6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
A superstar singer and her overworked personal assistant are presented with a choice that could alter the course of their respective careers.
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Bill Pullman, Zoe ChaoRomance | 100% |
Music | 67% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The High Note is a film about a diva, and perhaps a diva wannabe. The fact that co-star Tracee Ellis Ross is the daughter of Diana Ross, and the corollary fact that utilizing either “Diana Ross diva” or “Diana Ross diva behavior” as search queries in your favorite internet sleuth app will result in an almost astounding array of examples reaching back decades (and some of which evidently included Tracee Ellis Ross, at least as a bystander), might lead some to think that The High Note is a slightly fictionalized account of the erstwhile Supreme(s) leader (sorry). If that's the case, though, it might lead to a veritable slew of new questions about the Rosses, including who Diana's favorite personal assistant might be and who Tracee Ellis Ross' secret (half? step?) brother might be. But, more about all of that in due course. The High Note is one of those completely preposterous outings that supposedly gives everyone the "real" skivvy on what it's like to have an entertainment industry career, or at least a career that's a tangent to an entertainment industry career, as in the case of hard working personal assistant Maggie Sherwoode (Dakota Johnson). Maggie works for onetime superstar Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross), who hasn't released an album in years and who is ostensibly probably best remembered as one of those "WEHT" trivia questions, if she's remembered at all, though that said, in just one of this film's completely unrealistic elements, Grace is still on the cover of People and has huge billboards featuring her towering over the San Fernando Valley. And for someone who hasn't had a hit in years, she lives in a completely luxurious style with private jets, a mansion and a sleek sports car. But The High Note wants to proffer Grace as a woman with a career problem while also offering her up as a regularly touring artist playing huge arena venues. Which is it? In the "career problem" category, the film takes the tack that she at least has enough of a fan base that her manager, Jack Robertson (Ice Cube), can get her a "residency" in Las Vegas, and arrange for live albums of Grace churning out her long ago hits.
The High Note is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Studios with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Perhaps surprisingly for a film which (arguably due to the pandemic) was a more or less straight to video release, this was finished at a 4K DI (according to the IMDb) from raw data captured by Arri Alexa 65 cameras. The closing credits also offer Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos credits, neither of which have made it to this release. All of that said, this is a typically sharp and well detailed looking presentation. Fine detail is generally beautifully rendered throughout the presentation, and is especially noticeable on some of Grace's more luxe outfits. The palette also pops with quite a bit of power and authenticity, and even "little" elements like Grace's blood red lipstick really look gorgeously suffused. A few of the interior recording studio or even "live" performance segments can look just slightly murky at times.
The High Note features a boisterous DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track that understandably explodes into its most energetic life during some of the musical moments. The onstage sequences featuring Grace belting out her hits of yesteryear offer really forceful moments that have some especially strong lower end activity courtesy of thumping bass and kick drums. Even some of the more folkish moments courtesy of David's tunes offer good surround activity. There's a glut of outdoor material which also provides good use of the side and rear channels for ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free track.
With tongue only slightly in cheek, I might suggest that had The High Note only worked in some kind of murder mystery, it may well have been the first Agatha Christie musical, given its denouement which offers a "hidden" connection between two characters. That supposed surprise in this case may be telegraphed to even the semi-alert well before it's officially doled out. Fans of the cast will probably find this an appealing enough time passer, and technical merits are solid for those considering a purchase.
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