and known for animated films such as “The Polar Express”, “Monster House” and “Beowulf”).

So, for this film, a few major talent would partake in the performance capture and also take part in several roles.  The main role of Ebenezer Scrooge would be handled by Jim Carrey (“Bruce Almighty”, “Me, Myself & Irene”, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Yes Man”), the character of Scrooge’s nephew Fred by Colin Firth (“Love Actually”, “The English Patient”, “Easy Virtue”), the character of Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim courtesy of Gary Oldman (“The Dark Knight”, “The Professional”, “The Fifth Element”, “Batman Begins”) and the character of Fan and Belle by Robin Wright (“Beowulf”, “Forrest Gump”, “Unbreakable”).

The film was released in theaters in November 2009 and the film which was budgeted around $200 million would make over $323 million worldwide, a major success in the box office. And now the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD and also a Disney Blu-ray 3D (the first 3D film on Blu-ray for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment).

“A Christmas Carol” revolves around the coldhearted, bitter moneylender named Ebenezer Scrooge.  The opening for the film shows him signing a witness form on Christmas day for his deceased former business partner Jacob Marley.   He is not too fond of Christmas activities and would rather focus his life on making and lending money at his counting house business.  While walking to his office, you can see the fear of the neighborhood towards Scrooge, knowing that during the Christmas Holiday, not only is he a cold man, he is very irritable and thus, they try to stay out of his way.

The film then flash forwards to seven years later on Christmas Eve.  Working for Scrooge is Bob Cratchit who doesn’t make much money at his job but he tries to take care of his family with whatever little he makes.  When Scrooge’s nephew Fred comes to invite him to Christmas dinner with the family, Scrooge berates him and tells him that he has no intention in celebrating the holiday.  When a group of people trying to get donations to provide the poor with food on Christmas Day, Scrooge tells them that the poor are better off dying to contribute to the country’s surplus.     And as for Bob Cratchit, Scrooge hates that his employee has to be away from work on Christmas Day but expects him to do some work and come in early.

When Scrooge walks home from work, a strange light shows up at his home.  When Scrooge goes inside his home, a ghost shows up in the middle of his room.  It is his former business partner Jacob Marley who tell shim that he is forced to spend his afterlife chained because of his greedy lifestyle.  Marley gives Scrooge a warning that he will suffer an worse fate if he doesn’t repent but Scrooge has a hard time believing him.  Thus a second spirit of Christmas arrive and the first is The Ghost of Christmas Past.  He takes Scrooge on a journey to visit himself in the past.

We learn that Scrooge was a nice young man growing up but was neglected by his own father and was put in a boarding school and was brought home one Christmas Day thanks to his loving sister Fan. We learn that Fan died when she gave birth to Fred (Scrooge’s nephew).    We also see how Scrooge began to work in the business of money lending and became successful at it.  He would also meet his beloved Belle who he would be engaged to.

But when Scrooge began to become obsessed with making money and growing his wealth, he ended up neglecting Belle and she leaves him. Scrooge is so dismayed that he extinguishes the first spirit.

Scrooge then meets the Ghost of Christmas present and this ghost shows Scrooge how people he knows are having fun on Christmas Day but he sees how people really think of him.  Only his employee Bob Cratchit is grateful for the work that Scrooge has provided him but because he doesn’t make much, Cratchit is poor and to make things worse, his son Tiny Tim is sick and if he doesn’t get help, he will die.  The spirit then warns Scrooge about the evils of Ignorance and Want.

But then Scrooge meets the final spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and Scrooge learns the fate of himself due to greed.  Scrooge sees a dark future of himself and is warned that if he doesn’t change, he will die alone.

But having lived a bitter life for so long… Can Ebenezer Scrooge ever change?

VIDEO:

“A Christmas Carol” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio) and the first thing that came to my mind was…”wow!”.  I didn’t watch this film when it came out in 2009 but looking at the animation and seeing how much progress there has been since “The Polar Express” and “Beowulf” in terms of capturing near realistic CG, I was quite impressed.  From the skin textures as you can see detail from Scrooge’s face to a kid with his face full of zits, suffice to say, this animation was quite impressive, remarkable and just all out fantastic!

The lighting was also amazing in this film. Vibrant colors, the flicker of the flame and the extending heat from that flame was impressive.  Seeing the various spirits and how well they were animated, especially the hair of the Spirit of Christmas Present, that was pretty awesome.   But just the whole detail of the whole environment, the city, the streets, the surroundings, objects, everything you can think of, it looks fantastic in HD.  Everything is literally detailed.  Movement was well-captured.  The technology has definitely improved since “Beowulf’s” release and once again, this is state of the art animation and another step closer to achieving realism via CG.

Visually, this film just stands out in colors, detail, animation.  Blacks were nice and deep and really, there is nothing negative I can say about the picture quality, it’s perfect!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“A Christmas Carol” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24-Bit) and English 2.0 DVS along with French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1.  And similar to the picture quality, you also get the immersive soundcape that audiophiles want.    Crisp and clear dialogue through the center channels, sound effects and music through the front channels but also how good the directional sound effects were used for the surround channels.  There is also a good amount of LFE with that slow rumble.

The film has so many action sequences as Scrooge is being whisked away by the Spirits but also when he meets the final spirit, that is when the film starts to really take another leap in terms of action and surround usage.   But it also goes beyond the expected action sequences, from crowd ambiance, creaking wood, clothing and curtains being ruffled, bells, clocks, pounding on tables, “A Christmas Carol” definitely delivers and once again, another category that achieves perfection in this Blu-ray release.

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“A Christmas Carol” comes with the following special features:

  • Behind The Carol: The Full Motion Capture Experience – A feature length picture-in-picture viewing mode takes the audience behind the scenes of motion capture filmmaking.  Also, features the audio commentary by director Robert Zemeckis.  While watching the film, you can easily toggle what you want to see.  Very in-depth commentary and the fact that you can have control of what you want to see and the inclusion of the full-motion capture experience is fantastic!  Awesome addition to this Blu-ray release.
  • Countdown to Christmas Interactive Calendar – 25 days of holiday surprises extend the holiday cheer, as viewers come back to discover what each door holds.
  • Deleted Scenes – (8:39) Six deleted scenes on the Blu-ray Disc. (note: CG is not fully rendered)
  • Capturing Dickens: A Novel Retelling – (14:43) Actress Jacquie Barnbrook hosts a journey through the creative process of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol”.  Behind-the-scenes of the making of the film, scanning of the characters and its creative format.
  • On Set With Sammi – (1:52) Follow Sammi Hanratty, one of the film’s young stars, as she shares a kid’s eye view of an “anything but average” day on the set.

EXTRAS:

“A Christmas Carol” comes with a slip-over cover case.  Also, included is a DVD featuring the feature film and bonus features.  The DVD is presented in 2:40:1 – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions.  Audio is in English, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and English 2.0 DVS.  Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

Throughout my life, the Charles Dickens classic of “A Christmas Carol” is usually a yearly Christmas ritual.  There are various incarnations of this story that I have enjoyed.  From the Steve Martin early ’80s classic to even the Disney animated feature.  But I have to say that this is probably the best adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” that I have watched.

Not only was Jim Carrey fantastic in his vocal role (for many characters), Disney did a fantastic job in choosing him to provide the voice because he nailed the voice of Scrooge perfectly.

But where other adaptations have done a good job in portraying the spirits of Christmas, “A Christmas Carol” for 2009 definitely managed to capture the emotion of fear that haunted Ebenezer Scrooge.  You watch this film and you can understand why he’s scared.  There are quite a bit of scary sequences and even my son had his eyes closed or running back from the hallway and back to the living room because he was scared at times.

That is one thing I have never gotten from “A Christmas Carol” as a child is an adaptation where you actually feel the fear that Scrooge is going through.  So, it’s great to have that animated film in which you can also feel that fear and the soundtrack helped contribute to that.  The lossless audio on Blu-ray really enhances your experience of watching this film as sound does play a good part in enveloping your soundscape of your room and feeling that fear, those rumbles but also the more happier parts of the film which include the overall feeling of Christmas through song, the sound of snow, the bells, it all sounds remarkable on Blu-ray.

Another thing where this film also succeeds is showing us the past.  The film does a great job of showing us how Scrooge had grown up and the challenges he had faced in his life and why he became bitter.  The scene between Scrooge and Belle was fantastic and it was captured quite well in this film.  Also, the Cratchit family was well-presented, showing us Bob’s good heart but also showing us the despair Bob and and his wife feel towards Tiny Tim.  This was well-done!

And of course, the best part of “A Christmas Carol” is how wonderful the film looks.  This is one of the best animated films I have ever seen thus far.  And I’m talking more towards capturing realism in CG.  The skin textures were amazing and how they gave characters a different look was fantastic as some animation studios tend to reuse models with slight changes, in this film, there was actually differences in the people shown throughout the film.  As mentioned, the skin detail was amazing.  From Scrooge’s face and hair, the Spirits of Christmas Present’s hairy beard to the little kid working at the mortuary with his face full of zits, it’s great to see the animators really going all out in the creation of these characters.

And it goes beyond the characters as we see that same detail applied to the city, the whole landscape, the interior objects, the flames, the snow as we see shoes or a carriage driving by and snow being trampled afterward.  This is a heavily detailed animated film and it justifies the heavy budget that this film cost.  I’m glad they made their money back and more because this is a major step in the world of animation and capturing realism.

The motion capture was fantastic and movements were natural and for the most part, this film will no doubt become a Walt Disney Christmas classic and that because the animation is so realistic, it’s one of those films that will probably hold up for many years to come.

As for the Blu-ray release, you get the additional DVD but for the Blu-ray release, the picture and lossless audio quality is fantastic and the special features are well-done, especially the picture-in-picture mode which was well-done!  There are a good number of special features that really, it’s hard to come up with any negative about this film.  It’s a solid Blu-ray release but if I really had to nitpick, the only thing I can come up with is wishing there was more special features that maybe went into the actual history of the Charles Dickens classic or maybe the inclusion of “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”, so people can watch the other Disney adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”.  But really, this is a pretty solid Blu-ray release and there is nothing negative that I can say about this release.

It’s also important to let people know that there is also a 3D version of this Blu-ray release that is available.  The 3D version marks the first Walt Disney 3D release and for those with a 3D enabled TV and Blu-player can definitely take advantage of this release.

For families, “A Christmas Carol” is a very good family but it’s also one that I recommend that parents watch with their children and for those with young children, this film may not be suitable for them just yet.  Because there are so many scary parts, I recommend at least the film being shown to children that are 7-8 years-old minimum.  My son is seven-years-old and he enjoyed the film but I can tell you, he ran out many times or buried his face under his hands because of the scary scenes and of course, the well-done sound effects did a fantastic job in adding to those more action-driven or scary moments of the film.  But parental guidance is definitely suggested and if you do have older children, fortunately this Blu-ray release does come with a DVD, especially if you are planning a long winter commute.

Overall, this is a magnificent Blu-ray release from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.  This is now my favorite adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic and I wouldn’t be surprised if this film would become a classic for many years to come.  “A Christmas Carol” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews

Mamma Mia! The Movie (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

May 22, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

If you enjoyed the music of ABBA and want to have an enjoyable time with a vibrant, enjoyable movie musical, look no further as “Mamma Mia! The Movie” is delightful on Blu-ray.

Images courtesy of © 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Mamma Mia! The Movie

DURATION: 1 Hr., 49 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English, 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Espanol and Francais DTS 5.1, Subtitles: English SDH, Espanol, Francais

COMPANY: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (Some Sex-Related Comments)

RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2008

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd

Screenplay and musical book by Catherine Johnson

Executive Producer: Benny Anderson, Tom Hanks, Mark Huffam, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Rita Wilson

Producer: Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman

Music by Benny Anderson

Cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos

Edited by Lesley walker

Casting by Priscilla John, Ellen Lewis

Production Design by Maria Djurkovic

Art Direction by Dean Clegg, Rebecca Holmes, Nick Palmer

Set Decoration by Barbara Herman- Skelding

Costume Design by Ann Roth

Starring:

Amanda Seyfried as Sophie

Stellan Skarsgard as Bill

Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan

Pierce Brosnan as Sam

Colin Firth as Harry

Rachel McDowall as Lisa

Ashley Lilley as Ali

Julie Walters as Rosie

Christine Baranski as Tanya

Dominic Cooper as Sky

Sophie has just one wish to make her wedding perfect: to have her father walk her down the aisle.  Now she just has to find out who he is.  Join the music, laughter and fun of the irresistibly charming Mamma Mia! The Movie.  Academy Award winner Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast, including Pierece Brosnan and Colin Firth -as well as up-and-comers Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper, in this musical celebration of mothers, daughters and fathers, and true loves lost and new ones found.  Based on the Broadway smash-hit and filled with the Abba songs you know and love, it’s the feel-good experience that will have you singing and dancing over and over again!

Trailer

“Mamma Mia! The Movie”, the film adaptation from the jukebox musical by British playwright Catherine Johnson and featuring the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (both the male members of the group).  In 1999, the musical has brought in over $2.0 billion in earnings (becoming the highest grossing musical of all time)and what better than to have a film adaptation a decade later.

With Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson producing the film, “Mamma Mia! The Movie” would be directed by British director Phyllida Lloyd and a screenplay by Catherine Johnson.  The film adaptation would feature an all-star cast starring Meryl Streep (“Kramer vs. Kramer”, “Adaptation”, “The Devil Wears Prada”), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond 007 films, “The Thomas Crown Affair”), Colin Firth (“The English Patient”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Shakespeare in Love”), Stellan Skarsgard (“Pirates of the Carribean: At World’s End”, “Beowulf and Grendel”, “Dogville), Julie Walters (Harry Potter films, “Becoming Jane”, “Billy Elliot) and Christine Baranski (“Happy Family”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, “Chicago”) and a film that would jumpstart the careers of Amanda Seyfried (“Mean Girls”, “Veronica Mars”) and Dominic Cooper (“The Duchess”).

The film which cost $52 million would earn over $609 million worldwide in the box office making the film one of the top 50 highest grossing films of all time and the distinction of the highest grossing movie musical in the world.

The film revolves around Sophie Sheridan (played by Amanda Seyfried), a bride-to-be, living on the Greek island of Kalokairi and ready to wed Sky (Dominic Cooper).  As her mother Donna Sheridan (played by Meryl Streep) reunites with her old Donna and the Dynamos bandmates Tanya (played by Christine Baranski) and author Rosie (played by Julie Walters) for her daughter’s wedding, Sophie has one wish that she wants to make true for her wedding and that is for her father to walk her down the aisle.

Problem is…her mother Donna was with three different men at the time.  The headbanging rockster turned banker Harry Bright (played by Colin Firth), the hippie turned adventurer Bill Anderson (played by Stellan Skarsgard) and a man named Sam (played by Pierce Brosnan).   As Sophie has read her mother’s diary and tells her two friends Ali & Lisa that  she invited the three men to her wedding without her mother’s knowledge.

So, when the three men arrive, Sophie tries her best to hide them from her mother.  That is until Donna accidentally finds the three men and all hell breaks loose.

“Mamma Mia! The Movie” showcases the music of ABBA and features all main talent taking part in singing of the songs.  Included are:

1. “I Have A Dream” – Sophie
2. “Honey, Honey” – Sophie, Ali, and Lisa
3. “Money, Money, Money” – Donna, Tanya, Rosie, and Greek Chorus
4. “Mamma Mia” – Donna, Sophie, Ali, Lisa, and Greek Chorus
5. “Chiquitita” – Rosie, Tanya, and Donna
6. “Dancing Queen” – Tanya, Rosie, Donna, Greek Chorus, and Company
7. “Our Last Summer” – Harry, Bill, Sam, Sophie, and Donna
8. “Lay All Your Love on Me” – Sky, Sophie, Sky’s Bachelor party friends.
9. “Super Trouper” – Donna, Tanya, and Rosie
10. “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” – Sophie, Donna, Tanya, Rosie, Ali, Lisa and Greek Chorus
11. “The Name of the Game” – Sophie (deleted scene)
12. “Voulez-Vous ” – Donna, Sam, Tanya, Rosie, Harry, Bill, Sky, Ali, Lisa, and Pepper
13. “SOS” – Sam, Donna, and Greek Chorus
14. “Does Your Mother Know” – Tanya, Pepper, Guys, and Girls
15. “Slipping Through My Fingers” – Donna and Sophie
16. “The Winner Takes It All” – Donna
17. “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” – Sam, Donna, and Company
18. “When All Is Said and Done” – Sam, Donna, and Company
19. “Take a Chance on Me” – Rosie, Bill, Tanya, Pepper, and Harry
20. “Mamma Mia!” (Reprise) – Company
21. “I Have A Dream” (Reprise) – Sophie, Westlife and Company
22. “Dancing Queen” (Reprise) – Donna, Rosie, and Tanya
23. “Waterloo” – Donna, Rosie, Tanya, Sam, Bill, Harry, Sky, and Sophie
24. “Thank You for the Music” – Sophie

VIDEO:

“Mamma Mia! The Movie” is presented in 1080p High-Definition (Widescreen 2:40:1).  “Mama Mia! The Movie” is quite interesting presentation.  For one, the film is shot in Greece and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.  But there is also an artistic element that cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos brought to the film (Director Phyllida Lloyd goes more into wanting a dramatical effect for the film through experimental shooting during day and night).  From scenes overlooking the ocean at night with the beautiful black and blues, to the shots of the wedding as lights are seen going up to the church area.  Absolute beautiful!

But it’s also important to note that Zambarloukos went with colors that are high in contrast at times and colors that may seem a bit oversaturated  at times but for the most part, it added to the vibrancy of the film  and looks incredible on Blu-ray.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Mamma Mia! The Movie” is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio and Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1.  Dialogue is clear and understandable and comes clear from the front and center channels but the film is obviously going to be musically driven and one is not going to hear an aggressive soundtrack.  Music sounds good but not great as the lossless soundtrack is not as immersive as I would have wanted it to be.  I didn’t notice the surround or rear channels being utilized throughout the film.  So, it would have been great if the mix would have incorporated those channels.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mamma Mia! The Movie” comes with the following special features:

  • The Making of Mamma Mia! - (24:05) Featuring three features on the making of the film: Birthing Mamma Mia!, The Filmmaking and The Cast.
  • Deleted Musical Number – “The Name of the Game” – (2:57) The deleted musical scene featuring Amanda Seyfried and Stellan Skarsgard’s character.
  • Anatomy of a Musical Number – “Lay All Your Love On Me” – (5:42) The making of “Lay All Your Love On Me” and Dominic Cooper who is not a singer talks about his experience recording the song and shooting the scene near the beach.
  • Becoming a Singer – (10:55) Benny Anderson (of ABBA) talks about wanting to bring the musicians together in making the music for the film.  Anderson and Ulvaeus talk about working with the talent and the talents talk about their experience working with the ABBA stars for the film and footage of the recordings of the music at the studio.  The male talent who are not known for singing talk about being worried in recording the music.
  • A Look Inside Mamma Mia! The Movie – (2:39) The cast talk about Abba’s music and a look at the musical and the film adaptation.
  • Sing-Along – While watching “Mamma Mia! The Movie”, you can watch it with a sing-along.
  • Deleted Scenes – (8:06) The deleted scenes from the film.
  • Outtakes – (1:33) The outtakes from the film.
  • “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” Music Video – (3:49) The music video of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme” sung by Amanda Seyfried.
  • Bjorn Ulvaeus Cameo – (1:35) ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus cameo in the film.
  • Feature Commentary with Director Phyllida Lloyd – Director Phyllida Lloyd talks about working on the film, bringing the musical to film (Lloyd was responsible for directing the stage version), working with the talent, shooting in Greece, experimenting with day and night shooting and creating the dramatical effect of the film and more.

I don’t think I have enjoyed a movie musical like “Mamma Mia! The Movie” since “Grease”.  I absolutely felt that Amanda Seyfried shined throughout this film.  Seyfried is absolutely radiant in this fim and since the theatrical release of “Mamma Mia! The Movie”, I have been quite impressed by her work.  She’s an amazing actress with so much depth and she shows what she is capable of in “Mamma Mia!”, definitely far from what we have seen of her in “Mean Girls” and “Veronica Mars”.

And Meryl Streep, what a brilliant performance.  It’s one thing for Streep to be known as a wonderful award winning actress but somehow there was this synergy that went through the cast and but especially for Meryl Streep, she was electrifying and had so much energy, I was impressed.

The cast was absolutely fun to watch and although some of the talent (specifically the male talent) are not known for singing, I suppose the film brought this naturalness to its characters.

But it all comes down to the music of ABBA, especially if you enjoyed their music in the past.  For me, it was nostalgic as I grew up during the ’70s and my parents were part of those disco years and part of my younger life was at home with plenty of people taking part in these disco parties.   So, the music of ABBA didn’t bother me and in some ways, some songs really got me interested in how the original music sounds compared to the movie musical and songs such as “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” surprised me because I thought the music was first created for Madonna’s 2005 song “Hung Up”.

But there is so many things that came together for this film that I absolutely enjoyed.  The location was absolutely beautiful, the editing that helped enhance the musical numbers were well-done and as mentioned, the talents were just enjoyable to watch.  This was an enjoyable film that didn’t require any seriousness or surrealistic plot, this was a straight-forward fun, vibrant film with an enjoyable cast.

As for the Blu-ray, there are people who enjoy musicals and I know the music of ABBA and disco may be a bit much for some people expecting something along a similar path of movie musicals such as “Moulin Rouge”, “Chicago” or “Nine” but “Mamma Mia! The Movie” is a film about having fun and being in love, and I suppose once can say that ABBA’s music embodies that.  This is a gorgeous movie on Blu-ray and some may feel the film was too oversaturated for their taste but I felt that there was a sense of artistry in terms of cinematography.

Overall, “Mamma Mia! The Movie” is a wonderful musical on Blu-ray and if you are into musicals, especially the music of ABBA and want something more lively and fun, definitely give this Blu-ray release a try!  Recommended!

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews

St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

January 11, 2010 by · Leave a Comment 

A reboot of the popular “St. Trinian’s” boarding school film series.  “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is an energetic, campy, crude, rude but ridiculously funny film.    Definitely not for the serious minded viewer but for those who are craving for a crazy, unusually fun “girl-power” British film.  Definitely give “St. Trinian’s” a try!

Images courtesy of © 2007 Fragile St. Trinian’s Limited, Entertainment Film Distributors Limited and UK Film Council. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls

DURATION: 101 minutes

DVD INFORMATION: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Anamorphic Widescreen 1:85:1, Subtitles: English, English SDH

RATED: PG-13 (For Thematic Elements, Drug and Alochol Content, Sexual Material and Language)

COMPANY: Ealing Studios/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Released on January 26, 2010

Directed by Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson

Written by Piers Ashworth, Nick Moorcroft

Cartoons by Ronald Searle

Executive Producer:  Rupert Everett, Nigel Green, James Spring

Producer: Oliver Parker, Barnaby Thompson

Co-Producer: Mark Hubbard

Associate Producer: Sophie Meyer

Music by Charlie Mole

Cinematography by Gavin Finney

Edited by Alex Mackie

Casting by Lucy Bevan

Production Design by Amanda McArthur

Art Direction by John Reid

Set Decoration by Bridget Menzies

Costume Design by Rebecca Hale, Penny Rose

Starring:

Talulah Riley as Annabelle Fritton

Rupert Everett as Camilla Fritton / Carnaby Fritton

Jodie Whittaker as Beverly

Gemma Arterton as Kelly

Kathryn Drysdale as Taylor

Juno Temple as Celia

Antonia Bernath  as  Chloe

Amara Karan  as Peaches

Tamsin Egerton as Chelsea

Lily Cole as Polly

Paloma Faith as Andrea

Holly Mackie as Tara

Cloe Mackie as Tania

Fenella Woolgar  as Miss Cleaver

Theo Cross  as Art Teacher

Russell Brand  as Flash

Tereza Srbova as Anoushka

Lena Headey as Miss Dickinson

Toby Jones as Bursar

Caterina Murino as Miss Maupassant

Colin Firth as Geoffrey Thwaites

St Trinian’s, the infamous school for ‘young ladies’, is in trouble. Despite being an old flame of its Headmistress (in a top-of-his-class comic performance by RUPERT EVERETT, My Best Friend’s Wedding), the new Education Minister is shaking things up and the school is facing financial ruin. But the students of St Trinian’s aren’t going to give up without a fight. After all, they excel at chaos and attitude not chemistry and algebra…and that’s exactly what it’s going to take to beat the authorities before they close down their beloved school for good.

We are the Best.  So screw the rest.  We do as we damn well please!  Until the end…  St. Trinian’s.  Defenders of anarchy!

“St. Trinian’s”, the fictional girls boarding school created by English cartoonist Ronald Searle and spawned several books in the late 40′s and early 50′s,  five comedy films from the early 1950′s through the 1980′s and now a reboot in 2007.  The film which cost around £7 million to make, earned over £12 million in the UK but is among the top grossing independent British films made and one of the top selling DVD’s in the UK in 2008.

The film had a brief run in the US in Oct. 2009 to help generate interest in the second film “St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold” which was released in theaters in the UK in Dec. 2009 and now a US DVD release of the first film in Jan. 2010.

In this reboot, St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls features an all-star cast from the UK.  Starring Rupert Everett (Stardust, Shakespeare in Love, Inspector Gadget), Colin Firth (Mamma Mia!, Bridget Jones’s Diary), LENA HEADEY (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” Vacancy), comedian Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale). Also starring Mischa Barton (“The O.C.,” “The Beautiful Life”), Talulah Riley (The Boat That Rocked) and Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), with a cameo appearance by U.K. sensation GIRLS ALOUD.

The school which had been depicted as the girl school where the bad girls attend.  In the original films, these female students were daughters of gangsters, crooks and shady bookmakers.  But in the 2007 revision, the students are broken down to groups from the Chavs, the Posh Totty’s, Geeks, Emo’s and the first years.

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” revolves around Annabelle Fritton (played by Talulah Riley), daughter of Carnaby Fritton (played by Rupert Everett) who has left her previous school and will attend the school which is headed by her aunt Camilla Fritton (also played by Rupert Everett).  Carnaby leaves his daughter at the school but to find out that St. Trinian’s is behind on payments and if they don’t pay their bill, the school will be foreclosed.  But Camilla tends to not bother with the collection notices.

As for Annabelle, she  immediately sees that the school is quite unkempt and their students are a bit different from her previous school.  She is given an introduction by head student, Kelly (played by Gemma Arterton) and is introduced to various groups in the school and also receives an initiation of sorts when she has goo dropped on her head and feathers stuck all over her.  To make things worse, while she takes a shower, the girls at school stream her shower through YouTube and steal all her clothing.  Immediately, Annabelle wants out of the school and tries to call her father to get her out to no avail.  She must stay.

We see how education is done at the school of St. Trinian’s.  The school tries to make lab-made vodka and have their teacher Flash Harry (played by Russell Brand) sell it for them to make a profit, foreign language teacher Miss Maupassant (played by Caterina Murino) can be seen teaching wearing S&M tight leather clothing and a whip, one teacher for art class who uses his body to pose in the nude for his students, another who teaches students how to fire weapons and possibly, the most sane teacher is the new teacher Miss Dickinson (played by Lena Headey) who was just hired.   And a former head student turned PR guru JJ French (played by Mischa Barton) who teaches the Posh Totty girls on how to look smart.

Needless to say that the school has a bad reputation and thus education minister Geoffrey Thwaites (played by Colin Firth) wants to use St. Trinian as an example to raise the standards for other schools and will do what he can to make the country know how bad of a school St. Trinian’s truly is.

Meanwhile, the collectors have given St. Trinian’s a few weeks to come up with their payment or else the school will be shut down.  Fearing that they will have to go to a normal school, the students of St. Trinian’s come up with a plan to pull of a major heist and sell the painting in order to get the money to pay the collectors with the support of the school’s owner Ms. Fritton.  Will they be able to pull it off?

The main students featured on “St. Trinian’s” are:

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” for the most part is filmed inside a school.  Blacks are nice and dark, an adequate amount of film grain and is presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

As for audio, the film is presented in English 5.1 Dolby digital.  For the most part, the film is front and center channel driven with dialogue and music quite clear.  There are some scenes with explosions that utilize the subwoofer but for the most part, the film is dialogue and music driven.

Subtitles are in English and English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” comes with a few special features. Included are:

This movie is definitely not your parent’s “St. Trinian’s” that they grew up with watching when they were younger, this 2007 reboot is a whole new comedy sporting an all-star case featuring on a new group of bad girls of today’s generation of Internet users, member of a school click…may they be a geek, emo, chav or posh.  “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is much more rude, crude but depending on your sense of humor, you may find it quite entertaining in an unusual way.

Despite the negative critic reviews the film has received, the fact that the independent film has done well in the box office and it has done well in DVD sales in the UK, now has a sequel with talks of a third film being made, definitely shows you how this film has amassed a cult following.  Intriguing as well as the actresses who have gone on to bigger projects since the making of the first film, most have all returned for the sequel as well.

At first, I was sort of expecting something a film along the same style of the original 1954 film “The Belles of St. Trinian’s” but with a twist and more modern but what we got is a more, girl-power driven comedy utilizing a more modern feel of today’s generation, working together for the greater good for their school in the most obnoxious, crazy, campy but yet hilarious kind of way.

Similar to the original film which had Alastair Sim playing both the headmistress and her brother, Rupert Everett takes on the role of Camilla and Carnaby Fritton.  For the most part, it was a bit scary at first to see Rupert in drag but for the most part but you kind of ease into the role because the film is quite campy but yet funny.  Colin Firth as usual, very good with his deadpan humor.

Those who wonder about the top billing of other well-known talents such as Lena Heady, Russell Brand and Mischa Barton, its important to emphasize that the main talents are the students themselves, especially Talulah Riley and Gemma Arterton.  Brand is featured a good number of times throughout the film, with Heady in second (has quite a few scenes that were cut and are on the deleted scenes) and Barton’s role lasts around under two minutes.  So, for “The O.C.” fans wondering if Barton plays one of the main students in the film, she’s doesn’t.  And why she is receiving top billing on the DVD, I’m guessing it is to attract American fans who may not be familiar with any of the UK talent.

“St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is not a a great film nor is it a bonafide stinker.  It’s all about one’s humor and their sensibilities.  This is not a politically correct film nor should those who enjoyed the original films, look for anything close to it.  Personally, I think some going to the film to see something close to the original may find the campiness and ridiculous gags a bit too much for them but for some with an open mind to the film’s style of comedy, you can find some enjoyment because it is so unusual and crazy. And personally, I feel that Happy Madison or Apatow-related films have made me a bit more lenient towards these types of comedy related films and by the end of “St. Trinian’s”, I was content by it.  I found it to be a wild, crazy and fun film!

Parents who have seen trailers of the film and saw many children on it, don’t be fooled.  This is not a kid’s film, thus the PG-13 rating.  In fact, these younger kids in the film are making vodka and other unusual concoctions in their lab, using explosives and up to some kind of trouble.

As for those who are wondering about the “girl power” theme, it’s nothing like “Mean Girls” of one trying to achieve popularity.  These girls are the outcasts of their school and find solace at St. Trinian’s because they feel like they belong.  Sure, they may be amongst a group of troublemakers or depressed individuals but they enjoy being at that school and thus, the will do what they can to fight for their school.  I think the lyrics to the theme by Girls Aloud describes these girls in the best manner:  We are the Best.  So screw the rest.  We do as we damn well please!  Until the end…  St. Trinian’s.  Defenders of anarchy!

As for the DVD, it’s cool that there are a good amount of special features included.  I will say that there are some scenes that were included in the deleted scenes of the DVD that I wish was included in the final cut of the film.  I’m guessing that the filmmakers tried to get the duration down to 100 minutes and it is essentially the reason why there are so many deleted scenes (19) included on the DVD.

Overall, “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” is a film that can appease the teenage girls with its “girl power” theme, especially the young Internet generation who are on YouTube digs music from Girls Aloud or a member of a certain type of school click. For the guys, seeing girls being bad or girls in their bra and panties with fishnet stockings are probably going to catch their attention and for the grownups, the cast which has a good share of older and younger talent is going to attract their attention, especially those who are curious about how different this film is from the original.

Again, this film is not going to be for everyone.  Some may find the film too over-the-top, boorish, crude and all out ridiculous, while others may find it as an enjoyable 101-minute popcorn flick with wild and crazy British humor.  If you are part of the latter, then definitely give “St. Trinian’s: School for Bad Girls” a try, you may very well enjoy it!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Colin Firth switches on Regent Streets’ Christmas Lights in London

November 3, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Colin Firth switches on Regent Streets’ Christmas Lights on November 3, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn McCormack/Getty Images) Content © 2009 Getty Images All rights reserved.

Regent Street Switches On Christmas Lights

Filed Under: GALLERY

The Accidental Husband (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

November 3, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Charming, entertaining and fun!  Uma Thurman shines in her first major romantic comedy “The Accidental Husband”.  A refreshing take on love triangle storyline with the inclusion of South Asian pop culture mixed in.  Also, featuring a solid performance from Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. If you enjoy romantic comedies, give this film a chance!

Image courtesy of © 2008 Accidental Husband Intermediary, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Accidental Husband

DURATION: 90Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Anamorphic Widescreen 1:85:1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13)

RELEASED: November 10, 2009

Directed by Griffin Dunne

Written by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz

Executive Producer: Bradley Jenkel, Neil Kadisha, Anthony Katagas, Kam Mateen

Producer: Jason Blum, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd, Bob Yari

Music by Andrea Guerra

Cinematography by William Rexer

Edited by Sheila Jaffe

Production Design by Mark Ricker

Art Direction by Ben Barraud

Set Decoration by Rena De Angelo

Costume Design by David C. Robinson

Starring:

Uma Thurman as Dr. Emma Lloyd

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Patrick Sullivan

Colin Firth as Richard Bratton

Sam Shepard as Wilder Lloyd

Lindsay Sloane as Marcy

Justina Machado as Sofia

Ajay Naidu as Deep

Jeffrey Tedmori as Ajay

Nick Sandow as Larry

Michael Mosley as Declin

Brooke Adams as Carolyn

Lindsey Kraft as Lauren

Sarita Choudhury as Sunny

Isabella Rossellini as Greta Bollenbecker

Keir Dullea as Karl Bollenbecker

Firefighter Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) finds his life turned upside-down when his fiancée suddenly calls off their pending nuptials per the recommendation of radio love guru Dr. Emma Lloyd (Uma Thurman). Determined to get back at this “love doctor,” Sullivan forges a fake marriage license, “accidentally” marrying him to Emma,who’s already engaged to Richard (Colin Firth). But as Patrick’s charms begin to wear Emma down, she must decide which of these bachelors is her “Mr. Right.” Also starring Sam Shepard, Justina Machado and Isabella Rossellini in this romantic comedy that proves even the experts need to learn a few love lessons now and then.

Charming, entertaining and fun!  Uma Thurman shines in her first major romantic comedy “The Accidental Husband”.  A refreshing take on love triangle storyline with the inclusion of South Asian pop culture mixed in.  Also, featuring a solid performance from Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. If you enjoy romantic comedies, give this film a chance!

“The Accidental Husband”, the romantic comedy directed by actor Griffin Dunne (“Frasier”, “After Hours”, “Duke of Groove”) and features a screenplay by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz (“Spin City, “Scrubs”), music by composer Andrea Gurrera (“Dada’s Dance”, “Birdwatchers”, “A Perfect Day”) and cinematographer William Rexer (“The Devil Came On Horseback”, “I Think I Love My Wife”, “Fierce People”).

The film that had so much potential but unfortunately, similar to the film “The Maiden Heist”, was shelved indefinitely after the bankruptcy of the distributor Yari Film Group before it was set to premiere in the United States.  The film did manage to get a theatrical debut in the UK.

The film would be the first to showcase Uma Thurman (“Kill Bill”, “The Avengers”, “My Super Ex-Girlfriend”) in her first romantic comedy and star along with Colin Firth (“Easy Virtue”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Bridget Jones”), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Grey’s Anatomy”, “Supernatural”), Sam Shepard (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, “Stealth”, “Swordfish”) and Isabella Rossellini (“Napoleon”, “Infamous”, “Alias”).

The film revolves around Dr. Emma Lloyd (played by Uma Thurman).  A well-known radio talk show host in New York City who talks about love and relationships in her program.  She’s dating Richard Bratton (played by Colin Firth) who is a publisher and the two are planning to get married.

Meanwhile, Patrick Sullivan (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is set to get married to his fiance…until his fiance has second feelings about the marriage after listening to Dr. Lloyd’s radio program and realizes from calling into the show that she is not in love with him and breaks up the relationship.

Patrick hears the program while driving home with his friends after a game of soccer and is shocked that his (ex) fiance really listened to Dr. Lloyd that when he get home.  So, depressed and in anger, Patrick talks to friend/young hacker to cause problems for Emma Lloyd and give her a taste of her medicine by creating a marriage certificate which says that she is married to him.

So, on the day that Emma and Richard are to get their marriage license, they find out that she is married to man she has never met.  Due to the rules, the only way to take care of this is by meeting up with Patrick Sullivan and getting him to sign off on paperwork to end their “marriage” and then get the papers notarized.

Seems simple enough but with Patrick wanting his revenge on Emma, he’s determined to get close to this beautiful blonde by going to her workplace, meanwhile Emma knows she needs these papers sign and notarized so she tries to be nice with him which includes allowing him to go with her to a cake tasting for her wedding and by doing that, both Emma and Patrick must pretend that they are a couple and that is when things start to go awry.  Especially when they discover that they may have feelings for each other.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The Accidental Husband” is a beautiful film shot in New York City.  Really beautiful shots above the New York City skyline and various areas in the city.  The film continues Yari Film Group’s incorporation of Indian culture in the film and thus we see Patrick living with an Indian family, his good friend is Indian and we see the culture showcased at an Indian party that the characters attend.

It was very interesting to see New York but that South Asian flair in the film and for the most part William Rexer did a fine job in getting really beautiful shots of the city.  Picture quality was nice and vibrant on DVD and is presneted in 1:85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen.

As for audio, the film is presented in English 5.1 (Dolby Digital).  For the most part, the film is dialogue and music driven.  Front and center channels are clear and understandable and music plays a big part in this film.  Especially Indian music.  Overall, not a film that showcases action, so the soundtrack is quite satisfactory for the film.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Accidental Husband” comes with the following special feature:

“The Accidental Husband” is a charming, fun and enjoyable romantic comedy.  Granted, it’s not the best romantic comedy ever made but the fact that it tries to be different in showcasing the typical storyline of woman is to marry a man #1, woman meets new man #2 and finds magic with man #2 but yet knows she is getting married to man #1.  Sure, we have seen these type of films done many times before but “The Accidental Husband” tries to be different as it incorporates that Indian culture into the film.

In a way this was quite unexpected because this is not a Bollywood film but the addition of Ajay Naidu playing the part of Deep, Patrick’s best friend and Patrick living at his family’s building, there is a good amount of Indian culture featured in the film and also music, despite the main characters being Caucasian.

So, in some ways, there is a taste of Bollywood in this film.  Subtle but yet it gives a refreshing take to a often-used relationship storyline seen in previous romantic comedies and I enjoyed that.  Some may find it disruptive but I found it quite refreshing for a change.

As for the talents in the film, Uma Thurman did a great job of playing Dr. Emma Lloyd.  She mentions in the special features that she’s never given romantic comedy scripts.  Comedy in general and now with this film, she’s given a chance, especially being one of the Executive Producers on the film.  And interesting enough, where she is known for her action-based films such as “Kill Bill” and “The Avengers”, in this film…she actually got hurt (as well as Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and broke her hand.  But despite those injuries, she did a great job and I found her performance to be quite enjoyable but its such a shame that the film didn’t get the opportunity for a theatrical release in the US.

As for her leading men, Colin Firth is always an actor that is enjoyable to watch onscreen.  Such an amazing talent and deadpan humor, although not a tremendous role in the film, his moments in the film are quite hilarious and entertaining.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a surprise.  Many of us have seen him playing the patient on “Grey’s Anatomy” but “The Accidental Husband” is his first major role to play a major character lead along with Uma Thurman and Colin Firth.   But overall, solid performances from both men.

Overall, “The Accidental Husband” was a good film and does things much differently than other films similar to it.  The inclusion of South Asian cultural themes definitely gives the film a refreshing spin and for the most part, I enjoyed the talent and definitely seeing Uma Thurman take on a romantic comedy which she did very well.  Romantic comedy fans, give this film a chance!

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

Easy Virtue (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

September 6, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

“Despite the financial and schedule challenges the crew and talent had in trying to create this film which is adapted from the popular Noel Coward play from 1924, I found ‘Easy Virtue’ to be sexy, entertaining and fun.”

Images courtesy of © 2008 Easy Virtue Films Limited. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Easy Virtue

YEAR OF FILM RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: 96 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English, German, Portuguese Dolby TrueHD5.1, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, German, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish

COMPANY:  Sony Pictures Classics/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: PG-13 (For sexual content, brief partial nudity and smoking throughout)

Release Date: September 15, 2009

Based on a play by Noel Coward

Directed by Stephan Elliott

Written by Stephan Elliott and Sheridan Jobbins

Executive Producer: Paul Brett, Louise Goodsill, Douglas Hansen, Ralph Kamp, George McGhee, Peter Nichols, Tim Smith, James Spring and Cindy Wilkinson Kirven

Produced by Joseph Abrams, James D. Stern, Barnaby Thompson

Co-Produced by Alexandra Ferguson

Music by Marius De Vries

Cinematography by Martin Kenzie

Edited by Sue Blainey

Casting by Celestia Fox

Production Design by John Beard

Art Direction by Mark Scruton

Set Decoration by Niamh Coulter

Costume Design by Charlotte Walter

Starring:

Jessica Biel as Larita Whittaker

Ben Barnes as John Wittaker

Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Whittaker

Colin Firth as Mr. Whittaker

Kimberly Nixon as Hilda Whittaker

Katherine Parkson as Marion Whittaker

Kris Marshall as Furber

Christian Brassington as Phillip Hurst

Charlotte Riley as Sarah Hurst

Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Barnes bring Noël Coward’s witty comedy of manners magnificently to life in this “deliciously cheeky” (Ella Taylor, The Village Voice) adaptation from director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).

When British playboy John brings his new wife Larita – a race car-driving feminist from Detroit – home to meet the family at their country estate, pretty much everyone’s expectations are disappointed. His snooty mother is offended by Larita’s carefree American ways, while Larita does everything she can to get her mother-in-law to loosen up, which only annoys her even more. John’s sisters have diametrically opposed feelings about their new sister-in-law, but his father is intrigued to have finally found another who sees through the family’s façade – and takes great perverse pleasure in watching his wife meet her match.

A 2008 film capturing that 192o’s era style and feel in a sexy, humorous and enjoyable take of the popular 1924 Noel Coward play.

The last time “Easy Virtue” made it on the big screen was back in in 1928, via a silent film directed by Alfred Hitchcock that featured more darker undertones, but “Easy Virtue” is brought back to the big screen courtesy of writer and director Stephan Elliott (“Eye of the Beholder” and “The Adventures of Priscilla”) and co-writer Sheridan Jobbins (“Alexa’s PArty” and “House of Fun”) and follows the play much more closely than the Hitchcock film.    The two are joined by composer Marius De Vries (“Moulin Rouge!”, “Eye of the Beholder”, “The Avengers”, “Romeo & Juliet”) and cinematographer Martin Kenzie (who has worked on “Babylon A.D.”, “Syriana”, “Mamma Mia!” and “Tomorrow Never Dies”).

The film features a talented cast which includes Jessica Biel (“7th Heaven”, “Stealth” and “Next”), Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”), Kristin Scott Thomas (“Confessions of a Shopaholic”, “The Other Boleyn Girl”, Gosford Park” and “The Golden Compass”), Colin Firth (“Mamma Mia!”, “Bridget Jones” films”, “Love Actually”) and Kris Marshall (“Sold”, “Heist”, “Murder City”).

“Easy Virtue” had one of the most difficult film productions.  The film had significant slashing within its budget and was down to $12 million (the crumbling of the US economy and the  American dollar didn’t help either) and to make things more challenging, Stephan Elliott’s pre-production and production schedule was cut in half.  So, needless to say, the pressure of the short schedule and low budget forced the filmmakers to do some guerrilla filmmaking but in exotic locations.

The talent had to wing the film without any rehearsal time and rehearsal was literally shooting the film with several takes in order to make the film look believable. In fact, the talent knew what had to be done and thus, the female talents never fraternized on the set or grew close in order to capture the emotion of the film.  And at post-production, the producers cut the runtime of the film down to under 100 minutes.  Needless to say, for the film “Easy Virtue”, its filmmakers and talents had a major challenge but in the end, I felt that the cast and crew managed to pull it off.

The film revolves around a professional race car driver and American widow named Larita (Jessica Biel) who has fallen for John Whittaker (Ben Barnes).  Barnes then takes her to meet the Whittaker family who live in a large mansion in rural area of England and look extremely wealthy and refined. The setting of the film is after World War I during the early 1920′s.

The Whittaker family also includes:

Veronica Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas) – The family matriarch, cold-as-ice and very dedicated to her family lineage and her land which was created by seven generations of Whittakers who were farmers.  Not very pleased with her young son’s marriage to Larita but wants him to stay home.

Colonel Whittaker (Colin Firth) – The quiet father who seems to be unhappy with his life and is often supportive of Larita in front of Veronica and probably the only member of the Whittaker family outside of John that Larita can talk personally to.  Colonel Whittaker has not been the same after fighting in World War I and has viewed life much differently since then.

Marion Whittaker (Katherine Parkson) – The eldest daughter that waits for a man named Edgar to come home.  For some reason, every time she sees a picture of a man, she thinks he looks like him.  Also, has a fascination about reading death and murder.

Hilda Whittaker (Kimberly Nixon) – The youngest daughter who likes/dislikes Larita.  Likes her energy and style but dislikes how the guy she does like, Phillip Hurst seems to have his eyes on Larita.

Other Characters:

Furber the Butler (Kris Marshall) - A person who assists Larita and sometimes doesn’t like how he is treated by Whittaker family.  Thus he enjoys helping Larita anytime he can.

Sarah Hurst (Charlotte Riley) - A woman that grew up with John Whittaker and many have thought those two would marry but although John has married Larita, she still manages to care for him but also remains cordial to Larita.

Philip Hurst (Christian Brassington) – A man that Hilda Whittaker likes (he refers to her as sausage fingers) and is attracted to Larita.

As Larita tries to become patient with her husband and loves him unconditionally, she knows that the women of the Whittaker family do not like her.  From her accidentally sitting and killing their beloved family dog and not enthusiastic about the life of high society (since Larita was raised by a father who worked at a Detroit steel factory), she wants to move to London with John, so she can continue her race car driving career and that John can work and get a job.  Something that Mrs. Whittaker is totally against.

So, it becomes a battle of who will John listen to…mother or new wife.  And thus, Mrs. Whittaker will do what she can do make her feel unwelcome and her stay at the Whittaker home unpleasant.

Can Larita stay tolerant towards the Whittaker women and continue to live at their home while unhappy and what happens when news about her ex-husband’s death comes out into the open?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Easy Virtue” is an interesting film that easily benefited from the various locations of where the film was shot.  As mentioned earlier, the crew and cast had enormous challenges due to the cut in budget and so, a lot of the filming took place outdoors and in various indoor shots in well-respected areas of England.  The costume designer did a great job in capturing that 1920′s feel with the clothing.

The film is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1).  Overall, I felt the look and feel of 1920′s was nicely captured by cinematographer Martin Kenzie and although not a reference quality, vibrant style of film, the scenes are quite clean, no sign of bad artifacting.  Blacks are well-done, skin tones looked natural and for the most part, picture quality was well-done.

As for the lossless audio which is featured in English, German and Portuguese Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital), “Easy Virtue” is a dialogue-driven and music-based film.  In the commentary, Director Stephan Elliott talks about his proudest moment outside of the film itself is the music.  Composer Marius De Vries does a great job but it’s the music which you will often hear Ben Barnes or Jessica Biel singing that sounds just right and natural.  Music from Noel Coward that seems just right and capturing that 1920′s style and feel.  So, for the most part, the film is front and center channel driven.

Also, although “Easy Virtue” is not a musical, it was quite cool to hear the jazz 20′s styles of music but featuring songs sung by various cast members.

Subtitles are featured in English, English SDH, German, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Easy Virtue” comes with the following special features are provided in Standard Definition, English Stereo & Mono with English, German, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles:

“Easy Virtue” was a fun and entertaining film. I enjoyed a film that was based in that 1920′s era and enjoyed the various fashion and just the overall look and feel of the film.

I am unfamiliar with the original play but I thought that the film was well-cast and the subtle changes to make it more for a modern audience was also well-done (especially hearing in the commentary of how certain scenes were supposed to go).  It was great to see Jessica Biel take on a role so different from what she has done in the past.  The character of Larita is such a strong woman and despite being a tomboy who loves machinery and racing, she exhibited beauty and humor in her role but also a woman who felt by being forced to live at the home in a life that she did not want, she was slowly being poisoned by the man she loves.

Kristin Scott Thomas was absolutely great in playing the cold, Veronica Whittaker.  She is such an accomplished actress and to know there were no rehearsals, I felt that she nailed her role and did a great job.

Ben Barnes as the young John may be known for his dashing heroics in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” but I felt that he did a great job in portraying a man who is in love with his wife but also his dedication to family.

And for Colin Firth, it was one of the few roles where he played a man with only a few words.  But it’s that anguish you see in him that comes through in the film and although he doesn’t have a tremendous amount of speaking lines, he more than makes up for it at the end of the film.

Again, I enjoyed this film but I’m not in the place where I can say that it follows what Noel Coward may have wanted or not wanted.  I am familiar by reading the many comments from many Noel Coward fans who have supported or have shown disdain towards the film.  It’s also important to note that the film was given a positive review by the Noel Coward Society in which they have said in their review of the film:

Coward was the master of the well-constructed, impeccably witty play that eventually reveals some home truths about the emotional repression of the English middle-classes and the stifling repression endemic to the British class system. All of those elements are present in this adaptation. There are still lines of such wit and savagery that they easily connect with a modern audience and the message about the need to break from from the shackles of the past and embrace the possibilities of a new, uncertain future is timeless.

Who knows what value the Noel Coward brand has for a modern audience, but this is enjoyable and accessible enough to provide a substantial specialist hit.

With that being said, despite the low-budget and mounting challenges that the film had faced, it would have been nice to see a director’s cut of the film after knowing that a good portion of the film was cut by producer Barnaby Thompson.   But I think what we have seen in the final cut worked very well.

As for the Blu-ray, for those who enjoyed the film will definitely find the commentary to be quite interesting.  It’s quite evident that director Stephan Elliott had a difficult time with the shortened schedule and possibly countless squabbles with the producers.  Picture and audio quality were very good and although the special features was not plentiful, I felt the commentary made me appreciate the film even more.

In the end, if they had more time and money, would the film have been any different?  I don’t know.  But knowing the challenges that the crew and talent had to work with, what they were able to make possible and because of the fact that I’m not too informed when it comes to Noel Coward’s works, suffice to say, I found “Easy Virtue” to be quite entertaining, humorous and enjoyable.

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews, Sony Pictures Classics

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

October 1, 2002 by · Leave a Comment 

Netflix, Inc.

BUY THIS DVD

MOVIE COMPANY: Miramax
CAST: Starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench and more.
DIRECTED BY: Directed by John Madden
WRITTEN BY: Marc Norman and John Stoppard
RATING: Rated R
INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE URL: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0138097
TYPE OF MOVIE: Romance, Comedy


Triumphant winner of 7 Academy Awards – Including Best Picture – this witty, sexy smash features Oscar winning Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow (Sliding Doors, A Perfect Murder) and an amazing cast that includes Academy Award winners Judi Dench (Best Supporting Actress), Geoffrey Rush (Best Actor – Shine) and Ben Affleck (Armageddon;  Best Original Screenplay – Good Will Hunting)!

When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes – Elizabeth) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer’s block, a secret romance with the beautiful lady Viola (Paltrow) stars the words flowing like never before!  There are just two things he’ll have to learn about his new love; not only is she promised to marry someone else, she’s succesfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will’s latest production!

A truly can’t miss motion picture event with outstanding critical acclaim to match its impressive collection of major awards — everyone will love this funny behind-the-scenes look at the writing of the greatest love story ever told!

DVD EXTRAS:

• Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
• Theatrical trailer(s)
• Widescreen anamorphic format

KNOWN DVD SECRET(S): None that I could find.

DVD REVIEW:

Back in high school, I played the part of Hamlet and since then I have had a passion for Shakespeare’s works.  It’s been awhile since I delved into anything Shakespeare though and I was one of the few who refused to watch this movie because it was a comedy on Shakespeare’s works.  I also thought it was going to be too long of a movie and blah…passed it up.

What do you know…the movie is out on DVD and thus I figured, what the hell.  Don’t be daft and watch the movie.

So, I did and all I can say is “brilliant!”

It’s a great movie and I can’t believe I passed this up in the theaters.  I loved the movie and it’s a very good story.  Of course, you have to have an open mind and also to be able to enjoy things that aren’t modern.  Some people love modern things and refuse to watch things that are depicting things from the past.  Watch this movie because the acting is brilliant.  To remember so many lines, I have to give Paltrow my honor for such a difficult role.  Bravo!

But this is a DVD review.  Not a film review.  Buena Vista/Disney has always done a disservice to DVD watchers by not including extras and if so, just one or two.  This one they included the theatrical trailer and yes, it’s in 5.1 and anamorphic and so forth but that was it.  Ahh..the horror!  There are rumors for a special edition release of this movie.  There must be!  How can they release a movie with hardly anything on the DVD, if I wanted to watch just the movie, would I not just get the VHS.  Since this is mostly dialogue, you will not hear much of the 5.1 to begin with.  At least it had information on the actors and Shakespeare.

Anyway, brilliant film.  Good DVD but no extra’s moves the rating down a bit.

THE MOVIE:  A+
THE DVD EXTRAS:  C-
THE DVD OVERALL:  B+

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

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