6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
"Mr. Church" tells the story of a unique friendship that develops when a little girl and her dying mother retain the services of a talented cook - Henry Joseph Church. What begins as a six month arrangement instead spans fifteen years, and creates a family bond that lasts forever.
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson, Lucy Fry, Natascha McElhone, Xavier SamuelDrama | 100% |
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
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Admit it: one of the signal pleasures of watching the Academy Award broadcasts is when a major category is announced and they put little thumbnails up on the screen of all the nominees sitting in the audience, just so the viewers at home can experience collective schadenfreude as four of the nominees see their hopes and dreams crushed with the announcement of someone else’s name as the winner. It’s often kind of funny to see the forced smiles and halting applause that some of these “insta-losers” employ, but in some other cases, there are brief flashes of shock and obvious disappointment. One such example of the latter situation came a few years ago when Eddie Murphy got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work in Dreamgirls. It had been a rough few years for Murphy, what with his much publicized interaction with a transvestite who ended up getting arrested, and (probably more saliently for Hollywood types) his declining fortunes as a supposedly guaranteed box office marquee attraction. Dreamgirls was seen (probably rightly) as a major comeback for Murphy, and when he took home the Golden Globe that year it seemed he was on the fast track to receive an Oscar statuette as well. Alas, Alan Arkin ended up winning for Little Miss Sunshine , in what was probably as much of a “career award” as any recognition for this particular performance (as touching as it was). Murphy did his best to smile and clap at the announcement of Arkin as the victor, but there’s a noticeable look of surprise that crosses his face, at least for a moment. It’s not hard to imagine director Bruce Beresford convincing Murphy to take the title role in Mr. Church with promises of more award season celebrations, though my hunch is despite the best of intentions (and you know where those lead), Murphy’s work in this sweet natured but overwrought piece probably won’t get him into the inner sanctum of Academy Award nominees, let alone the winner’s circle (I could see a Golden Globe nomination for Murphy in the bifurcated categories they offer, something which in and of itself offers chances for more nominees to receive recognition).
Mr. Church is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The film's closing credits state that this was shot with Arri Alexa cameras, and it has the typically smooth, sleek and generally well detailed appearance of this digital capture technology. The film doesn't really provide a lot of opportunities for "wow" visuals, though occasional shots of outdoor environments are relatively scenic and look nicely suffused within what is generally a pretty warm, even buttery looking, palette. Detail levels are generally very good, and the lack of really dark sequences means there's relatively little digital murk on display. That said, there are sudden pretty noticeable spikes in noise at certain moments, not tied to any dark scenes (pay attention at circa 18:00 for an especially bad moment).
Mr. Church features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that derives some sonic energy from its titular character's love of jazz, which plays throughout the film. While music provides some of the most consistent surround activity, the film does a good job of creating lifelike ambiences with regard to both outdoor noises and even the more cloistered environments of the various homes the characters live in. Fidelity is fine, though dynamic range is pretty limited.
Murphy plays it straight throughout Mr. Church, and while the character gets the chance to rant a couple of times, especially later in the film, Murphy's very tamped down tenor is one of the film's drawbacks. That leaves most of the heavy performance lifting in Robertson's hands, and she's actually quite effective throughout the film. Unfortunately neither McMartin's writing nor Beresford's direction help create anything very emotionally moving. Technical merits are generally very good for those considering a purchase.
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