Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Made in America Blu-ray Movie Review

Music and commentary by today's biggest stars. Directed by Ron Howard.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 22, 2014

If music speaks to the soul, then it gives the performing artist a particularly powerful voice not in the simple delivery of lyrics but in the shaping of the very essence of the people to whom, and for whom, he or she performs. Made in America takes a look at a cross-section of mostly modern artists performing at the "Made in America" music festival, meant to bring together music, people, and culture. With that goal in mind, there was no better venue to play host than "The City of Brotherly Love:" Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an American historical icon and, with this festival, its planners and sponsors (Budweiser) and performers hope, a bridge towards a brighter -- and louder -- future. The film, a Documentary directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Rush), takes viewers onto the stage and into the lives of the performers who play on it and a few of the everyday people out on its periphery for a fast and occasionally satisfying look at a production that, in between toe-tapping tunes, gives the artists a platform to share their messages for their vision of the future.

Showtime.

Jay-Z, the performing artist who organized the Made in America festival, says that it was born on the idea of togetherness and America's return to strength following tragedy. He discusses the advancements made in race, citing the nation's first black President, and expresses his desire to push forward with eliminating sexism and homophobia. The concert features a number of performing artists -- Jay Z, Jill Scott, Odd Future, Run DMC, The Hives, D'Angelo, Miike Snow, Santigold, Rita Ora, Passion Pit, Gary Clark, Jr., Janelle Monáe, Dirty Projectors, and Pearl Jam -- while the film also follows the life of a food service provider hoping make money during the concert as well as an elderly lady whose apartment sits near the stage.

Through interviews and the general festival atmosphere captured on film, Made in America efforts to take a look at the power and purpose of music: the feelings, emotions, and messages it can convey not only to a captive audience, but even a passive audience, where a note, a lyric, a felt purpose, an understood need to hear and be heard can seep into one's essence and reshape one's soul. In Made in America, artists also attempt to share their life outlook with audiences in direct interviews, beyond the sometimes subtle, sometimes overt messages in their music. The interviews can get a little political-heavy at times with admonitions of big corporatism, the "1%," and the lack of a living wage for workers. Yet there's also quite a bit of storytelling, about the freedom America provides for an ascension to the top, where dreams are lived, lives are shaped, and voices are heard far and wide, voices that often want to say something, not just sing something. The film features a broad swath of entertainers sharing their life stories and life wishes, including Jay-Z, Janelle Monáe, Joseph Simmons, Pelle Almqvist, D'Angelo, Andrew Wyatt, Skrillex, Rita Ora, Jill Scott, and Eddie Vedder.

Though fans of the artists may find the interview snippets intriguing -- along with the longer Jay-Z segments that are strung throughout the film -- casual observers may feel a little disappointed with the film's structure. Made in America never quite finds a rhythm to go along with its purpose, seeming to string together interviews with little attention given to narrative flow. There are sound bytes and musical numbers aplenty but not much of a cohesive narrative. The film plays more like a collection of mini-documentaries or supplementary features strung together and interspersed with music than it does something with a readily identifiable A-to-B-to-C structure. That's not to diminish what the artists have to say or render the backstage and onstage material uninteresting, but it is to say that the film is best enjoyed for what it is -- something of a jumble of talent interview snippets and music -- rather than what it maybe should have been, something with a purpose beyond serving as a platform for the artists mixed together with festival clips of them performing their most popular songs.

Made in America Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Made in America's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer isn't a sparkling display of high definition goodness, but it gets the job done. Interview and backstage footage generally look nice, with even, crisp details, stable edges, and satisfying colors. Some distant shots offer nice, clear imagery; a rooftop scene featuring Jay-Z overlooking a few city blocks is particularly impressive. Concert footage lags a little behind, however. While tight shots of the performers again provide solid details (guitar wood textures) and colors (Santigold green eyewear), crowd shots tend to favor a lower-quaity, lightly shimmering, washed out, and slightly jagged appearance. Skin textures mostly satisfy across the board, and black levels are deep and accurate during nighttime concert footage. Overall, a solid transfer and one that's rather good for a film that plays with a little bit of an independent, small-budget, point-and-shoot, almost guerrilla filmmaking edge to it.

Made in America Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While Made in America's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack largely satisfies program requirements, it's almost a travesty that a lossless soundtrack wasn't included. In the Blu-ray age and particularly with recently assembled concert footage, lossless is an absolute must. Nevertheless, the lossy 5.1 track at least serves the material well enough, most of the time. Early on, instrumental clarity lacks and lyrics tend to get lost under the supportive music. There's not a good balance in the vocal-to-musical ratio, but it does improve over time. The track begins with a deep, aggressive rumble and growing crowd support that spreads throughout the soundstage, both playing to good, immersive effect. The surround channels are used regularly to deliver music into the stage, but there's never a true, "you are there" sort of feel to the concert footage. The soundtrack provides a little bit of positive city traffic din in chapter 12, representing the major "surround" element beyond the stage and crowd. Dialogue is presented clearly and with suitable definition and accuracy from the center channel. For the most part, this track satisfies, but one cannot help but feel that it could have been so much more.

Made in America Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental features are included with this Blu-ray release of Made in America.

Made in America Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Made in America isn't a particularly great, or even good, music documentary. Fans of the artists in question should enjoy their musical talents and the limited access to them, watching as their heroes share in their candid thoughts on their own life stories and greater desires for man and America, but casual viewers may become quickly disinterested in the lack of cohesion or easily identifiable purpose. Phase 4's Blu-ray release of Made in America delivers solid video, adequate audio (lossless would have helped), and no supplements. Recommended only to die-hard fans of the artists and the festival at which they performed.