6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A woman and her daughter emigrate from Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family where the patriarch is a newly celebrated chef with an insecure wife.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, Paz Vega, Cloris Leachman, Shelbie BruceComedy | 100% |
Romance | 97% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Writer/Director James L. Brooks may not be the prototypical Hollywood "household name" that gets the recognition from and sells tickets to the masses, but his writing and filmmaking accomplishments place him in Tinseltown's top-tier of creative artists who have left an indelible mark on the cinema landscape. Films like Broadcast News and As Good As It Gets are certainly going to be remembered as amongst greatest achievements, but one of his second-level works is Spanglish, an Adam Sandler Comedy/Drama about life and understanding it from and through cultural and language barriers but also the universal language of the human condition. It's an honest, sharp, and well-made movie with plenty of dramatic muscle, a sense of humor, and a big heart. It's imperfect, sure, but as a slice-of-life movie that attempts to depict real characters who are very human and very vulnerable, it works very well.
This could be...awkward...or exciting...
Spanglish is yet another "Choice Collection" Blu-ray release that exceeds expectations. Even as it's just burned onto a BD-R disc and "manufactured on demand," Sony hasn't released an inferior product, at least where it really counts on the technical side of the ledger. Like Little Women and Not Another Teen Movie, Spanglish features an attractively filmic 1080p transfer, retaining a light grain structure and high level detailing. Faces aren't quite as finely, intimately complex as they might be on the best releases, but natural skin details and depth are nevertheless impressive. Clothing, too, is rich and complex while plenty of background and foreground nicknacks around the films various locations sparkle with high-yield clarity and natural sharpness. That's not even to mention plenty of gorgeous and well defined exterior elements seen throughout. Colors are many and nicely saturated. The palette does push towards a noticeable warmth, particularly evident on flesh tones which range from close to neutral to fairly red, but there's no missing the diversity and punch on display throughout. Black levels hold deep and natural. Print wear is imperceptible if it's there and no serious encode flaws are readily apparent. Despite the crude peripherals, Sony has yet again impressed with a "Choice Collection" release.
Spanglish's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack isn't exactly awash in dynamic, high end sound, but the film doesn't call for that. With the exception of a high-speed convertible car gust of air that blows through the stage at one point in the film -- complete with a convincing overhead sensation even without the added top-layer channels -- there's not much here beyond light music, atmospherics, and dialogue. Music is appropriately clear, largely the property of the fronts and wide enough to please. Basic ambient effects like chops and clanks in a kitchen or background din at a restaurant bring such environments to convincing life. Dialogue is the movie's lifeblood, however, and it's presented clearly and firmly in the front-center channel. It's always well prioritized, though precious little really competes with it, anyway.
Spanglish contains two supplements that are accessible in-film only via the Pop-Up Menu. No Top Menu is included. The
release's physical
characteristics is typical of the "Choice Collection" line: crude disc artwork, a needlessly large case, inelegant sleeve printing,
and even a capitalization
typo in the special
features listing (nobody's perfect). It's very utilitarian.
Spanglish may not be the best "modern family" movie of the 21st century, and it's certainly not even the finest film in the James L. Brooks canon, but it's a very capable, well made, strongly performed, and evenly varied piece that examines the human condition through and around a couple of key barriers, natural and manufactured alike. It's well paced even at over two hours and is a comfortable film that balances ease of access with deeper smarts. Sony's "Choice Collection" Blu-ray features very strong 1080p video, a capable lossless soundtrack, and a couple of DVD-era extras. Recommended.
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Lucía y el sexo | Unrated Director's Cut
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