7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
In 1970s England, three blue-collar friends spend their days joking, drinking, fighting and chasing girls. Freddie wants to leave their working-class world but cool, charismatic Bruce and loveable loser Snork are happy with life the way it is. When Freddie gets a new job as a door-to-door salesman and bumps into his old school sweetheart Julie, the gang are forced to make choices that will change their lives forever.
Starring: Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes (XVIII), Jack Doolan, Ralph Fiennes, Felicity JonesDrama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Hindi
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
movieIQ
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
You'll never amount to anything.
Big dreams, small town, no chance. It's a familiar refrain in literature, on screen, and in life, and one
of the latest films to examine that quandary is Cemetery Junction, a fine British-made
picture
from Directors Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. If those names sound familiar, they're the
dynamic duo behind the original UK version of the television program "The Office." However,
Cemetery Junction isn't classic Gervais and Merchant. The film certainly displays some wit
and delivers several laughs, but it's a serious Drama about life, hope, taking chances, family,
friendship, and following dreams. Nothing much here is new, but the film's cast and crew manage to
capture the very essence of the idea and inject it with plenty of emotion and authenticity to
spare. That's what sets
Cemetery Junction apart from others of its kind; it never strays from formula, but
considering its likable characters, strong production values, and blend of humor and heart, Gervais'
and Merchant's film stands apart from the field and makes for one of the better pictures of its kind.
Blimey.
Cemetery Junction arrives on Blu-ray with another stellar 1080p transfer from Sony. "Rock solid" is a great way to describe it; Cemetery Junction won't be the first disc off the shelf at demo time, but it could easily serve that purpose if need be. The transfer sports a fantastic film-like texture that sees excellent details and colors across the board, not to mention a fine layer of natural grain. Whether in the darkened factory where the transfer captures every small detail on the rusty and worn machinery or in the brighter daytime scenes that showcase exemplary fabric textures, Cemetery Junction rarely lacks for finer detailing, though faces sometimes do appear slightly pasty and textureless. Colors are a bit dulled and washed out but seemingly by design to evoke something of a retro period feel, but they're every bit as scrumptious on Blu-ray as the film allows them to be. Black levels are consistently strong, and the image is free of any distracting artifacts or heavy digital manipulation. In other words, Cemetery Junction is typical of Sony's first-class new release Blu-ray titles.
Cemetery Junction's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is surprisingly robust and engaging considering the picture's lean towards the dramatic and thought-provoking. Music is very smooth, crystal-clear through the higher ranges and tight and deep at the bottom, with good spacing across the front and with a noticeable, but not overwhelming, surround presentation. The film's Rock music doesn't loose clarity with the boost in aggression. Again, the lows are fantastic and guitar riffs power their way through the soundstage with the same strength and clarity normally reserved for high-end concert discs. The track also delivers plenty of surround activity and environmental ambience; the factory scenes spring to life with a cacophony of sounds in the form of blowing steam, clanking machinery, and sparkling welding, while outdoor scenes feature a much less pronounced but certainly not wanting-for-realism environmental support structure. With its pitch-perfect and center-focused dialogue reproduction, Cemetery Junction's lossless soundtrack is every bit the equal of Sony's 1080p video transfer.
Sony brings Cemetery Junction to Blu-ray with a nice array of bonus features, including a
pair
of audio commentary tracks. The first features Writers/Directors Ricky Gervais and Stephen
Merchant
sharing a track that's equal parts insightful and humorous, though the laughs definitely dominate
the proceedings. They discuss their experiences as directors; settling on the picture's look, sets, and
lighting;
the
picture's themes and how the visuals and sounds tie into them; the basics of the story; the quality
of
the cast; and plenty more. Gervais is always a blast to watch or listen to, and this track is no
different. Merchant, too, proves his mettle as a commentator, and the two deliver a track that fans
of
the film and its participants will enjoy a great deal. Actors Christian Cooke, Tom Hughes, and Jack
Doolan man track two. Though recorded about 18 months after filming, these actors share a nice
bit of information, though some of it is nothing more than inconsequential ramblings and generic
insights.
Still, they rise above
the average group commentary, creating a nice flow and rarely speaking over one another to
annoying or track-destroying effect.
The Directors: A Conversation with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (1080p, 15:07)
features the directors discussing their desire to make a Drama, the themes they wanted to capture,
the cast's chemistry and the qualities the leads brought to the picture, and their experiences and
preferences as directors. The Lads Look Back: The Stars Discuss 'Cemetery Junction'
(1080p, 10:14) contains Tom Hughes, Christian Cooke, and Jack Doolan sharing their experiences
in making the film, including their auditions, the bond they formed during the shoot, filming some
of the more difficult physical and emotional scenes in the film, and what they're taking away from
the experience. Seventies Style: Production and Costume Design (1080p, 8:44) takes a
short look at the picture's visual scheme, colors, sets, clothing, and more. The piece features cast
and crew interview clips and plenty of scenes from the film.
Next are four production featurettes (1080p). The Start of Filming (1:15) features Gervais
and Merchant discussing the picture's style and themes. Week 1 (1:33) looks briefly at the
making of a scene and again features the directors discussing various aspects of the film. Meet
the Boys (2:27) is a brief introductory piece to the three lead actors and the parts they play.
Finally, The Directors on Set (1:51) features the cast laying the praise on their directors.
Also included is a collection of 10 deleted scenes (1080p, 13:36); a blooper reel (1080p, 13:42);
BD-Live functionality; MovieIQ connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Salt, Grown Ups, The Back-Up Plan,
Death at a Funeral,
The Karate Kid, and
The Other Guys.
Thematically, Cemetery Junction isn't all that different from many other coming-of-age pictures. What sets it apart is its unusually strong ability to precisely capture the dynamics below the surface and create characters that are in no way bigger than life but who are in search of something bigger for their own lives. This is an honest, enthralling picture that follows formula but doesn't always play out as expected, resulting in an experience that feels familiar but manages to deliver something that's just unique enough to make it well worth a watch. Complimented by some exemplary performances, fine writing and direction, and a fantastic score, Cemetery Junction should find itself a strong following in the years to come. Sony's Blu-ray release delivers near reference-quality video and audio while also featuring a complete package of extras. Cemetery Junction is one of the stronger overall releases of the year, and comes highly recommended.
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