Isn't She Great Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Isn't She Great Blu-ray Movie Review

"Isn't it a decent movie?"

Isn't She Great is inspired by the true-story of bestselling author Jacqueline Susann and her journey to publishing her hit novel. Based on the article by Michael Korda, Isn't She Great stars Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, Stockard Channing, David Hyde Pierce, John Cleese, and Amanda Peet. Produced by Mike Lobell (Striptease, Tears of the Sun), Isn't She Great is worth a watch for fans of Bette Midler (who steals the show).

Jacqueline Susann (Bette Midler) wrote the bestselling novel “Valley of the Dolls” and took the nation by storm overnight. The novel became a runaway bestseller that kept climbing the charts (and finding readers from a diverse background). Isn't She Great explores the life journey of Jacqueline Susann as she sets out to bring her novel to the world (while struggling with a cancer diagnosis).

A story about creative passions and a lust for life, Isn't She Great is about the creation of the cult classic novel as Jacqueline works alongside book editor Michael Hastings (David Hyde Pierce), publishing executive Henry Marcus (John Cleese), and marketing- expert Debbie (Amanda Peet). Jacqueline balances her creative journey with her personal life: best-friend Florence Maybelle (Stockard Channing) and lover, Irving Mansfield (Nathan Lane). A tale of life.

Bette Midler makes a strong impression in the lead role. Midler manages to provide the film with both a strong comedic sensibility and a dramatic backdrop. The role was perfect for her and she sinks in to the part with a ferocity and passion for the character. The supporting cast of players impresses, too (especially David Hyde Pierce as the eccentric editor of Valley of the Dolls).

Worthwhile for the strong performance by Bette Midler.

The costumes by Julie Weiss (12 Monkeys, Frida) are one of the highlights of the production. For a film centered around a book about glamour and style, Isn't She Great is good at showcasing some interesting costume designs. The efforts are effective and fit the characters well.

The cinematography by Karl Walter Lindenlaub (Stargate, Independence Day) is surprisingly average and not one of the cinematographer's finest moments. The film looks OK but the visuals are never as compelling as the other elements of the film. A standard effort that doesn't make a huge impression.

The music score composed by Burt Bacharach (Lost Horizon, Night Shift) is another misguided effort. The score is awful throughout and never finds a good way to help tell the story. The music simply aggravates and annoys with its lack of cohesive vision. One could mistake the score for a temp presentation for the editing stage.

Directed by Andrew Bergman (It Could Happen to You, Honeymoon in Vegas), Isn't She Great is a decent effort because of the way in showcases the performances of the ensemble cast. The filmmaking isn't brilliant but the results are entertaining enough. The screenplay by Paul Rudnick (Addams Family Values, In & Out) is a highlight – as the story being told is a good one. Worthwhile, however imperfect the filmmaking is, even if Isn't She Great doesn't manage to live up to its bold title.

Isn't She Great Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Isn't She Great is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The release comes from a older master. The scan looks dated and not as impressive as it could be. Colors are average at best.

Isn't She Great didn't receive major restorative work (either in 2K or 4K) and the results are average-at-best. Though the print is in good shape (with only mild print wear in the form of occasional dirt on the scan), Isn't She Great simply doesn't look great. An OK-at-best presentation.

Isn't She Great Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The audio quality fares a little bit better but is still nonetheless average-sounding. Clarity is reasonable enough and the track still benefits from having lossless audio encoding (yet the surrounds aren't actively engaged). The track is focused on dialogue (which is clear throughout). A decent audio presentation.

Optional English subtitles are provided.

Isn't She Great Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by Film Historians Sally Christie and Emma Westwood

Isn't She Great Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:53)

The release also includes a selection of trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Big Business (SD, 2:12), Scenes from a Mall (SD, 2:12), and Stella (SD, 00:38).

Isn't She Great Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Isn't She Great is a good film – not a great one. The best thing about it is the excellent performance by Bette Midler. The screenplay by Paul Rudnick (Addams Family Values, In & Out) is another nice highlight (as the story being told is compelling). An inconsistent effort but worth watching. The presentation is underwhelming with an average-at-best video-audio encode. Nonetheless, fans of Isn't She Great will certainly want to consider adding it to their collection. Recommended.