Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

A Journal for Jordan Blu-ray Movie Review

A compelling romantic-drama from director Denzel Washington.

A Journal for Jordan is an inspiring and heartfelt story about courage and the journey of the human spirit. Inspired by the true story about First Sergeant Charles King (Michael B. Jordan), who wrote a journey for his son to read when he grows older, the film follows his deployment to Iraq following the tragedy of September 11^th, 2001.

The feature-film is adapted from the book penned by Dana Canedy (as inspired by the journal written by Charles Monroe King). Produced by Jason Blumenthal (The Equalizer, Being the Ricardos), Michael B. Jordan ( Just Mercy, Without Remorse), Todd Black (Fences, The Great Debaters), Steve Tisch (The Upside, The Equalizer), and Denzel Washington (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Book of Eli). A Journal for Jordan is a worthwhile exploration of life and love.

New York Times Senior Editor Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams) explores the history of her relationship with Charles and the life-affirming magic of their relationship and journey together as partners. Set against the backdrop of Dana's work with The New York Times, A Journal for Jordan explores the relationship of Charles and Dana – throughout the years. Jordan (Jalon Christian) is their son.

The performances are excellent. Chanté Adams delivers an especially moving performance as New York Times editor Dana Canedy. Adams provides a performance that brings the woman behind-the-story to life in a compelling and emotionally rewarding way. Michael B. Jordan is impressive as well: imbuing the performance with a sense of charisma. The two actors have exceptional chemistry together and the performances are well-balanced between the two leads.

A Journal for Jordan has an excellent production design by Sharon Seymour (The Ides of March, The Town). The production is grounded in reality and reproduces the time-period in a compelling way. There is a sense of Seymour having a solid understanding of the time and how best to approach bringing the story to life.

Love is all you need.

The costumes by Sharen Davis (The Help, Dreamgirls) are worthwhile and are well-matched to the characters. Davis provided both leading actors with costumes which are believable for their roles. Throughout the feature-film, Chanté Adams and Michael B. Jordan are dressed to impress: the production benefits from the noteworthy efforts of Davis.

The cinematography by Maryse Alberti (Creed, Chappaquiddick) aids the production as well. The feature-film has a worthwhile cinematographic style. While the visual element isn't as artistic as audiences might expect, the effort by Alberti provides a sleek and modern visual cue. A strong production merit (even if the film has a “digital” aesthetic and might have benefit from a filmic approach).

The score composed by Marcelo Zarvos (Fences, Wonder) adds to the filmmaking. Zarvos provides A Journal for Jordan with a quality score that is a worthwhile accompaniment to the material. Zarvos understands the project and the goals of the production team. The music highlights the story and characters well.

The screenplay by Virgil Williams (Criminal Minds, Mudbound) does a solid job of adapting the material. A Journal for Jordan is a well-written screenplay. The concept of the film is a solid one and the true-story element makes it even more compelling. The storytelling is heartfelt and it has a good sense of gravitas.

Denzel Washington (Fences, Antwone Fisher) directs. This is an excellent project to showcase the directing skills of Denzel Washington. As an actor-turned-director, Denzel imbues the film with remarkable craft. The filmmaking is entertaining and engaging.

A Journal for Jordan starts out a little slow but it ultimately builds to something more moving and profound. Though not a perfect production, A Journal for Jordan is nonetheless compelling and a example of heartfelt entertainment. The story is one well worth listening to.

A Journal for Jordan Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Sony, A Journal for Jordan is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The film has a impressive high-definition presentation. Colors are robust and bold throughout. The sleek digital cinematography is well reproduced. The encoding doesn't suffer from any egregious compression woes and during the occasional "action" moments looks sleek as well (without compression artifacts).

A Journal for Jordan Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The high-resolution audio presentation sounds crisp and clear throughout the feature-film. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The surrounds are actively engaged during several key sequences and this adds to the experience. The score is well integrated in to the presentation. The sound mix has some interesting detail and makes the experience more rewarding.

A Journal for Jordan Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release includes a selection of featurettes (including interviews). There is a conversation with Dana Canedy, actress Chanté Adams, and actor Michael B. Jordan. Denzel Washington is also interviewed about the film. The bonus features offer an engaging look at the film's production.

Heart and Soul: Charles and Dana (HD, 11:32)

Family Portrait: Making the Film (HD, 10:42)

Words of Wisdom: The Journal (HD, 7:12)

Deleted Scenes (HD, 6:38)

Gag Reel (HD, 3:04)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases from Sony Pictures.

A Journal for Jordan Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A Journal for Jordan is an entertaining and uplifting story about the power of family and the journey of love. Directed by Denzel Washington (Fences), A Journal for Jordan is a surprisingly powerful film with impressive performances by Chanté Adams and Michael B. Jordan. The Blu-ray release has a impressive video-audio presentation and a small but engaging selection of supplemental features. Recommended.