Confirmation Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Confirmation Blu-ray Movie Review

Scandal.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 8, 2016

There’s a perhaps subtle but unmistakable subtext running through Confirmation, beyond and apart from the noticeable subtexts this HBO “special event” indulges in. Kerry Washington portrays Anita Hill in this drama supposedly recreating the furor surrounding the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court, a piece of casting which is perfectly understandable on any number of levels, since Washington both resembles the real life Hill and is also obviously an actress of more than appropriate gravitas to handle the role. But is it mere coincidence that Washington’s “regular” television job is as Olivia Pope on Scandal, a character who manages a so-called “crisis management” firm, the very sort of aggregation that became utility players in the Thomas imbroglio? Even more saliently, the character of Pope was based, at least in part, on Judy Smith, a Deputy Press Secretary to President George Herbert Walker Bush and one of the prime movers in the White House’s defense of Thomas during his contentious hearings. That gives this particular piece of casting perhaps a bit more of “context” that may or may not be helpful in giving the appearance of impartiality in how this story is presented, and one might assume, given the Smith and Bush connection, that Confirmation is going to come out swinging against Hill. Quite the opposite turns out to be true, however, and that’s where those pesky other subtexts start intruding, for as riveting as Confirmation often is, it’s about as “fair and balanced” as any given report on cable "news" (right or left) typically is. In other words, anyone wanting a documentarian approach to this inherently treacherous subject matter had best keep looking, for despite large swaths of the film having been culled directly from the public record, it's clear that Confirmation is solidly in the Hill camp, although the special’s creative crew would probably want to argue with that conclusion, pointing out that it clearly offers Thomas’ “side” of the argument and, perhaps most importantly, never comes right and out to state what “really” happened. Those may be what attorneys would call stipulations, but there’s little doubt that the film’s emotional content is certainly skewed toward the Hill side of the equation, despite some lip service to the trauma Thomas (and Thomas’ wife) endured during the brouhaha.

The film’s tag line (prominently displayed on the Blu-ray cover) proclaims “It only takes one voice to change history,” perhaps one of the more overt clues as to the tack Confirmation is going to take. That very approach would seem to undercut what is in essence a “he said, she said” story, and Confirmation therefore struggles to provide equilibrium despite an obvious attempt to offer “equal time” on at least a surface level, with (for example) the umbrage of Thomas (Wendell Pierce) and his infamous "high tech lynching" monologue serving as a climax of the piece. Susannah Grant’s teleplay attempts to set up each of the two focal characters in a brief prelude of sorts which supposedly shows them out of the glare of the hearing lights, but within the roiling political context of the time which had recently seen the so-called "Borking" of another potential Supreme Court nominee. Perhaps ironically, then, Confirmation really only starts firing on all cylinders once the confirmation hearings actually begin, and that may be because much of the dialogue is evidently lifted whole cloth from the historical record.

If the hearings provide the fulcrum around which much of Confirmation hinges, it becomes increasingly obvious that the creative crew behind the film are trying to paint a broader portrait of the cultural zeitgeist, one where female empowerment found its voice and (to utilize a phrase popular at the time) stood up to be counted. That aspect plays out against the more intimate story of the apparently pretty reserved “combatants”, neither of whom seem overly eager to air any laundry, dirty or otherwise, in the public arena. What’s quite interesting about these personalities is that for all their manifest differences, in one way they’re rather similar—neither wants the public spotlight, and yet both are thrust into it, having to deal with the consequences whether or not they like it, or if in fact they’re psychologically prepared to do so.

While the broad brush strokes of this story are probably known (more or less, anyway) to many folks, Confirmation actually does best in providing some “fine details” that lurked in the nooks and crannies at the time and weren’t as well disseminated as stories about defiled Coke cans and/or the nicknames of various porn performers. The machinations of one Joe Biden (Greg Kinnear) are quite interestingly depicted, as are those of several other senators, notably Orrin Hatch (Dylan Baker). The Thomas marriage gets a little airtime as well, and it’s interesting to try to divine what exactly Virginia Thomas (Alison Wright) really believes about her husband as the tale becomes more and more tawdry.

Confirmation may struggle at times in its perhaps too obvious attempts to “universalize” this tale, when what’s truly compelling is the fascinating trajectories of Hill and Thomas colliding in such a spectacular fashion. That said, the performances in this piece are so arresting (no pun intended), that the screenplay’s too strident attempts to inject “meaning” into it all are fairly forgivable. This may not be “the facts, and just the facts, ma’am”, despite the film’s pretensions that that’s exactly what it’s providing, but with an awareness of all the subtextual content wafting just underneath the actual presentation, Confirmation is often incredibly interesting viewing.

Confirmation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Confirmation is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of HBO with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is a perfectly competent and workmanlike presentation that may not "wow" anyone but which similarly won't antagonize videophiles with any glaring anomalies. The bulk of the presentation is appealingly sharp and well detailed and the palette is refreshingly free of any overwrought color grading, and therefore things look natural. Harsh lighting in some of the hearing sequences, which include manifold lighting sources (like press flashes and the like) occasionally lead to a miniscule loss in detail. There is also a glut of archival footage culled from various news outlets, and those source elements are understandably much more ragged looking, often with video quirks like ghosting or chroma anomalies.

Confirmation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Confirmation's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is, like its video counterpart, completely professional and workmanlike without offering much in the way of "wow" content. The best surround activity tends to happen in the hustle and bustle of various senate offices or in fact in the hearing room itself before the chairman gavels the proceedings to order and the rabble of the crowd is still active. Otherwise, this drama simply doesn't offer a lot in the way of fantastic immersive opportunities, but what's offered is crystal clear and problem free.

Confirmation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Kerry Washington on the Historical Impact (1080i; 1:33) evidently indicates there wasn't much impact, at least as evidenced by the brevity of this EPK.


• Wendell Pierce on the Historical Impact (1080i; 1:16) is a similarly brief interview with the actor portraying Thomas.


• Confirmation: Character Spots (1080i; 13:29) is more EPK fare, with interviews with Washington and several other supporting performers.

Confirmation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Confirmation is the odd television drama that hews fairly close to the facts, including lifting whole monologues directly from the historical record, which nonetheless fails as a "the truth and nothing but" outing. If one goes into this film understanding that subliminally if not overtly there's an "agenda" of sorts, Confirmation is compelling viewing. Performances are top notch and the story is, of course, unforgettable. Technical merits are generally first rate if uninspiring, and Confirmation comes Recommended.