7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
An African American father struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson, Russell Hornsby, Stephen McKinley HendersonDrama | 100% |
Period | 45% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Fences is a movie about boundaries. The process of building one with saw, wood, post digger, hammer, and nails is a recurring sight and source of discussion in the film, but so too, and more important to the story, are the metaphorical fences erected by a man who is at once both beaten down by life and blessed with the good things life has to offer. The literal and metaphorical fences mean different things to different people in the story, literally as a means of keeping things in and keeping things out, which often has a tie to the emotional boundaries that are erected and crumbled throughout the film as well. Denzel Washington both stars and directs in the film, based on the late Playwright August Wilson's stage production and subsequent screen adaptation. The film returns nearly all of its primary cast from the play's latest Broadway show for the film adaptation.
Fences features a pleasing 1080p transfer. The picture was shot on film rather than digital, and Paramount's presentation offers a richness in texture that's so often missing in many of today's digital shoots. There's a sense of organic, real, lived-in detail throughout the film, particularly in the backyard. The home's red brickwork, old chairs, planks of wood, leaves, and all sorts of odds and ends yield incredible details that don't simply reveal finer-point elements but rather invite and draw the audience into the location, critical to truly appreciate how the environment shapes the film. Facial close-ups are impressively complex as well. Pores, wrinkles, hair, even a bit of Rosie's makeup are very well defined at the intimate level while holding firm at medium distance; the film's tight confines generally don't allow for characters to be any more than a casual stone's throw from the camera, so high level detailing is almost always evident. Colors are fantastically reproduced. The film takes on a very neutral, very agreeable palette. Never overly punchy or dull, contrast never dialed in in any strange direction...the palette is lifelike and consistently so, a pleasure in exploring the red brick, natural greens, and various support shades around. Black levels are appropriately deep, most noticeable when Troy shouts at the rainy night sky in one of the film's key moments. Flesh tones appear accurate to the actors' natural complexions. No immediately evident source or encode flaws are apparent. This is a smart, satisfying Blu-ray presentation from Paramount.
Fences features a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack, but the film's sonic needs are rather meager. Music, which is a bit sporadic in terms of when, but not how, it's utilized, is clear and airy, spreading effortlessly across the stage and delivering well-defined and lifelike notes as necessary. Light neighborhood atmospherics help set the stage and reinforce the film's time and place. A few little crashes, hits, and other light effects are presented well. The track has no need for any major effects; everything is rather reserved but handled with care. Dialogue, unsurprisingly given the film's stage roots, dominates the sonic landscape. Clarity, positioning, and prioritization are all good to go.
Fences contains five featurettes. A UV/iTunes digital copy voucher is included with purchase.
Fences is one of the most emotionally engaging and purposeful films of 2016. Incredible character depth, obvious but complex allegory, amazing performances, and riveting character drama and dialogue drive the film well above so many more crude movies that rely on cinema trickery, not heartfelt human condition exploration, to mask empty-vessel storytelling. Not so here. This is storytelling at its finest and one of the most rewarding views in recent history. Fences the movie cannot escape the Fences stage production roots, but it doesn't matter: the film excels at exploring its character and the flawed human condition, engaging viewers with real dramatic heft rather than empty sight-and-sound shenanigans. Paramount's Blu-ray is excellent, boosting high-end video and audio along with a few good extras. Very highly recommended.
Target Exclusive 30 mins of Bonus Content
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