Diamantino Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Diamantino Blu-ray Movie Review

A sub-par effort with poor filmmaking at every turn

Diamantino is a high camp and absurd fantasy film which follows the story of the international soccer superstar (a huge sensation!) Diamantino Matamouros as he goes from victor to failure overnight. The film is a strange hybrid of social-drama with absurdist comedy that ventures into downright strange territory time and time again. An original (if highly bizarre) take on a sports film... with science-fiction and absurdist fantasy tossed into the mix. Produced by Maria João Mayer (Saint George, O Dialbo a Quatro) and Justin Taurand (A Brief History of Princess X, Just Don't Think I'll Scream), Diamantino is destined to be a much-debated oddity.

The storyline unfolds as big-shot soccer star Diamantino loses the world cup. The immense star power of Diamantino dissolves into utter nothingness in the blink of an eye. The once great star player quickly becomes a laughing stock to audiences the world over. Diamantino's income starts to rapidly change for the worse after he loses the big match. Even so, Diamantino decides to retreat to his luxurious mansion and reside in the comfort of the possibility of making a comeback.

Armed at Diamantino's side are his two questionably evil twin sisters (and their thick black hair): Sonia Matamouros (Anabela Moreira) and Natasha Matamouros (Margarida Moreira). The downright wicked girls are constantly getting in the way of Diamantino in an attempt to try and control his career and its path. Things aren't looking up.

Looking for a second-chance, Diamantino decides he will take in a refugee and he accidentally brings in a black bisexual girl who he finds having an affair with another woman in his room – and events spiral into absurdity with giant puppies running across the soccer fields in his strange, day-dream fantasies. A comeback is mounted with a new advertisement campaign). Can he come back as a superstar once more?

A comic misfire which fails to generate any enthusiasm.

Absurd and cartoonish, Diamantino aims to be a cult-favorite with its eye-popping visuals (including memorable special effects by Irma Lucia (Gelo, Real Playing Game). The film is unique in its own way. The visual extravagance of the piece is compelling on one hand. However, the film feels too forced and unnatural in its ambitions. The filmmaking is never as intelligent or interesting as it is wishing to be. Though the special effects impress, the storytelling doesn't.

The film misses the mark time and time again. Yet there are components of the filmmaking which stand out as more impressive than a typical independent production. The music score by Adriana Holtz and Ulysse Klotz (Jessica Forever) is trippy and memorable. The rhythm and organic quality of the rich musical tapestry helps the film to stay afloat when it otherwise would not. The experimental 16mm cinematography by Charles Ackerley Anderson (The Unity of All Things, Anohni: Hopelessness) is almost reason enough to see the film (if only the script were stronger).

Written and directed by the duo of Gabriel Abrantes (A History of Mutual Respect, Palaces of Pity) and Daniel Schmidt (The Unity of All Things, The Island Is Enchanted with You), Diamantino is a misfire that has great ambitions on display but simply never manages to unpack all of these ideas into a more cohesive whole. The rambling nature of the film's screenplay takes many unexpected detours which are never fulfilled upon with a sense of coherence. The filmmaking greatly suffers as a result. As an experimental film, the effort suggests the filmmakers should keep trying. It's too bad that the end result utterly misses the mark. Better luck next time.

Diamantino Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Diamantino arrives on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber with an excellent 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation which will satisfy viewers. The film is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. While the film was finished with a digital intermediate (finished at 2K), the photography for the film was actually produced using 16mm cameras. The combination on display of stylized special-effects for the many of the visual jokes at play and the old-school photography gives the film an appearance which sometimes feels more digital than organic.

The cameras used give the film a naturalistic layer of fine film grain (which is a bit more noisy looking than usual due to the 16mm source). Color reproduction is excellent throughout the presentation and there are a wide range of colors on display throughout the entire transfer. It's a colorful film with an interesting visual aesthetic that makes a unique impression. While Diamantino veers back-and-forth between an organic, filmic appearance and a much more digital sheen, the overall quality of the encode is superb. The presentation will satisfy viewers.

Diamantino Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Featuring a lossless high-resolution surround sound audio mix, Diamantino is presented in the original Portuguese (with English subtitles) and has received a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio presentation. Surround sound usage is well implemented throughout the entire mix but the soundtrack itself is somewhat subdued. Dialogue is entirely the emphasis on the production.

The vocals are altogether clear and easy to understand and are given a significant boost from the lossless encoding. The surround sound is a inconsistent affair which kicks in with great energy during the soccer match sequences and when the energetic music soundtrack is highlighted. Optional 2.0 stereo audio is also provided. The subtitles are superb and are free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

Optional Spanish subtitles are also provided on the release.

Diamantino Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no meaty supplemental features included on the release whatsoever (such as a making-of and other behind-the-scenes featurettes). The lone extra included on the Blu-ray is the theatrical trailer (HD, 1:35) for Diamantino.

Diamantino Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is nothing that exciting about the misguided Diamantino. The film has interesting visual effects but a storyline that simply seems to put together random absurdities without ever gluing them into a cohesive mural. The Blu-ray features an exceptional presentation but it is short of supplemental materials. For fans only.