7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.8 |
Five disparate tales in which men and children are caught up in a corrupt system that extends from the housing projects to the world of haute couture.
Starring: Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale, Salvatore Cantalupo, Gigio MorraDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 63% |
Crime | 27% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and selected to represent Italy at this year’s Oscars, Matteo Garrone’s “Gomorrah” (2008) tells an unsettling story about organized crime in Naples. The film is based on Roberto Saviano’s bestselling book. Courtesy of UK-based Optimum Home Entertainment.
Soon to be killed!
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
Italy's official Oscar entry has received a solid treatment. The print for Gomorrah is sharp, vivid, and exceptionally gritty. As intended, the color-scheme is wild. From the drug-ridden slumps of Scampia and Secondigliano, to the dirty backstreets and empty beaches where plenty of the action takes place, to the shady locales where the mafiosi are seen enjoying themselves, Gomorrah looks exceptional (I certainly had a very difficult time finding two scenes in this film that looked alike - everything is shot in such a wild fashion that the sense of paranoia Gomorrah instills really got to me). Furthermore, contrast is practically impossible to address, and I could only guess how certain scenes were meant to look. Still, it seems fairly obvious that the AVC-encoded transfer is very, very strong. Edge-enhancement and macroblocking are also impossible to address as there are countless examples in Gomorrah where the image is intentionally manipulated. This being said, it is fairly easy to determine that the transfer has not been DNR-altered as the film's grain structure is perfectly intact. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing debris, specks, or dirt. (Note: This Blu-ray disc is Region-B "locked". Therefore, you will not be able to play it on your Region-A PS3 or SA).
Optimum Home Entertainment have provided an Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the Blu-ray release of Gomorrah. Just about everything with this mix screams perfection – the dialog is crystal clear and easy to follow (though given the specific dialect that is spoken in Gomorrah as well as the wild nature of the narrative one really has to be familiar with the Italian South to fully understand what is being said). Furthermore, there is plenty of activity in the rear channels, but do not expect the polished type of audio mixing a Hollywood blockbuster would reveal. Sudden gun shots, screams, and chatter is what Gomorrah offers in abundance, and the overwhelming majority of the enhancements the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track secures simply add to the sense of paranoia I mentioned in the synopsis. This being said, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings. Finally, Optimum Releasing have provided optional English subtitles that are placed inside the film frame.
Optimum Home Entertainment have done a terrific job of securing the extras from the Italian release of Gomorrah. In addition to the original theatrical trailer (the Cannes pilot), on this Blu-ray disc you will also find "Gomorrah – 5 Stories", a rather long making of that mixes raw footage from the five stories the film follows with some behind the scenes footage where Matteo Garrone and his team are seen in Scampia. Next is a gallery with five deleted scenes: Toto, Don Ciro, Franco, Pasquale, and Ciro e Marco. Each scene comes with English subtitles. Finally, there are two interviews – one with Roberto Saviano, author of the book "Gomorrah", the other with actors Toni Servillo, Salvatore Cantalupo, and Gianfelice Imparato. The two interviews are spectacular. Mr. Saviano provides a terrific dissection of the gravely serious situation in Naples and why the government has failed to neutralize the mafia. Frankly, some of the data he reveals is unbelievable. The second interview is also very informative, though the majority of the thoughts the actors share are of rather generic nature. (Note: All of the extras are in standard-def PAL).
A knock-out of a film! Gomorrah is the best Italian film I have seen in the last ten years! The Blu-ray disc produced by Optimum Home Entertainment is fantastic – the video and audio are terrific, and the supplemental materials are as fascinating as the actual film is. I urge you to add this disc to your libraries. Very Highly Recommended.
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