The Road to Mother Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Road to Mother Blu-ray Movie Review

The official selection for Best Foreign Language Film by Kazakhstan.

The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) is a drama exploring the importance of family and the love between mother and son. The official selection of the country of Kazakhstan, The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) was submitted to the Academy Awards for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Produced by Anna Chakirtova (Paris Song, The Legend of Tomiris).

The film explores the epic journey of the people of Kazakhstan as the country undergoes the tides of war, poverty, and hopelessness – including separation from family – to the unending yearning of the human heart to reunite. As a young boy becomes separated from his beloved mother (only to grow up in to a man enmeshed in war), The Road to Mother explores the son's journey back home.

The cast includes Bolat Abdilmanov, Berik Aitzhanov, Adil Akhmetov, Aruzhan Jazilbekova, and Aitynai Nogherbek. The ensemble cast managed to imbue some genuine sentimentality in to the performances. Though none of the actors seem to be especially nuanced performers, the actors managed to convey their parts with tenderness.

A mother's unending love.

The cinematography by Khasan Kydyraliyev (The Liquidator, The Light Thief) is one of the more ambitious elements of the production. The filmmaking has many wide canvas shots that show the country landscape in a compelling way. The visuals are a big part of the filmmaking and the story approach. A decent effort by Kydyraliyev.

The screenplay by Timur Zhaksylykov (Ona, Strayed) walks a fine line between ambitious drama and Lifetime “made-for- television” filmmaking. The story is emotionally resonant and will pull at heart strings. However, the script is also a bit over-the-top at times and will remind viewers of a TV film periodically. The script is certainly one of the weaker elements of the production – even if it has a wonderful message at the core.

Directed by Akan Satayev (Rayony, Ona), The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) attempts to be a sweeping epic. The film doesn't manage to be as effective as it wants to be. The film simply never manages to reach that scale. However, the pathos of the film – the heart of the story – is about the importance of mothers. The message is beautiful and heartwarming and that is reason enough to experience The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol).

The Road to Mother Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. A worthwhile presentation, the encode is generally solid throughout. The film retains the style of cinematography nicely.

Colors don't leap off the screen always as the style is minimalistic but the presentation seems to hold true to the intended aesthetics of cinematographer Khasan Kydyraliyev. The encode has a few moments of compression woes – however, nothing significant enough to distract from enjoying the film. Nonetheless, a strong enough presentation that will please audiences.

The Road to Mother Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes two lossless audio options: Kazakh DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and Kazakh DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. English subtitles are provided. The surround sound is minimalistic sounding throughout the presentation. Sound effects are occasionally implemented in to the presentation but are never especially showy. The emphasis is on dialogue reproduction. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. An effective lossless audio track.

The Road to Mother Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Making of The Road to Mother (HD, 6:24) is a brief behind-the-scenes featurette. The piece doesn't delve in to interviews or detailed information about the production much. This is mostly background footage of the crew working on The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol).

The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:36)

The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) Alternate Trailer (HD, 1:04)

The Road to Mother Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Road to Mother (Anaga aparar jol) is a moving story about the powerful love between mother and son. Though the filmmaking is a bit stilted at times (most likely due to an underdeveloped film industry within Kazakhstan), there are enough elements at play that work that the film is worth checking out. The Blu-ray release features a decent video-audio presentation and includes a handful of supplements. Recommended.