Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Based on the bestseller by Richard Yates about married life in the 1950s, April (Kate Winslet) and Frank Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio) have what appears to be the perfect life—a happy marriage, two kids, and a beautiful home in Connecticut. But behind the scenes, it's a different story. Frank loathes his job, and April's dream of becoming an actress is all but dead. Looking to improve their circumstances, April hatches a plan to leave the suburban life behind and move to Paris to discover new beginnings. But when unforeseen events derail her plan, what measures will she take to get things back on track?

Winslet and DiCaprio haven't been onscreen together since Titanic, and they haven't skipped a beat—although this isn't a Jack and Rose love story by any stretch! It's probably the most realistic portrayal of marriage I've ever seen from Hollywood. Whose happiness is more important? The breadwinner or the homemaker? Is there a choice? If the career is more important, how does the homemaker cope with the sacrifice of their own self-gratification, and what's the emotional cost?

The 1080p AVC encode does a good job presenting the 1950s life. The color palette varies from warm and inviting to bleak and colorless depending on the state of the relationship between Frank and April. Black levels are rock-solid with above-average detail. During the opening act, the resolution is a bit softer than the best Blu-rays, and unfortunately, edge enhancement creeps into the picture on occasion, marring what could have been a reference-quality encode.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is serviceable for the subject matter, but it doesn't lend itself to a demo-worthy showpiece. Dialog is front and center and always intelligible, but the front-heavy track doesn't offer much in the way of a surround-sound experience. The rear speakers provide minimal ambience, and the LFE is non-existent, but the score by Thomas Newman fills the soundstage when needed.

The bonus material includes an audio commentary from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Justin Haythe, a behind-the-scenes documentary, a look at author Richard Yates' writings, nearly 30 minutes of deleted scenes, and the theatrical trailer, all in HD.

Having been married for nearly 20 years, many of the arguments between Frank and April look and sound way too familiar. If you are expecting Ozzie and Harriet, look elsewhere—but you'll miss some great performances by Winslet and DiCaprio and a solid HD presentation.

Release Date:May 19, 2009
Studio: Fox

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics