6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
On a trip to France, millionaire Jervis Pendelton sees an 18 year old girl in an orphanage. Enchanted with her, but mindful of the difference in their ages, he sponsors her to college in New England.
Starring: Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Terry Moore (I), Thelma Ritter, Fred Clark (I)Romance | 100% |
Musical | 32% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.55:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Most movies don’t blink when creating a romantic pairing between an older man and a younger woman. 1955’s “Daddy Long Legs” actually has the bravery to call itself out on the practice, with the screenplay identifying the uneasy union between characters played by Fred Astaire (then 56 years old) and Leslie Caron (24 years old), who embark on a strange relationship that begins with financial charity and concludes as something more heartfelt. A gorgeously widescreen musical, “Daddy Long Legs” smartly calls out it most problematic element, helping to relax the picture as it spotlights song and dance.
The AVC encoded image (2.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation brings the exceptionally wide CinemaScope look to home theaters, and "Daddy Long Legs" looks respectfully preserved. With such lavish tech achievements to examine, detail holds true, with enough sharpness to pick out fabrics and facial detail, while distances are communicative. Colors keep their period look, offering bright primaries and skintones, with decorative reds and blue eyes striking. Delineation is secure. Source is in strong shape, without overt points of damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track doesn't reveal its age, handling the extremes of "Daddy Long Legs" with comfort and clarity. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, remaining intelligible as comedic speeds and accents are encountered. Scoring is big and bright, with satisfying instrumentation, and songs share the same emphasis. Atmospherics are adequate, showing life with party sequences.
While dramatics aren't riveting, the rest of "Daddy Long Legs" is, boasting incredible technical credits that generate eye-popping sets and costumes, keeping the feature an ongoing special effect, benefiting wildly from CinemaScope framing. It's a beautiful picture, and while sections of the story are a little cold to the touch, "Daddy Long Legs" comes together with cinematic bigness and physical accomplishment, doing enough to entertain and amaze to help forget the age difference.
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