Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Alan Partridge Blu-ray Movie Review

Whither Norwich?

Reviewed by Michael Reuben June 11, 2014

Now that America has made the acquaintance of English actor Steve Coogan as writer, producer and co-star of the Oscar-nominated Philomena, it's time they met his comic alter ego, Alan Partridge, who has been a beloved staple of British popular culture for more than two decades. Coogan first invented Partridge (full name: Alan Gordon Partridge) in 1991 for the BBC radio program On the Hour, in collusion with Armando Iannucci, curently the creative force behind HBO's hit series Veep. Initially a sports reporter, Alan Partridge eventually expanded his range into TV and webcasts, though one of Alan's reliable qualities is his uncanny knack for snatching failure from the jaws of success, usually by offending everyone around him. Having published his autobiography in 2001 (entitled I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan), Alan Partridge was ready to conquer the big screen. After a long period of development, his first feature film debuted in the U.K. in August 2013 under its original title, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, where it was a huge hit.

In the U.S., the retitled Alan Partridge has been distributed by Magnolia Pictures, which released the film according to its usual model of limited theatrical play, video-on-demand and now this Blu-ray disc. Unfortunately for those of us in region A, the studio was unable to secure rights to the many extras included by Studio Canal in its region B- locked Blu-ray of the film. Although the video and audio are up to Magnolia's usual standards, anyone with an all-region player will want consider both discs before deciding on a purchase.

The core script for Alan Partridge was written by relative newcomers to the franchise, Neil and Rob Gibbons, two brothers who grew up laughing at Partridge's antics. Their assignment was to design a story that could be enjoyed equally by long-time fans and those who were meeting the obnoxious broadcaster for the first time. Coogan and Iannucci participated in the writing, as did another Partridge alumnus, Peter Baynham (one of the writers of Borat and Brüno). As the extras on this disc attest, however, once the cameras roll on an Alan Partridge project, the script goes out the window. Coogan's transformation into Partridge is so complete that he reacts in character to anything and everything, and if the scene doesn't "feel" right, he immediately veers off-book. Director Declan Lowney, who had previously directed an Alan Partridge TV movie, returned to steer the chaos and ensure that the endless improvs continued to advance the plot (because, yes, there really is a story).

The film finds Alan working as a DJ at North Norfolk Digital, a local radio station in his home town of Norwich. Although Alan is making do, this is a backwater job at the low point of a career whose trajectory has rarely been upward. Despite being disappointed at not having achieved what he expected by the time he reached his fifties, Alan carries on. Intense self-regard is one of his most durable qualities. In a contest for narcissism between Alan Partridge and the original Narcissus, Alan would triumph without breaking a sweat.

As he often does, Alan makes himself feel better by mixing with people on whom he can look down with alternate expressions of benevolence and sarcasm. One of them is his loyal Girl Friday, Lynn Benfield (Felicity Montagu), a sweet but delusional creature who continues to believe that Alan is wonderful. Another is Alan's assistant, known as "Side Kick" Simon (Tim Key), who serves as his on-air foil. Old fans will recognize the station's security guard, Michael (Simon Greenall), who presumably got his job through Alan's intervention. Despite the fact that Michael has been part of Alan's life for years, Partridge still doesn't know his last name.

The most pitiful of Alan's "friends" is the Irishman Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney, superb as always), the late night DJ, whose job is abruptly terminated when North Norfolk Digital is acquired by a media conglomerate determined to rebrand the station for a younger, hipper audience. Fulfilling the fantasy of many a disgruntled employee, Pat returns to the station with a shotgun during a gala celebration hosted by the new manager, Jason Tresswell (Nigel Lindsay), and takes everyone hostage. Alan escapes but has to return when Pat tells the police he'll talk to no one else but his old friend, Alan Partridge.

The siege of North Norfolk Digital provides Coogan and his team with a parade of opportunities to showcase Alan Partridge at his best (or, rather, his worst; they're really the same thing). As the frazzled DJ bounces from one conversation to the next, from the pitiful but dangerous Pat Farrell, to his terrified co-workers (including Side Kick Simon, now mummified in duct tape) and a series of humorless police officers—a tough Special Operations commander (Sean Pertwee), a grim hostage negotiator (Martin Finch) and the by-the-book officer in charge (Anna Maxwell Martin)—Partridge adapts to each new situation in his own inimitable style, always achieving the same result: embarrassment and abject failure. About the only thing that goes well for him is a romantic overture to a co-worker, Angela (Monica Dolan), on whom he's had his eye for some time. Maybe it's the adrenaline talking.

The film's farcical conclusion involves one of the strangest chase scenes in memory, including the funniest sequence involving an RV lavatory ever recorded. The British practically invented bathroom humor. In Alan Partridge, they even demonstrate how to do it tastefully.

Alan Partridge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cinematographer Ben Smithard (Belle and My Week with Marilyn) shot Alan Partridge on the Red Epic, striking an appropriate balance between the familiar small-screen aesthetic that is Alan Partridge's familiar domain and the larger canvas for which the film script was conceived. Magnolia's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray appears to have been derived from the same master used for Studio Canal's region B-locked Blu-ray, which was presumably taken directly from the digital intermediate. As is typically the case with digitally originated projects, the image is crisp, detailed and free of noise or interference. Blacks are solid, and the color palette favors an understated naturalism that emphasizes cooler tones—a comment, perhaps, on both the local climate and the generally chilly atmosphere as the new ownership cleans house at North Norfolk Digital. The average bitrate of 20.004 Mbps is low for a Magnolia disc, but adequate for digitally originated footage of a film that involves relatively little action. No artifacts were in sight.

Alan Partridge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Alan Partridge's 5.1 mix is presented in lossless DTS-HD MA, and I'd call it "low key", except that's not a phrase that comes to mind when describing Alan Partridge. Even when he's speaking in a quiet tone, his presence seems loud, which is probably why the film doesn't have an elaborate mix. There are a few gunshots and one minor cannon burst, but nothing seriously challenges the bass extension. The track is well structured in its layering of the DJs' voices with the music they're playing, as they go on and off the air, so that we hear the programs from their point of view, that is, with more emphasis on vocal patter and less on the music. The eclectic soundtrack includes a selection from Phillip Glass's score for Koyaanisqatsi; Glen Campbell's rendition of "Wichita Lineman"; "Roxanne" by The Police; "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago; and several versions of Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind", which plays a crucial function in the plot. Incidental music was supplied by Ilan Eshkeri (Kick-Ass ).

Alan Partridge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Studio Canal's region B-locked Blu-ray of Alan Partridge offered a commentary with Coogan and the Gibbons brothers, deleted and extended scenes, a blooper reel and a half-hour behind-the-scenes documentary. None of these were made available to Magnolia. The following extras are included on this disc:

• Making of Alan Partridge (1080p; 1.78:1: 12:05): The most substantive of the extras, this featurette provides a brief overview of the film's development through interviews with Coogan, Meaney, the Gibbons brothers, Iannucci, director Declan Lowney and others.



• Behind the Scenes (1080p; 1.78:1; 1:42): A brief, sped-up collection of shots from the set.



• AXS TV: A Look at Alan Partridge (1080i: 2.39:1; 2:56): This is the usual AXS TV promo, in which the film's trailer is expanded with interview clips. It's worth noting that, although the interviews are clearly from the same sessions used in "Making of Alan Partridge", some of them only appear in this AXS TV promo.



• Also from Magnolia Home Entertainment: The disc includes trailers for Stage Fright and Best Night Ever, as well as promos for the Chideo web service and AXS TV. These also play at startup, where they can be skipped with the chapter forward button.



• BD-Live: As of this writing, attempting to access BD-Live gave the message "Check back for updates".

Alan Partridge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Alan Partridge is an inspired creation, and Alan Partridge is a hilarious film that is well worth your time in one form or another. Whether Magnolia's Blu-ray is the appropriate form for any one person will depend on factors such as one's equipment, interest (or not) in extras and willingness to order from abroad. Either way, Magnolia's disc is technically superior and, on that basis, recommended.