Two men from different worlds form an unexpected friendship in the incredibly moving film Green Book from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. With exceptional filmmaker lineage, Participant Media and DreamWorks Pictures’ Green Book is directed by Peter Farrelly and stars 2019 Golden Globe nominee Viggo Mortensen and 2019 Oscar & Golden Globe winner Mahershala Ali alongside Linda Cardellini. The critically acclaimed and “hugely entertaining” Green Book is the winner of three 2019 Oscar and Golden Globe awards including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Mahersala Ali and Best Screenplay.
Filled with acclaimed performers, Green Book on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD includes three featurettes that will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how the actors and filmmakers brought the characters to film and the true story that inspired it.
Plot: Dr. Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist, who is about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony Lip, a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighbourhood in the Bronx. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.
Director: Peter Farrelly
Aspect Ratio: 2.00 : 1
Runtime: 130 min
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 78% & IMDB 8.3/10
Review:
This movie was shot with ARRIRAW camera’s in a 3.4K format and given a 2K Digital Intermediate. As per the norm with UHD releases, it was also given a HDR color grade for your viewing pleasure.
When it comes to the visuals, the presentation of this film carries a very clean image and there is some grain, but not too much. Where the HDR can be highlighted is in the various scenic shots on the road. You will see vast amounts of oranges, reds and greens of fall turn into the dead of winter. I’m not exaggerating, almost every countryside shot was above par. Even though all the scenery looked amazing, the biggest highlight might have to be the aqua-colored 1962 Cadillac Sedan DeVille. Beyond the color looking great atop asphalt, it also has very large windows which gives great lighting to feature the interior and the characters in it.
As with most discs on the UHD format, you will get great detail in all the character close-up’s. This means you will get deep pores, beard stubble, wrinkles, blemishes, sweat, etc. On top of that you will see added details with textures on suits, various pieces of clothing, building interior, etc. It’s a pretty decent jump over the Blu-ray, especially in the clarity and sharpness.
Moving forward, the black levels are solid, even excellent at some points. You will see this aspect highlighted in the various concerts and during all of the scenes that take place at night. Echoing prior notes, the best points are seen again in the conversations inside the car due to the great lighting — or lack thereof at night. The in your face moments will have the highest effect, but you could still notice the solid contrast and shadows in subtle things like low-lit bars or outside the venues. Some points I noted for the black levels include scenes in Chapter 11 & 15.
As you can tell, there weren’t too many specific lengthy scenes to highlight (without echoing the same thing) — but that’s not to say they weren’t there. The vast amounts of conversations in the car and the surrounding scenery steal the show time after time. I didn’t want to repeat myself too much — just know that it’s always apparent and a constant highlight.
A scene I did not was when they were pulled over by the police in the pouring rain. The blacks hold while the picture stays sharp under the heavy rain — while little details still hold like constant rain dropping of the hat of the officers or dry clothes becoming wet. Another small glimpse can be seen in Chapter 19 during the final few minutes of the film — all the snow in New York looks amazing falling from the sky pilling up on the ground. It’s only a few seconds here and there — but it’s noteworthy.
My two cents on the movie? There was just something about this film that worked (for me) from beginning to end. Maybe it was the story, maybe it was the acting, the writing, the relationship between the two characters, the music, the meaning behind the story — it was probably all of it. The story is simple, but there are so many layers to it, all of which are put on the backs of Viggo Mortensen & Mahershala Ali. They stand tall and give amazing performances which is why I picked this as my Top Film of 2018 and also Best Picture — I still stand by that. I understand the real-life drama behind this film, but I hope it doesn’t take away from you or anyone else giving it a watch.
“You never win with violence. You only win when you maintain your dignity.”
You can own Green Book on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital right now! This is a great disc and it comes highly recommended!
Cheers,
Matt.
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