7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Rob Gordon is the owner of a semi-failing record store in Chicago where he sells music the old fashioned way- on vinyl. He's a self-professed music junkie who spends his days at Championship Vinyl with his two employees Dick and Barry. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed with the music scene and creating their all-time favorite top-five lists of subject specific songs, it's of no help to Rob whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend Laura walks out on him. As Rob examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness the process finds him being dragged kicking and screaming into adulthood.
Starring: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Todd Louiso, Jack Black, Lisa BonetMusic | 100% |
Romance | 86% |
Comedy | 54% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
There are those who begin chanting Say Anything the moment John Cusack is mentioned. Others who peer even deeper into the '80s, to Better Off Dead and The Sure Thing, each one a classic in its own right. But, despite connecting with an entire generation of adolescent moviegoers in the '80s and much of the early '90s, Cusack was still in his screen infancy, even as The Grifters and Bullets Over Broadway hinted at a newfound maturity. Then came Grosse Pointe Blank in 1997, Being John Malkovich in 1999, and High Fidelity in 2000; arguably the actor's best films and the highlights of his career. I'd even go so far as to say High Fidelity is the last beloved Cusack film. Max earned a fair bit of critical attention, Runaway Jury provided solid genre kick, and Hot Tub Time Machine whipped up a frothy fanbase, but most everything else is either languishing in bargain bin hell or soon will be. And for good reason. High Fidelity may not be perfect, but it remains a bastion for children of the '70s and '80s forever coming to terms with adulthood, missed opportunities and abandoned dreams.
High Fidelity's hit or miss 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer, on the other hand, doesn't hold up so well. Filmic softness is one thing; scrubbed and filtered source materials are something else entirely. Oh, grain is still present (although it sometimes takes on the consistency of mashed potatoes) and many a closeup looks terrific, carefully preserved textures and all. It's the film's midrange shots that seem to be the source of most of the encode's woes. Grain and fine details tend to become muddled, brief but thankfully negligible bursts of artifacting enter the fray, minor macroblocking haunts oversaturated faces (skip to 33:41), slightly unnatural skintones and crush are minor but ongoing problems, and delineation and black levels aren't always as revealing or satisfying as they could be. That said, High Fidelity fares better than Grosse Pointe Blank in some regards. It isn't littered with thick edge halos like Blank, its colors are occasionally truer and more lifelike, and its contrast is more well-balanced. Like Grosse Point Blank, though, it's clear High Fidelity's transfer wasn't minted from a new master but rather one that shows signs of age. That's not to say the image resembles its DVD counterpart, mind you. Far from it. Videophiles would just be wise to lower their expectations. This may be the best the film has looked since its theatrical release, but it would be easier to compile a list of the presentation's "Top Five Disappointments" than its "Top Five Upgrades," and that sort of says it all.
High Fidelity's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track spreads every last pop hit, indie fave and underground anthem in its arsenal throughout the soundfield, drawing the listener in with full, robust renditions of its mix tape soundtrack. The rest of the soundscape, though... well, that's another story. There's nothing wrong per se -- dialogue is clean and clear, LFE output is strong and attentive, and the rear speakers rarely grow quiet -- but the film is surprisingly front heavy on the whole. Street noise, store chatter, and rustling record sleeves are a part of the experience, but tend to clump in the front speakers rather than extending across the entire soundfield. Subdued emotional scenes are even flatter, despite offering up some nice interior acoustics here and there. There's little difference between Rob's apartment and his office, much less his store and a restaurant. The film's original sound design is presumably the culprit, but that doesn't really help when the music dies down and takes much of the soundscape with it. High Fidelity still sounds better than ever. Its lossless track just isn't as enveloping as most fans will probably be expecting.
High Fidelity is a love letter to any disillusioned twenty or thirtysomething struggling with adulthood and all the realities that come with it. Need a Top Five list? I'll bite. Let's just keep it simple: "The Top Five Reasons High Fidelity Still Works." 1) Cusack connects despite Rob's narcissism and overwhelming flaws. 2) His supporting cast nails the laughs, and makes it easy to believe they'd tolerate their misanthropic friend. 3) Frears has a solid grasp on the script, so much so that Rob's fourth wall confessions become something more than a gimmick. 4) The Grosse Pointe Blank team delivers on the page and off with a story of yet another man forced to deal with the ghosts of his past. And 5) The music, the music, the music. Unfortunately, a "Top Five Reasons to Buy the Blu-ray" list is a bit more difficult. Its AV presentation is an upgrade, but its video transfer is dated, its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track isn't as immersive as some might expect, and its supplemental package doesn't add much value to the release. It's still worth a purchase as far as I'm concerned. A more thorough overhaul and some new retrospective extras would have made it a must-own.
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