The Making of a Lady Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Making of a Lady Blu-ray Movie Review

Lady vanishes.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 17, 2014

Period pieces are all the rage these days, thanks to the success of “Downton Abbey,” yet “The Making of a Lady” offers a slight deviation from the tea-and-dismissal routine. It’s a thriller, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, hoping to lure viewers in with a portrait of romance before it turns into a semi-horror effort. The intent of the production is clear, but the execution is hopelessly mangled, leaving a picture that commences with dignity and concludes as an absolute mess.

The story of Emily (Lydia Wilson), an average woman selected by Lord James (Linus Roache) to join him in a marriage of convenience, only to find the union tested by professional obligations and the arrival of James’s unhinged cousin, Alec (James D’Arcy), carries itself with a certain confidence in the first half. Exploring the almost business-like union between Emily and James, the effort unearths a gradual warmth that’s believable, highlighting the pair’s growing trust and attraction. It’s familiar but nicely performed by the leads, who show restraint when necessary, setting a delicate but sensual tone that could carry on for the duration of the film.

However, all is not well in James’s palatial estate, especially when he’s called back to duty in India, allowing Alec to return with an agenda to destroy Emily. The potential for sinister business is there, almost Hammer Horror-ish, but director Richard Curson Smith fumbles the second half to such a degree, laughs replace terror. It’s the type of feature where obvious evil exists, but nobody bothers to report it, severing sympathies as logic is punted out the nearest window.

The Making of a Lady Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation does offer a muted color palette in an effort to service the period setting of the piece. Hues aren't explosive, but they are successfully communicated, with stability and accuracy. It's a bright image, but not blown out, leaving fine detail satisfactory with estate interiors and costuming, while facial reactions enjoy a fair amount of texture. Some banding and pockets of noise are detected. Blacks are managed adequately, with only a few examples of crush.

The Making of a Lady Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't emphasize scoring cues, which sound a little too buried on the track, failing to amplify dramatic scenes as required. Dialogue exchanges are more pronounced, with even highs and lows that never seep into distortion, keeping accents crisp. Atmospherics are acceptable, with water and wind elements creating the necessary sounds of outdoor excursions, while violence brings about satisfactory sound effects, such as gunshots and body blows.

The Making of a Lady Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

The Making of a Lady Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The storytelling eventually breaks down entirely, with huge leaps in characterization that ruin the overall tone, forcing Smith to jolt from one incident to the next. "The Making of a Lady" is a bipolar viewing experience, and one that could've successfully bridged extremes with careful direction and a longer run time. Instead, it packs a considerable amount of narrative into a 90 minute effort, effectively ruining its dramatic potential.