Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 15, 2020

Some of you trivia fans may remember that there’s a 1956 film called Somebody Up There Likes Me which purported to be a biography of boxer Rocky Graziano, but had the arguably inaccurate casting of Paul Newman (let’s just say Graziano wasn’t exactly a matinee idol), as well as the maybe unexpected imprimatur of having been directed by Robert Wise. Ronnie Wood: Somebody Up There Likes Me features a figurative pugilist of another sort, one who has been regularly seen pummeling various instruments in a number of iconic groups (including but not limited to The Rolling Stones), but who has also faced and beaten a number of other “nemeses”, including (probably unsurprisingly) alcohol and drugs, as well as cancer. Speaking of unexpected imprimaturs vis a vis directors, this appealing documentary was helmed by the celebrated Mike Figgis.

For those who think of Wood as only someone pummeling various instruments, the documentary actually probably spends as much time documenting Wood's love of art and his own activities in that regard as it does talking about his arguably better known music life. There are a number of touches Figgis adds to the proceedings, as in a kind of quasi-Tarot element that crops up interstitially, but the real strength here is both the interviews, which of course include Wood in abundance, as well as some of the really fun archival video. Wood emerges as a surprisingly down to earth guy who exudes both warmth and perhaps more than a hint of world weariness.

Note: For those who have a little more pocket change, it looks like Eagle Rock is also offering a Deluxe Edition of this release: Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me, though they didn't provide a review copy of this edition so I can't authoritatively opine on any differences.

Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ronnie Wood: Somebody Up There Likes Me is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision, an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (largely) in 1.78:1 (some archival video, including some home movies, can be in narrower aspect ratios). This is a very nice looking presentation virtually all of the time, with both contemporary interview segments as well as some of the "fly on the wall" elements with Wood delivered with excellent clarity and generally great fine detail levels. Even some of the archival video looks surprisingly spry (see screenshot 3), though there can be some obvious deficits in that regard (see screenshot 7).

Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ronnie Wood: Somebody Up There Likes Me features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 tracks, though the fact that Eagle Rock has chosen (as is frequently their custom) to author the disc to default to the stereo track may indicate as well as anything that the surround track is only intermittently effective, understandably in some of the musical moments. As in many of these documentaries featuring famous musicians, the music is often presented in little bursts in between talking head segments or as underscoring, and as such the stereo track may suffice perfectly well for many listeners. Fidelity on both tracks is fine. The disc features optional subtitles in a variety of languages, including English.

Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the supplements are authored together under one timecode (1080p; 28:20), though it's possible to start at any given supplement or utilize the Play All option.

• Live From the Tivoli Theatre, Winborne

  Wee Wee Hours features Imelda May

  
  

  Johnny B. Goode

  
  

  Blue Feeling

• In the Studio finds Wood in one of the kinds of studio he works in. Which kind I won't spoil here.


• Half Man, Half Horse looks at the installation of a Wood sculpture.

Ronnie Wood - Somebody Up There Likes Me Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are a number of supposedly "clever" memes on various social media platforms showing photos of the now obviously getting up there in years members of The Rolling Stones, along with various jokes, but what Ronnie Wood: Somebody Up There Likes Me makes abundantly clear is that Wood at least (and by inference the rest of the Stones, who are here in various capacities) is full of life and energy. This piece is perhaps a little self consciously structured at times, but it offers a wonderful portrait (no pun intended) of a celebrated artist (in any number of media). Technical merits are solid, and the supplements are also very enjoyable. Recommended.