Brian Banks Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Brian Banks Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 6, 2019

Brian Banks tells the true-life tale of a man wrongly accused of and unjustly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. The system failed him but his perseverance ultimately saves him. Director Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty, Patch Adams) crafts the straightforward and largely compelling story of the man's fight to reclaim his life, to literally and metaphorically drop the shackles that have taken the best years of his life and seen his dream of football stardom go from within his grasp to far away fantasy only still barely within his vision for his future. It'll take a miracle, a miracle which for Brian starts on the inside. Only the truth will set him free, but will anyone be willing to hear it? For Brian, freedom from his sentence and the consequences thereof is a tall order; in that state, overturned convictions are rare and records tend to stick for life.

Brian Banks (Aldis Hodge) has had his life turned upside down more than a few times. While still in high school at the age of 16, he was wrongly accused of rape. His legal counsel encouraged him to take a plea deal which lands him behind bars for six years, destroying his dreams of football stardom and making a name and life for himself on the field. Now released from prison, new state regulations for parolees require him to wear a monitor that further limits his opportunities. He takes it upon himself to seek help from the California Innocence Project, spearheaded by Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) who reluctantly takes on Brian's case. As Brooks and his team dig deeper into the events that led to Brian's sentence, they come to realize that Brian is indeed innocent. The system makes it nearly impossible for a ruling to be overturned, and with time running out before Brian will have to report as a sex offender for the rest of his life, there's little hope for saving his name and reputation even if all evidence points in his favor.

One of the key scenes is a flashback to Brian’s time in prison, and a 60 day stint in solitary confinement in particular. “You’ve got to let it all go,” he remembers his teacher, played by an uncredited Morgan Freeman, telling him as his sanity reaches its breaking point. Life is about how one responds to it, Brian remembers him saying. That’s all he can control. He’s got to face his realities and move forward, fighting for what he has left rather than living in the past and lamenting what has been taken away from him. It’s a pivotal moment in his life, the low point that begins his rise back to himself and igniting that fire to clear his name, even against great and unlikely odds.

But Brian’s biggest challenge isn’t himself. It’s not finding help. It’s not proving his innocence. It’s the system. It’s a system that didn’t care about the truth before his trial and it doesn’t care about justice after the trial. He has legal options. He can petition the court but the statistical chances of success are small. But he has perseverance. Football taught him discipline and dedication and honed his faith, he says early in the film, skills that he will find vital to fighting the biggest battle of his life. The film tells Brian’s story in a clear and straightforward manner. Emotions are stirred by Aldis Hodge’s convincing, thoroughly researched, and fully inhabited portrayal of Brian Banks. The performance digs deep into the man’s soul and fully explores the clash between light and dark: the strong willed pursuit of truth and justice but also the realities that hang over him, realities which all but promise to snuff out any hope he may have for a new ruling in his favor. But hr perseveres, he makes his case, he proves his worth as a man and a truth teller to Justin and his team, which all might just be enough for him overcome the odds stacked heavily against him.

Brian Banks Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brian Banks was shot digitally. The picture shows a good bit of source noise in low and even moderate light. Additional source blemishes are not immediately obvious, and no encode problems of note are readily apparent, either. Blacks often appear flat and washed out, but colors are largely acceptable, whether crisp white dress shirts, green grasses on city football fields, or various examples of attire seen throughout the film, from sweaters to neckties. Skin tones appear healthy and balanced. Fine detail satisfies. Facial close-ups are rewarding, capable of revealing pores, facial hair stubble, and other details with good essential complexity. Clothes appear sharp and environments are crisp, though some shots do push a little soft and blurry around the edges. There's nothing noteworthy here, but Universal's presentation capably delivers the film's visuals in high definition.

Brian Banks Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Brian Banks features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It appears the track was encoded at low volume. It's quiet a reference level and dialogue and music both are held back without an upward volume adjustment. The track delivers a good basic listening experience once there. Listeners will note light surround integration but the track is predominantly a product of the front channels. Musical clarity is good and front side stretch is acceptable. Atmospherics are minor but in several scenes do help draw the listener into various locales, with the most prominent being where Brian faces a gaggle of reporters and photographers outside the courthouse. Dialogue drives the film. It's clear, center focused, and well prioritized from beginning to end.

Brian Banks Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Brian Banks contains one supplement. The Story Behind 'Brian Banks' (1080p, 1:42) recaps the story via interviews and clips from the film. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

Brian Banks Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Brian Banks succeeds on the back of a concise script and a few strong performances. Perhaps underused is Sherri Shepherd as Brian's mother, who is a surrogate for the audience, the outlet for the core raw emotions that define the story. The film is fortunate to have Aldis Hodge in the lead, who brings a sincerity and definable depth to the part; he's believable as a good man whose life has been changed by circumstance but who finds the same ferocious fight in his own defense as he showed on the football field. While the movie lacks dramatic ingenuity, the straightforward tale is well versed in its characters and makes the legalities accessible. The end result is predictable, but it's still a story worthy of one's movie watching time. Universal's Blu-ray is unfortunately hindered by a low volume soundtrack and a dearth of extras, but the video quality is by-and-large fine. Worth a look.