5.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A struggling single mom who works at a posh Manhattan hotel and dreams of a better life for her and her young son meets a hotel guest and senatorial candidate who mistakes her for a wealthy socialite.
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Stanley Tucci, Tyler PoseyComedy | 100% |
Romance | 89% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Today's a new day; anything's possible.
Once upon a time, an actress named Jennifer Lopez was all the rage and starring in a string of
diverse
films, from the pseudo-Horror picture Anaconda to the
nuptial Comedy The Wedding Planner, from the art house Chiller The Cell to the
epically-decried Gigli. A sensation on both stage and screen and enjoying exceptional
success across two entertainment mediums, the breakthrough star of the late 1990s is perhaps
most widely known for the Romantic Comedy hit Maid in Manhattan, a charming little
Cinderella Story fairy tale of a movie that's as simple as it is endearing, and while it's not the
highlight of the genre, it's a better-than-serviceable outing that pairs Lopez against the more
stalwart Ralph Fiennes (The Hurt Locker) as
the leading couple in a predictable but heartfelt rags-to-riches romp through the world of politics,
high society, and the crude underbelly of the service industry. Directed by Wayne Wang (Last Holiday) and
based on a John Hughes (Ferris Bueller's Day
Off) story, Maid in Manhattan offers nothing new to its genre and wields a
tale seemingly as old as tales themselves, but this modern take on a classic yarn delivers the
standby feel-good theme admirably, innocently, and engagingly enough.
A maid no more.
Maid in Manhattan serves up a clean and sharp 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. Not the most pristine image available on Blu-ray though technically proficient in every area, Maid in Manhattan looks rather good throughout, particularly in the transfer's ability to deliver a healthy film-like image. Fine detail appears as above-average throughout the film, whether lines and textures in Marisa's brown and homely woven sweater; the nicely-appointed furnishings in the hotel proper; or the less glamorous, somewhat harsh and workmanlike underbelly that houses the maintenance department. The image boasts superb clarity and a good sense of depth; there are practically no unwanted artifacts to speak of, and while the picture's grain structure is minimalist in nature, it does aid in delivering a handsome film-like texture. Colors remain neutral yet nicely and naturally rendered throughout, blacks appear as rich and deep, and flesh tones retain a healthy appearance. Maid in Manhattan looks borderline exceptional all things considered; Sony has once again gone above and beyond the call of duty for a catalogue title that warrants, but doesn't seemingly demand, a well-above-average video transfer.
Maid in Manhattan delivers a neat and tidy Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Much like the video presentation, this mix plays out as far better and richer than one might expect of it. Music enjoys strong clarity throughout the entire range and delivers a good sense of space; of note is a particularly punchy low end that accompanies one of the musical montages later in the film, the subwoofer chiming in frequently during the piece of music and churning out a healthy dosage of bass that's wonderfully tight and convincing. The track also does well to take full advantage of the various locales, delivering a good deal of lifelike ambience. Outdoor city shots are wonderfully realized, the track positively enveloping listeners in a cacophony of sound, whether howling sirens, squealing brakes, background pedestrian footsteps and chatter, or the maneuvering of automobiles down the street and, by extension, through the listening area with a smooth transition from one speaker to the next. Interiors fare equally well, particularly the busy and bustling maintenance area where the hotel's laundry facilities and the maid's locker rooms are housed. Strong dialogue reproduction rounds out a natural-sounding track that's certainly not of the explosive and adrenaline-charged kind, but for a Romantic Comedy, it's surprisingly rich and satisfying in its own unique way.
This Blu-ray release of Maid in Manhattan contains only a blooper reel (480i, 7:18); BD-Live connectivity; and 1080p trailers for Made of Honor and This Christmas.
Sufficiently funny, delightfully irresistible, surprisingly moving, and made for the hopeless romantic inside every viewer, Maid in Manhattan isn't a shining beacon of hope for the future of the Romantic Comedy, but it's a fine example of what the genre is all about, the picture innocent, easy, predictable, and mot importantly, fun. Competently made and nicely acted, there's nothing terribly wrong with the movie even if it is barely distinguishable from any number of other Cinderella stories and fairy tales with a modern setting and twist, but Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes inject a personality and vigor into the movie that only accentuates its generic but heartfelt theme of finding true love in the most inconsequential of places and between two compatible souls, even if they come from different social and economic classes. Sony's Blu-ray release of Maid in Manhattan boasts fine technical specifications, but the disc is unfortunately lacking in substantive bonus materials. Nevertheless, fans of the film will be pleased with the high definition presentation. Maid in Manhattan is another technically-sound catalogue offering from Sony, earning it a solid recommendation.
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