7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The story of a precocious six-year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure, while the adults around them struggle with hard times.
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera (X)Drama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
If you’ve ever wondered what taking a trip to the so-called Happiest Place on Earth with David Lynch might be like (and who among us hasn’t?), there’s a pretty good cinematic equivalent to be found in the startling if often nonsensical Escape from Tomorrow, certainly one of the more gonzo outings I’ve had show up in my review queue over the many years I’ve been doing this. As bizarre as the actual content of Escape from Tomorrow was, as those who have read our Escape from Tomorrow Blu-ray review may recall, it was actually the guerrilla filming techniques utilized by director Randy Moore and his crew which really put the film on the radar of many viewers. Disneyland and Walt Disney World evidently have very strict rules prohibiting the filming of features on their grounds, and so Moore and his cast and crew simply pretended to be “normal” park visitors as they documented the surreal adventures that suffuse that film. There’s something at least a little similar going on in the closing moments of The Florida Project, a film whose very title alludes to the “top secret” name given to Walt Disney World when it was still in development. While similar to Escape from Tomorrow in terms of its own top secret filming on the grounds of an iconic Disney owned theme park, in other ways The Florida Project is the antithesis of the earlier film, since it attempts to deal in gritty realities rather than near hallucinatory escapades. This bittersweet story revolves around a little girl named Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who, along with her largely destitute mother Halley (Bria Vinaite), lives in a spectacularly purple motel in Orlando cheekily (and just as spectacularly inaccurately) named The Magic Castle, assumedly fairly close to Walt Disney World.
The Florida Project is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. In the "everything old is new again" category, this is now the second offering I've reviewed within just the last few days that has the Kodak logo prominently featured and which was shot on good, old fashioned celluloid. (The other title is another Lionsgate release, The Ballad of Lefty Brown.) The results here are quite lush looking at times, despite the somewhat dowdy settings the bulk of the film take place in, with a palette that is brimming with a sort of Miami Vice-esque range of tones that emphasize rather beautifully vivid purples and pinks. Detail levels are generally excellent throughout, with only a couple of minor deficits in some very dimly lit material in some of the motel and/or hotel rooms. Grain resolves naturally throughout the presentation and gives the entire viewing experience a nicely "thick" looking texture that is very organic looking.
The Florida Project has a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that springs to vigorous life when things like Kool and the Gang's "Celebrate" are featured, but which tends to deal more in longer dialogue scenes, where the bulk of the surround activity comes from well placed ambient environmental sounds. The many outdoor moments do offer some appealing immersion, especially since The Magic Castle is kind of weirdly next to a place where helicopters take off, flights that provide good midrange and panning activity. Dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly on this problem free track.
Not to be too pointed about it, but maybe this film should have been called The Florida Projects, given its low income housing aspect. As a tale that might be thought of as a sort of Childhood's End (so to speak), The Florida Project is both sweet and tart in about equal measure. The storytelling is a little haphazard, but performances ring true throughout. Technical merits are first rate, and The Florida Project comes Recommended.
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