Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.5 |
| Video |  | 5.0 |
| Audio | | 5.0 |
| Extras |  | 4.0 |
| Overall | | 4.5 |
Lean on Pete Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 22, 2018
Winner of Best Young Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival, Andrew Haigh's "Lean on Pete" (2017) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon/Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; large selection of cast and crew interviews; making of featurette;and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
For a detailed analysis of the film, please see my colleague Jeff Kauffman's
review of the North American release from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
Lean on Pete Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Presented its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Andrew Haigh's Lean on Pete arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon/Artificial Eye.
I am certain that after the film was completed a digital master was created with dierctor Haigh's approval, which is now offered for licensing to different parties across the globe. Prior to receiving this release I actually saw the film on the North American release and thought that it looked absolutely fantastic in high-definition, so the fact that the technical presentation here is equally impressive is hardly surprising. Depth, fluidity and color reproduction are outstanding, and while there are minor clarity fluctuations they are indeed representative of the unique stylistic appearance that was chosen for the film. Image stability is great. The encoding is also very good. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
Lean on Pete Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The film has a fully digital soundtrack, so the lossless 5.1 track basically replicates the studio mix that was created when the digital master was finalized. The overall dynamic intensity is unlikely to impress folks that appreciate the potency of big-budget action productions, but it has wonderful nuances which together with the panoramic vistas create quite an atmosphere. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in our review.
Lean on Pete Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Trailer - original trailer for Lean on Pete. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).
- Behind the Scenesr - a standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).
- Interview with Director and Writer Andrew Haigh - in this exclusive new video interview, Andrew Haigh discusses some of the problems he encountered while deciding what elements to incorporate from the book, what attracted him to Charley's journey, the work on the original sctript and the production of Lean on Pete, etc.
In English, not subtitled. (11 min).
- Interviews - a collection of interviews in which cast and crew members discuss their contribution to Lean on Pete. In English, not subtitled.
1. Charlie Plummer (Charley) -11 min.
2. Choe Sevigny (Bonnie) - (11 min).
3. Steve Buscemi (Del) - (11 min).
4. Travis Fimmel (Ray) - (6 min).
5. Director Andrew Haigh - (14 min).
6. Producer Tristan Goligher - (12 min).
7. Author Willy Vlautin - (7 min).
8. Production designer Ryan Warren Smith - (10 min).
Lean on Pete Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Lean on Pete is the type of film that I would have expected to see directed by Gus Van Sant -- it is casual and uniquely gentle, strikingly poetic and brilliantly acted. It is one of those rare film that stays with you long after its final credits roll and makes you think about the things that truly matter in life, the choices that you make and the ways in which they determine its course. I loved it. Curzon/Artificial Eye's technical presentation of Lean on Pete is outstanding and their Blu-ray release also comes with a healthy selection of informative bonus features. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
