Garbo Talks Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Garbo Talks Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 13, 2025

Sidney Lumet's "Garbo Talks" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Countless other films have introduced variations of the story that Sidney Lumet’s Garbo Talks tells. To make it different, or at least somewhat different, and appealing again, Garbo Talks promises a contribution from the iconic star whose first name is featured in its title, and then, for approximately one hundred minutes, it prepares for it. Well, sort of. It is unlikely that folks who went to see Garbo Talks theatrically would have expected the iconic star to reemerge in it. Garbo’s final appearance before a film camera occurred many decades earlier in George Cukor’s Two-Faced Woman and in 1984 she was seventy-nine years old. So, everyone would have known that what Garbo Talks promises is just a curveball.

A film that throws a big curveball, or a few, and does it well can be a good one. If the delivery is brilliant, it may even be a special one.

A quick look at the cast of Gabro Talks instantly prepares for one of these scenarios. Ron Silver, Anne Bancroft, Carrie Fisher, Catherine Hicks, and Harvey Fierstein are a fine group of talented actors. And with Lumet directing, well, one must expect good things to happen. Possibly, maybe, even great things to happen. In other words, there were plenty of legitimate reasons to see Garbo Talks and walk out of the theater happy with the viewing experience.

The opening twenty or so minutes produce the quality material that can ensure precisely such a satisfying viewing experience. In New York City, Bancroft is a feisty older lady who talks like a slightly inebriated sailor and leaves a lasting trail anywhere she goes. Silver is Bancroft’s overworked and secretly frustrated with the state of his marriage son who routinely bails her out of jail and inevitably agrees with everything she says to rationalize her odd behavior. Fisher is Silver’s spoiled and even more frustrated wife who never misses an opportunity to remind him that they could be much better off if they finally relocate to sunny California, her home state. A good picture of Garbo emerges, too.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, Bancroft becomes dizzy, and her doctor reveals to Silver that she has only a few months left to live. After Bancroft is transported to a local hospital, Silver decides to make one of her many last wishes come true -- have Garbo, her idol, who lives somewhere in New York City, visit her. But it is not long before it becomes clear that reaching Garbo, quite possibly the most elusive person to have ever lived in New York City, is an impossible task.

After Bancroft is presented with her diagnosis Garbo Talks instantly evolves into one of those typical old melodramas that are frustratingly oversentimental and occasionally uplifting. Because they are entirely predictable too, the quality material from the opening twenty or so minutes begins to look like an anomaly, which is one of the two disappointing curveballs Garbo Talks produces.

The bigger and more disappointing curveball is Garbo’s presence. Despite repeatedly mentioning her name, there is just not enough for Silver to work with for a hundred minutes and make the story exciting. A romantic subplot involving Hicks, one of his beautiful and single coworkers, is the only distraction that helps him a bit, but it is filler material as well. Needless to say, the journey toward the end is a drag, and when a faceless Garbo eventually steps out of the shadows, it is a lot like witnessing a ghost temporarily revealing itself to a non-believer.

Lumet left a couple of truly great films that will always be revisited and praised. Garbo Talks is, most unfortunately, in a completely different category. It is sloppy, at times unbearably mediocre, and ultimately instantly forgettable.

Garbo Talks Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presenetd in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Garbo Talks arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a strong organic master. This master was likely prepared a while ago, so the visuals it produces can be a bit fresher and lusher, but delineation, clarity, and depth are always pleasing. Density levels are good, too. On a large screen, all visuals hold up very well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Grain is well exposed, though this is one area where small improvements can be made to strengthen consistency. Currently, in a few darker areas, grain could appear a tad loose. Color reproduction and balance are very good. While saturation levels can be slightly better, I do not think that there is any room for meaningful adjustments. Only a native 4K presentation will ensure an all-around better, more appealing color palette. Image stability is very good. I did not encounter any age-related imperfections to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Garbo Talks Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Even though it has a proper music score, Garbo Talks is a dialog-driven feature. All exchanges are clear, stable, and easy to follow. Dynamic contrasts are very modest, but this is how the film's soundtrack was finalized. I had the volume of my system turned up a bit more than usual and did not notice any issues in the upper register, where older films tend to reveal weaknesses.

Garbo Talks Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. The commentators are obviously big fans of the film, which is fine, but a lot of the examples they cite where a lot supposedly works very well is just instantly forgettable material. The feelings and emotions that are emphasized in these places do some of the biggest damage.

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for Garbo Talks. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Garbo Talks Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sidney Lumet left a lot of films, a few of which are truly special and will always be revisited and praised. Garbo Talks was almost certainly a project that sounded great on paper, which is why Lumet and several good actors decided to do it. Sadly, it does not work. It is a typical melodrama that rehashes tired material, featuring instantly forgettable performances and producing ordinary visuals. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a nice organic master.