6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Inspired by the incredible true story of a hairdresser who single-handedly rallies an entire community to help a widowed father save the life of his critically ill young daughter.
Starring: Alan Ritchson, Amy Acker, Hilary Swank, Nancy Travis, Tamala JonesDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Ordinary Angels tells a heartwarming tale of people helping people, even when their own lives may be in considerable disarray. It's an almost deliberately manipulative film that will almost certainly tug at heartstrings and/or produce lumps in the throat, and it's yet another "based on a true story" enterprise that supposedly gives it the imprimatur of authenticity, but it's still a familiar story that may unintentionally provide evidence that when "bad things happen to good people", it's not some Divine Presence that "fixes" things, but everyday human beings. That might seem to be counterintuitive for a so-called "faith based film", but it may be a prime example of "God helps those who help themselves (or others, as the case may be)".
Ordinary Angels is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. As of the writing of this review, the IMDb has virtually no information on the shoot, and I haven't been able to track down any other authoritative online information. Unfortunately, while the making of supplement has a ton of quick shots of the digital cameras utilized, I wasn't able to, well, capture any brand or model number. The capture has been pretty aggressively tweaked in what I'm assuming is the digital grain department to try to get to that "real film" look, but I have to say in some cases I found this approach to be a bit distracting, especially since some scenes have more of the traditionally glossy and sleek appearance of digital capture. That one niggling qualm aside, this is an appealingly detailed presentation that offers some nice renderings of fine detail even in less than fulsome lighting conditions. Once again, the Lionsgate masthead is rife with banding, but I noticed no major compression artifacts in the actual feature. My score is 4.25.
Ordinary Angels features a perhaps unexpected Dolby Atmos track that frankly is probably going to strike some audiophiles as needless, since the Atmos speakers only provide intermittent verticality. Otherwise, though, the track is consistently immersive, both in terms of ambient environmental effects, but also a soundtrack featuring a number of source cues (including "Angels We Have Heard on High", which may strike some as a bit too "on the nose" and/or "head of a pin", as the case may be). Outdoor material in particular, including the calamitous climactic blizzard, offers some well done surround activity. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
I've only semi-jokingly stated that in these past few years of "challenges" that have confronted many of us, most likely unwillingly, I've often turned to Rick and Morty for generous supplies of scabrous humor to take my mind off of "real life". On the "flip side" of that equation, though, I also unapologetically often turn to HGTV for solace, simply because it often features, well, people helping people. In that regard, it may be slightly hilarious that Ed works as a roofer, helping to rehabilitate people's damaged homes. Rehabilitation of lives is a potent subtext of this film, and I'm sure those with an appreciation for "three hankie weepers" who also enjoy so-called "faith based entertainment" will find a lot to like in this film. Others may feel like they're being manipulated to an intense degree, but one way or the other, there is some potent emotional content here, albeit in a very tired and well worn context. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
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