Anomalisa Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Anomalisa Blu-ray Movie Review

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Charlie Kaufman and Guke Johnson's "Anomalisa" (2015) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; collection of thirteen short featurettes; behind the scenes gallery; and filmed Q&A session with Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, and Rosa Tran. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Anomalisa Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p; transfer, Charlie Kaufman and Guke Johnson's Anomalisa arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye.

The release appears to have been sourced from the same digital master that Paramount Pictures accessed and worked with for the U.S. Blu-ray release of Anomalisa. I think that the film looks wonderful in high-definition. Detail and clarity are consistently very pleasing. Obviously, there are select segments with color shifts that introduce small salutations in terms of clarity, but it is easy to see that they are part of the film's original visual design (see screencaptures #3 and 5). The color scheme favors warm primaries with equally warm/soft nuances that are beautifully reproduced. Fluidity is excellent. Also, there are no stability issues or encoding anomalies that could affect stability. All in all, this is a wonderful presentation of Anomalisa that makes it very easy to experience the film as intended by its creators. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Anomalisa Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The film features a fully digital soundtrack. Naturally, the 5.1 track boasts exceptional depth and clarity. Carter Burwell's score has what I would describe as 'chamber identity' and as a result dynamic movement is somewhat limited. However, separation (especially during notable solos) and balance are outstanding. The dialog/narration is crisp, clear, and always very easy to follow.

Anomalisa Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Q&A Session - in this filmed Q&A session, Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson, and Rosa Tran discuss the production history of Anomalisa and its funding, the nature of the story it tells, the visual style of the film (and specifically the 3D printing process), the casting of the animators, the film's critical reception, etc. The session was filmed at Curzon Soho in March, 2016. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• 13 Featurettes - a collection of thirteen short featurettes that take a closer look at the production of Anomalisa the story it tells. Included in these featurettes are clips from interviews with Charlie Kaufman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Duke Johnson, and David Thewlis, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).
  
  1. Crafting Anomalisa
  2. It Could Only Be Charlie
  3. Meet Lisa Hesselman
  4. Meet Michael Stone
  5. Outside the Studio System
  6. Peopling
  7. Tiny Things: Air Fresher
  8. Tiny Things: Cigarettes
  9. Tiny Things: Clouds
  10. Tiny Things: Eyeballs
  11. Tiny Things: Feet
  12. Tiny Things: Martini Glasses
  13. TV Spot

• Behind the Scenes Gallery - presented here is a collection of behind the scenes stills. With music. (2 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for Anomalisa. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Anomalisa Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anomalisa is a strange and quite beautiful film that has plenty of meaningful things to say about the ways we treat each other and live our lives. I think that its success at various festivals around the world is well deserved. Curzon Artificial Eye's upcoming Blu-ray release offers a fantastic technical presentation of the film that is guaranteed to please its fans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.