6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Two determined mothers, one a teacher, look to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children.
Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Oscar Isaac, Holly Hunter, Rosie PérezDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
No one is going to argue that the American K-12 education system is a shining beacon on a hill, illuminating the way for the rest of the world. We all recognize that the U.S. lags behind other developed nations in just about every objectively measurable scholastic category. That's a fact. What we argue about is reform, specifically, what and how to change. Unfortunately, the various sides of the argument tend to oversimplify what is a massively complex issue, each fixating on one area for improvement and holding up their limited ideas as a panacea for the entire broken system. One camp wants better standardized testing. Another wants teacher performance to be more closely regulated. A third agues for parental choice, propping up charter schools or homeschooling as the answer. Teacher pay increases, union rights, progressive education—all have their rabid supporters and detractors, and with such entrenched positioning, there's little room for rational conversation, let alone successful reform. Then there are the bleary-eyed think of the children appeals from every side, miring the whole argument in gooey sentiment.
At first, I couldn't figure why Won't Back Down's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer was so dreary. For the first act, the film's color grading is nearly post-apocalyptic, gray-toned with sucked out color and crushed shadows. But then, as Jamie and Nona make headway in their fight against the system, life is breathed back into the palette until it nearly glows with cheery hues and warm highlights. It's not exactly subtle, thematically, and it's arguably a little too stylized, but it works, I guess. The rest of the transfer does too. Shot on 35mm, the film retains its natural—if a bit chunky—grain structure here, with no evidence of digital noise reduction or overt edge enhancement. The thickness of the grain does cut into overall clarity somewhat, but the image is still plenty sharp, with fine facial and clothing detail that's easily visible in closeups, even from a distance. I didn't spot any obvious compression or encode issues, and it looks to me like the film's Blu-ray presentation is faithful to both the source materials and the filmmakers' stylistic intentions. No real problems here.
Won't Back Down features 20th Century Fox's usual lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which more than sufficiently handles the film's limited sonic demands. As an inspirational drama, dialogue is the priority here, and it's always presented cleanly and clearly, balanced with ease at the top of the mix. Below the voices, you'll usually hear some quiet and not particularly involving ambience in the rear speakers, from blowing wind and pouring rain and other outdoor noises, to classroom chatter, clapping, and hallway sounds. Overtly directional effects are limited, but the film doesn't really need any. This ain't The Expendables 2. Swelling up through and around the ambience is Marcelo Zarvos' lifting score, which uses orchestra-backed piano to set the mood for each scene. Overall, the mix is sharp, dynamic, and tidy, without calling much attention to itself. The disc includes optional Spanish and French dubs and subtitles, English SDH subtitles, and a descriptive audio track.
It should tell you something that Won't Back Down currently holds the record for worst box office performance for a film that opened nationally across 2,500 screens. What that something is is harder to say. Is it that no one wants to see a movie about education? Is it that the film wasn't heavily promoted? Or is it that Won't Back Down is a shill for the powers that would like to corporatized the American education system? How about all of the above? I'm sure there's a niche audience that will appreciate the movie and its agenda, but I suspect they know who they are already. For everyone else, I'd recommend either skipping it entirely—really, there are so many better films about education to watch—or giving it a cautious rental.
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