Life, Above All Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Life, Above All Blu-ray Movie Review

A challenging Drama earns a gorgeous Blu-ray release from Sony.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 24, 2011

It hurts all over. It hurts all the time. Except when I look at you.

Life, Above All depicts a world that most audiences will witness for the first time, but also a world with which most audiences will quickly relate. Poverty. Disease. Social trials. Strained families. Troubled pasts. Difficult presents. Uncertain futures. Death. All of these shape the world as it's seen in Life, Above All, but all are also realities that define lives all over the globe. They're sadly universal traits, traits that dismiss the notions of who, when, where, and why in favor of a global, far-reaching avenue, each one in some way affecting every life on the planet at some point, to varying degrees perhaps, yes, but such are the things which are life's inescapable realities. But it's how man responds to these challenges, the courage he displays, the inner and outer strengths he builds to understand, accept, maybe even overcome those complexities, those most difficult challenges of life. Life, Above All is a story of a young teenage girl who in a short period of time experiences all of those challenges, some to varying degrees but, mostly, to a level where most others would throw up their hands and call it quits. This isn't Book of Job type stuff, but Life, Above All does take a rather somber snapshot of a life defined by tragedy and negative circumstance, but it's also, in a way, a joyous picture about one girl's courage to at worst take it all in stride and at best to stand up, hold her head high, and demonstrate an unusual amount of courage and understanding in the face of unthinkable trials.

Chanda.

Chanda (Khomotso Manyaka) is a gifted student in a small impoverished South African village. Unfortunately, her life challenges make continuing her education difficult. He young baby sister Sarah has recently died, leaving her mother Lillian (Lerato Mvelase) grief-stricken. Her stepfather Jonah (Aubrey Poolo) is a largely absent drunkard who takes the family money for his own selfishness, leaving not enough to even cover Sarah's funeral expenses. Chanda lives with Lillian's and Jonah's biological children who have yet to understand that Sarah has died, believing that she's instead merely living elsewhere in town. Her impoverished best friend Esther (Keaobaka Makanyane) has taken up prostitution and eschewed spirituality to get by. Chanda's mother slowly falls gravely ill. Despite the help and best intentions of family neighbor Mrs. Tafa (Harriet Manamela), Lillian continues to become progressively more ill to the point that the community turns on her, believing her illness to be divine vengeance that brings them all great shame. Chanda must demonstrate a strength, understanding, and courage that far exceeds that of anyone she's ever known if she's to remain true to herself, her family, her friends, and her community and see these difficult times through with honor, dignity, and her own morality and understanding intact.

Life, Above All is one of the more emotionally taxing pictures of recent years, a movie about a young girl's life defined by tragedy but also a life defined by the strength to beat the lowered expectations for herself and, even, the otherwise accepted hopelessness of the world around her. It's the story of the pursuit of goodness and righteousness in a world where neither exists in quantity. The movie depicts a world that's so unlike any most have ever seen, but it also captures the universality of human goodness and strength, characteristics which know no borders, no time, no circumstance. The movie is one of broad emotions defined by difficult themes, great tragedy, and burgeoning respect for a character who demonstrates moral courage, self-reliance, and an admirable and thorough knowledge of the realities of life, a knowledge which is often sadly lacking in all of the characters who surround her. Chanda is depicted as a rock in an otherwise malleable, confused world. She stands up for what she believes to be right, no matter what her friends, family, or community may think of her actions or those of those people with whom she by family or by choice associates. She ignores proclamations of great shame and even the curse of God Himself in the pursuit of following her own path through a life littered with obstacles not of her own making but placed in her way, obstacles expected to slow her down rather than guide her to a greater sense of self-realization and an even greater understanding of the world in which she lives.

Life, Above All has the unenviable challenge of painting a story that's so terribly bleak that the positives would expectedly become lost under the incessant string of negatives, but at the same time ensuring that that's not the case. The movie is an overwhelming experience to be sure, and while the bad superficially dominates, the good shines through the darkness and does indeed define the picture, even through the uneasiness, sadness, and even sense of futility that persists throughout. Director Oliver Schmitz (Paris, Je T'Aime segment) masterfully gives the movie a purpose and balance that even the negative story lines can't overpower. The movie is a triumphant look at a well-meaning and balanced soul struggling to maneuver through a world that wants to tear her down with every new day. Schmitz embraces the thematic and emotional challenges, and never allows his character the opportunity to easily escape the realities of her life. The film is very well balanced; it doesn't proclaim right or wrong or good or bad. There are no absolutes, only a journey, a steadfastness, a good soul trying to understand and better the world around itself. The performances are nothing short of brilliant; Khomotso Manyaka shines as Chanda. She understands not only the journey but the essence behind her character and her character's place and role in the film. It's an authentic, praiseworthy effort that's expresses the tragedy, goodness, and understanding that shape the character throughout the film.

Life, Above All Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Life, Above All features a startlingly good 1080p Blu-ray transfer. This digital image is razor sharp and features unbeatable clarity; only a handful of smeary-looking shots keep it from perfection. Banding and noise are absent. Shadow detail is superb, and blacks are rich and inky. Fine detail is fantastic; from the opening shots of leaves forward, there's no shortage of well-defined eye candy goodness. Facial textures -- including hair and sweat -- amaze, and viewers will awe at the clarity with which the transfer displays smeary streaks on a kitchen window, the wear and tear on vehicles, and even the pebbly, sandy terrain around town. Colors favor an earthen, pale appearance; the harsh sunlight washes out some of the brighter shades - - Chanda's red backpack, for example -- but the palette is even is perfectly balanced. This is a relatively simple review. Sony's transfer looks fantastic from start to finish, defined by that amazing clarity that makes this a real looker.

Life, Above All Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Life, Above All features an excellent DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's surprisingly active for a dramatically-inclined picture. The track makes full and thorough use of the surround channels. Ambience is seamless, whether light or strong blowing winds, the buzzing of a fluorescent light, rumbling distant thunder, or light falling rain. Music also plays with a prominent but seamlessly-integrated surround structure. Score enjoys impeccable clarity and wonderful, immersive spacing. Even pop music playing over small, tinny speakers sounds realistic, nicely setting the stage for an important early scene featuring Chanda forcibly getting the family's money for Sarah's funeral. Bass is a constant throughout, whether rattling the soundstage with the aforementioned claps of thunder or through the powerful rumbling of various heavy diesel vehicles that seamlessly move from side to side and front to back in several scenes. The track is virtually seamless; Sony's lossless presentation completely immerses the listener into the world of Life, Above All. Rounded into form by pitch-perfect dialogue, this is nothing short of a fabulous track and reference material to be sure for this sort of picture.

Life, Above All Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

A Life, Above All making-of featurette is the only substantive extra included in this release.

• The Making of Life, Above All (480p, 14:09): A brief yet quality overview feature that looks at the purpose behind the film, shooting locales, casting and performances, the challenges of making a movie in a foreign language, working through the local weather conditions, shooting techniques, and more.
• Life, Above All Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:07).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• BD-Live.
• DVD Copy.

Life, Above All Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Life, Above All will challenge its audience to recognize the realities of life in an environment with which they may be completely unfamiliar. The movie showcases universal negatives, but it also demonstrates universal goodness and the power of knowledge, self-reliance, principles, and understanding of how the world works, though not necessarily an understanding of why. The movie is difficult to watch but a rewarding experience for not just its story of courage and steadfastness but for the authentic performances that shape it into a must-see Drama. Sony's Blu-ray release of Life, Above All features stunning 1080p picture quality and a powerful and immersive lossless soundtrack, but skimps on extras. Despite the shortage of supplements, this release earns a solid recommendation.