7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Jon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy, Michael Fassbender, François CivilDrama | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
An optional English Audio Descriptive LPCM 2.0 track is also available (48kHz/24-bit).
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Lenny Abrahamson's "Frank" (2014) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Film World/Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; deleted scenes; behind the scenes featurette; audio commentary with Lenny Abrahamson, actor Domhnall Gleeson, and composer Stephen Rennicks; and second audio commentary with writers Jon Ronston and Peter Straughan. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
The band
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lenny Abrahamson's Frank arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Film World/Artificial Eye.
The film was shot digitally and unsurprisingly detail and clarity are very impressive. Because natural light is captured in a variety of different ways and left unmanipulated occasionally there are some minor contrast fluctuations, but they are part of the film's original image design. These fluctuations are present during indoor and outdoor footage (see screencaptures #8 and 10). Sharpness levels remain stable. Colors are stable and natural. There are no encoding or compression anomalies to report in this review. Lastly, overall image stability is outstanding. All in all, this is a fantastic technical presentation of Frank that is guaranteed to please its admirers as we as viewers who are going to experience the film for the fist time on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Also included is a Descriptive Audio (LPCM 2.0) track. For the record, Curzon Film World have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.
Depth and clarity are absolutely outstanding. The music sounds excellent and there are even some interesting sound effects. The dialog is exceptionally crisp, stable, and always very easy to follow. In terms of dynamic movement there isn't a sizable difference between the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and the LPCM 2.0 track. However, there are a couple of sequences that are definitely more effective with the former.
It takes a bit of time to get used to Lenny Abrahamson's new film -- it takes place in the present but it looks and feels quite surreal and the balance between comedy and drama is very unusual -- but the journey is well worth taking. My feeling, however, is that it would appeal primarily to viewers who enjoy offbeat indie films. If you don't think that you are one of them, consider renting it first. If you enjoy indie films, then place your order now, as Curzon Film World/Artificial Eye's technical presentation of Frank is flawless. I also encourage you to see the Irish director's previous film, What Richard Did, which won multiple IFTA awards in 2013. RECOMMENDED.
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