7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A suburban mom, diagnosed with cancer, tries to find the humor in the disease.
Starring: Laura Linney, Oliver Platt, John Benjamin Hickey, Gabriel Basso, Gabourey SidibeDrama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Six-disc set (6 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The human body is "a work of art, an incredible feat of engineering, and a beautiful biological mystery” an eloquent Jimmy Smits says in a particularly well-made television commercial that has been airing lately, advertising a new breakthrough in the battle against cancer called "immunotherapy." Cancer remains one of the most difficult diagnoses one can receive and one of the most frightening words in the English language. It doesn't always mean a death sentence anymore, but for The Big C's Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney), it apparently does. The Showtime Comedy-Drama, which aired for four seasons from 2010-2013, tells the story of an everyday middle-aged woman -- a wife, a mother, a sister, a schoolteacher -- who receives a horrifying diagnosis. She, at first, refuses to tell her family, and the show, at least early on, earns much of its humor, and much of its heart, from her attempts to conceal the truth, to live her life with renewed purpose, and do what she can to fight the disease while keeping her motives in the shadows. As the show moves along, the dynamics shift, but it remains a steadily funny and heartfelt yet somber look at life with a cancer diagnosis hanging over, and changing, everything.
The Big C: The Complete Series' 1080p Blu-ray presentation is fairly typical of Mill Creek's full series TV offerings that tend to cram as many episodes as possible onto as few discs as possible without the image suffering completely detrimental damage. The image looks quite nice at a glance, revealing generally crisp and efficient details and stable colors, but warts begin to appear, and quickly, if one gives it more than a passing glance. Compression issues are the biggest detriment, with backgrounds usually appearing in some level of chaotic disarray in the form of macroblocking. At its best, it's barely visible. At its worst, it's a fairly significant eyesore, which is usually most obvious across solidly colored backgrounds, like interior walls and particularly those of very bland colors, like school hallways. Lower light scenes fare even worse in this regard. Other than that, the image is fairly good, with textural qualities appearing in agreeable complexity. Clothes are one of the primary highlights, with various garments revealing sharp, fairly precise complexities across a number of different fabrics. Skin textures are likewise nicely revealing and stable, as are various location elements both interior and exterior. Colors are lively and generally rich, particularly in well-lit locales. Clothes, again, are the best examples, with surprisingly punchy and stable hues offering enticing visual cues. Skin tones push mildly pasty at times and black levels are sometimes a little dense and overly deep. The image is very imperfect, but its essentials are in good working order. The macroblocking is the worst offending problem, and it's bad enough to limit the image's potential but not always its enjoyability. Fans need approach this one with modest expectations rather than hopes for perfection.
The Big C: The Complete Series features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation is generally fine. Dialogue drives the show, presenting with firm and consistent front-center placement. Clarity and prioritization are likewise fine. Music stretches to the sides, and fairly far at that. Instrumental detailing is very good across the score's generally breezy and light construction; there's not a significant amount of weight to it, or to any component for that matter. A few exceptions creep in here and there, including a paintball attack on a bus in episode two. Environmental fill largely remains up front but usually presents at a complimentary volume. Surrounds are used sparsely throughout the run. The track is efficient and complimentary to the material. There's little need for much beyond what is presented here, and what's presented here is in fairly good working order.
Mill Creek's full series TV releases have, of late, been either packed to the gills with supplements (The Shield, Rescue Me) or entirely barebones (Damages). The Big C: The Complete Series unfortunately falls into the latter category. A few minutes of Internet sleuthing reveals that the first two seasons on DVD, released by Sony, reportedly included various featurettes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. None of that has been ported over here. The six-disc set ships in an extra-large Amaray-style case with each disc on its own hub, most of them on one of the flippable leafs. The package is shipped in a slip box that does include alternate artwork that is not identical to the Blu-ray packaging, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, no DVD or digital copies are included.
The Big C: The Complete Series is a masterful show of human emotion and response to a diagnosis that is tantamount to a death sentence. The show quickly introduces and establishes (and unleashes) Linney's Cathy Jamison but takes its time building the new life that forms around her in the shadow of death. Linney is nothing short of spectacular in the part, breathing life into a dying character with humor, heart, and even some horror as the situation warrants. The story is compelling, Linney's performance is spellbinding, and The Big C is one of the best of the must-watch shows of the past decade. Mill Creek's Blu-ray may not be of tip-top reference quality, and the complete absence of extras is disappointing, but the show is well worth adding to any Blu-ray collection. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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