6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly are rivals in business: he working for Fox Sons, a chain of discount bookstores; she owning a tiny bookshop of her own. However, unaware of their true identities, Kathleen and Joe have begun communicating anonymously via an e-mail chat room, building a strong and caring relationship without ever revealing their names.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Heather BurnsRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 97% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Before Facebook and social networking, before high-speed internet connections and streaming HD video, before online giant AOL fell to the back of the dubya-dubya-dubya-dot pack, e-mail was already in the process of altering the social landscape forever. For the first time in history, correspondence was free, instantaneous and available to everyone with internet access and a keyboard; an unprecedented, groundbreaking, world-changing leap into the future that, even now, most people take for granted. But few could have predicted how radically e-mail would alter relationships. Identity suddenly became subjective, anonymity was all at once a common trait, names and faces were rapidly being replaced with usernames and avatars. And wherever miscommunication and misrepresentation reside, dear readers, the Hollywood rom-com machine is never far behind. Enter Sleepless in Seattle writer/director Nora Ephron's You've Got Mail...
Kathleen establishes a few ground rules...
Sunny and inviting, Warner's commendable 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer delivers a pleasant but slightly flawed presentation that shows some signs of its age. While black levels struggle to commit, John Lindley's seasonal colors are enchanting, fleshtones are attractive (despite some intermittent oversaturation) and contrast is delightful from beginning to end. Detail is also impressive, even though some softness prevents every shot from living up to the standards set by its most refined scenes. Object definition is clean, fine textures are reasonably resolved and delineation is, by and large, more revealing than I expected. Those who spend any significant time with You've Got Mail will start to notice its wrinkles though. Some obvious ringing proves to be a regular distraction, the film's grainfield is a tad sporadic, and small, infrequent bursts of artifacts will catch the eyes of diligent videophiles. Otherwise, there isn't really much to complain about that isn't inherent to Lindley's at-times soft photography. Serious problems are few and far between and the biggest criticism I can muster is that the presentation is dated (for lack of a better term). All things considered, rom-com fans won't bat an eye, especially those who compare the Blu-ray release to its homely DVD counterpart.
Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track doesn't have much to offer, aside from a cheery but overly conventional romantic comedy mix. Dialogue, the film's most winning sonic feature, is clean, intelligible and well-prioritized, effects are crisp and precise, and George Fenton's playful score makes its way across the soundfield in due time. The rear speakers aren't aggressive at all -- this is a front-heavy affair through and through -- but they aren't silent either. Although some affable ambience and cozy acoustics warrant a nod, little else stands out. The same could be said of the LFE channel. Its earnest efforts are certainly appreciated, but it doesn't attract the sort of attention that will earn it any lasting affection. Not that rom-com regulars will expect much more. You've Got Mail is a chatty genre pic and Warner's lossless mix, however humble, handles everything Ephron tosses its way with relative ease.
The Blu-ray edition of You've Got Mail ports over nearly all of the special features from the film's 2008 Deluxe Edition DVD release, including a second full-length film: The Shop Around the Corner starring none other than Jimmy Stewart. You have to toss in the 2-disc set's standard DVD to find it, but considering Warner's $15 price point, I doubt many people will complain.
You've Got Mail attempts to capitalize on Hanks and Ryan's Sleepless in Seattle chemistry but never quite taps into its predecessor's breezy Northwestern magic. More timely than timeless, it's a sweet and funny romantic comedy and nothing more. Warner's Blu-ray release doesn't exactly excel either, but it also doesn't disappoint all that much. Its aging video transfer is colorful and commendable, its somewhat flat DTS-HD Master Audio track is adequate and its already generous supplemental package even includes a second feature film (albeit in standard definition). All in all, it's a decent catalog release that can be snagged at for a good price.
2006
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