7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Follows Eric, a Manchester-based postman, who finds himself in a personal crisis because of his broken heart and chaotic family life.
Starring: Steve Evets, Eric Cantona, Gerard Kearns, Stephanie Bishop, Stefan GumbsSport | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | 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)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
An optional English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 track is also available (48kHz/256kbps).
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Nominated for Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, British director Ken Loach's "Looking for Eric" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Icon Home Entertainment. Legendary Manchester United F.C. footballer Eric Cantona has a significant cameo performance in the film. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are the documentary "United We Stand" (with a special appearance by current Manchester United F.C. manager Sir Alex Ferguson); "Another City", a short by director Ken Loach on Bath City Football Club; a 40-minute Q&A at the BFI featuring director Ken Loach, actor Steve Evets, and Eric Cantona; music video; deleted scenes; and more. Subtitled in English. Region-Free.
In trouble
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ken Loach's Looking for Eric arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Icon Home Entertainment.
This is a lovely transfer! As intended by director Loach, many of the indoor scenes have a distinctively warm look, with natural light playing a very important part in them. Contrast varies but detail is consistent. The outdoor scenes are much more vibrant, though still having that typical for director Loach's films raw look. The color-scheme is also rather unique - soft browns, greens, blues, reds and blacks are prominent throughout the film. Additionally, edge enhancement and macroblocking are not an issue of concern. The film's grain structure is also fully intact. Aside from a few flecks, the transfer looks very healthy - there are no large debris, scratches, dirt, or stains. Finally, when blown through a digital projector, Looking for Eric remains pleasingly stable. All in all, I don't have any serious reservations with Icon Home Entertainment's disc - it looks good, and I have absolutely no problem recommending it to you. (Note: Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as being Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. Please note that there is no PAL or 1080i/50 content preceding the main menu).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1 (a descriptive audio track is included as well). I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.
Looking for Eric is primarily a dialog-driven feature, which is one of the key reasons why you would not detect a great deal of activity in your surround speakers. The sub only occasionally comes to life as well. On the other hand, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. The discrete music score blends quite well with it. For example, there are a few key scenes during the second half of the film where the background music serves the story remarkably well. For the record, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track lacks the depth, crispness and clarity of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Even during casual conversations, it is fairly easy to notice that the Dolby Digital 5.1 track is inferior. Finally, I did not detect any serious technical issues with it to report in this review. For the record, Icon Home Entertainment have provided English HOH subtitles for the main feature.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America, or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.
United We Stand - an informative documentary in which director Ken Loach talks about what it means to be a fan of the beautiful game. Current Manchester United F.C. manager Sir Alex Ferguson also shares his thoughts on the appeal of the great game, what it means for ordinary people, etc. Ordinary football fans also talk about Eric Cantona's move from Leeds to Manchester United F.C., the impact it had on their lives. The documentary also touches upon the Heysel and Hillsborough tragedies, the profitable businesses football has become in recent years, etc. Not subtitled. (29 min).
Another City - a short by director Ken Loach on Bath City Football Club. Not subtitled. (26 min).
Happy Ending - a lovely short about a father and his son trying to decide what film to see at their local cinema. Not subtitled. (4 min).
Music Video - the main theme from the film. (4 min).
Deleted Scenes - a gallery of deleted scenes. Not subtitled. (12 min).
Directors selected shots - a selection of hilarious clips from the film. Not subtitled. (12 min).
Q and A - 40 min of questions and answers at the BFI featuring director Ken Loach, Steve Evets, and Eric Cantona. The gentlemen cover a variety of topics ranging from their work on the film, its message, to the similarity between "playing" football and "playing" in a film, etc. Fantastic! (49 min).
Theatrical Trailer- Not subtitled. (1 min).
British director Ken Loach's Looking for Eric is a warm, hilarious yet genuinely sad film about a man trying to get back on his feet. The film harbors a few of the director's favored social overtones, but it is undoubtedly one of his least controversial works. Legendary footballer Eric Cantona has a key part in the film. Icon Home Entertainment's Blu-ray treatment of Looking for Eric is solid. Their disc also arrives with a number of terrific supplemental features. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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