7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A single mother of two young children, whose husband left her for a family friend, leaves the security of her small hometown and moves to East Harlem and begins teaching violin to support her family. She didn't have extensive experience to offer the school; she had her talent, her determination, and her violins. At first, the kids, the parents, and the principal were skeptical. But, Roberta taught with such passion that it was infectious and soon her young violinists were manifesting incredible results. Despite her success, after 10 years of teaching, the Board of Education eliminates her position due to budget cuts, and Roberta fights back. Based on the true story of Roberta Guaspari-Tzavaras and her passion for teaching.
Starring: Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Angela Bassett, Gloria Estefan, Cloris LeachmanMusic | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I thought you'd be in Carnegie Hall by now.
There's something inherently magical about the power of music. Unlike film, for instance, music is largely a single-sense experience. One may close
the eyes, shut out everything else, and soak in the music, allow it to truly permeate the body, run through the blood, and, when it's really that
good -- played beautifully and sourced from a master work -- it can literally wash away stress, create a sense of peace and satisfaction, clear the
mind, and relax the body. Then there's the other side of music, the person and his or her instrument making it. Dedication to music is unlike
dedication to anything else. It's like learning to speak another language, and fluency doesn't just come from the tip of the tongue or rote
memorization but rather, usually,
a full-body appreciation and application. Even if it's the lips or fingers making it happen, that same need to allow the music to flow from within, to
feel and to
love it rather than merely make it is what sets apart those who dabble in music and those who perform at Carnegie Hall. Music
of
the Heart is a heartwarming, honest picture about one woman's passion for music -- and teaching music -- set against the backdrop of her
topsy-turvy search for true love which, just maybe, she's already found in her violin and her children, both her own children and those to whom she
teaches
music. It's a somewhat predicable film with an unimaginative arc, but it's in the little details, in that real personal honesty, that makes the movie a
success.
"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice!"
Music of the Heart features a somewhat disappointing high definition transfer. At best, it's an adequate image and at its worst in need of a whole lot of TLC. Generally, the image looks quite pasty and flat; there's no grain, intricate skin textures are largely nonexistent, and only basic details on clothes and surfaces are present. Clarity is decent, but the image suffers from some occasional softness both around the edges and, occasionally, center frame, including runny, unfocused, and wobbly opening titles. Colors are a bright spot; the palette certainly isn't robust but it's never dull and the transfer displays various hues on clothing and backgrounds nicely enough. A few edge halos are present, as are a plethora of pops and speckles that cover the entirety of the film. This is far from being an unwatchable transfer, but it's something of a disappointment next to some of the other, better transfers released by Echo Bridge of late.
Music of the Heart's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack is rather superficial. It's a basic sort of track with little range and good, but not great, clarity, a shame for a movie that's all about music. The good news is that the general musical elements aren't bad. The track finds some very nice, smooth violin notes, whether solo play and rehearsal or big concert sounds at a school performance or inside Carnegie Hall. The track finds a jolt of energy when a Pop tune blares into the stage with solid energy and very good clarity during a chapter eleven montage; the music practically dances right out of the speakers, the result of a nice combination of volume and accuracy. Some of the other heavy sound effects, scattered as they may be, don't rate quite so highly. A train rumbling across the stage comes across as little more than a blob of loud sound, and the din of yelling schoolchildren fighting over the newly arrived violins offers little in the way of authentic clarity. Fortunately, dialogue is clear and largely robust. This is far from a total loss of a track, but a superior presentation would do wonders for the overall experience.
Music of the Heart cottons a commentary track, deleted scenes, musician interviews and a couple of additional short extras.
Music of the Heart may lack dramatic nuance -- the plot arc is nothing new and it's largely predictable -- but it's the little things that make the movie shine. It's heartfelt and infinitely charming, very authentic and noble in its pursuit and execution. Meryl Streep is superb, as always, and Wes Craven shows he's more than a one-genre filmmaker. While it's not as memorable as other rags-to-riches inner-city academia films, Music of the Heart figuratively sings and literally warms the soul. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Music of the Heart delivers a good supplemental section. Video and audio could be better. Recommended considering the strength of the film and the price of the disc.
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Warner Archive Collection
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40th Anniversary Edition
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