6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An aimless ne'er-do-well becomes a tour guide in a historic estate and winds up befriending the manor's resident ghost.
Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Judy Greer, Justin Long, Ryan Phillippe, Luis GuzmánComedy | 100% |
Supernatural | 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
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Justin Long and John Hodgman became part of the cultural zeitgeist several years ago in a series of daffy but delightful commercials which had Hodgman "portraying" a staid and old fashioned PC, while Long was a hip and happening Mac. In that regard, it may be slightly discomfiting for some to see Long as an unabashed nerd in Lady of the Manor, though those familiar with Long's first big screen credit Galaxy Quest probably won't be that surprised. However, Long is also the co-writer and co-director of this feature with his brother Christian (Christian also co-scripted A Case of You with Justin), and in a way Lady of the Manor feels like the cinematic equivalent of someone taking a staid and old fashioned premise and attempting to adorn it with hip and happening accoutrements. The result is amiable enough, and occasionally provides some substantial guffaws, but it's also surprisingly rote and hinges almost entirely on the comedic sensibility of star Melanie Lynskey, on hand here as a downtrodden woman named Hannah Kolinsky. Hannah is shown to be something of a slacker in the film's introduction of the character. She has a somewhat (at least verbally) abusive boyfriend, and her only job is delivering drugs (as in controlled substances) to folks on her bicycle, something that is at least in line with her frequent desire to smoke weed herself. Her inability to discern between "street" and "avenue" in one such delivery ends up with her being mistaken for a pedophile and arrested in one of those To Catch a Predator type stings. That ends up with Hannah being arrested not just for supposed solicitation of a minor but also for drug possession, and her helpful (?) soon to be ex-boyfriend pulls some strings that sees the drug charges dropped if Hannah registers as a sex offender. Funny stuff, eh?
Lady of the Manor is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There isn't a ton of technical data online about the shoot that I could dredge up, but this is a perfectly competent digital capture which I'm assuming was finished at a 2K DI. The results aren't exactly "spectacular" looking, but there's also not much to complain about. Fine detail on some of the filigreed patterns on Lady Wadsworth's dress or textures on some of the opulent furnishings at Wadworth Manor are typically very good to excellent. The palette is nicely suffused for the most part, though the opening "historical" vignette and some interstitial contemporary material in a bar can look a bit anemic. Those bar scenes can also suffer just a little from insufficient shadow definition. On the flip side, there are a couple of special effects with Lady Wadworth disappearing into the ether where whites perhaps intentionally bloom. I noticed no compression issues. My score is 4.25.
Much as with the video side of things, Lady of the Manor's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is perfectly competent, if perhaps not all that awe inspiring. Use of source cues offers good engagement of the side and rear channels, and in some isolated moments, as in some of the tour material, you can definitely hear discrete channelization of individual effects, but this is not a "showy" track in any way. Fidelity is always stable, and dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.
There's actually quite a bit to like about Lady of the Manor, and if you're a particular fan of any or all of the cast, this may well be a genial enough time killer you won't regret checking out. That said, I personally feel just a bit more shaping in the writing and editing could have delivered a real knockout, especially since the character of Hannah is so despicably lovable. Technical merits are generally solid for those who are considering making a purchase.
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