Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
|
The Ledge [Blu-ray]
(Matthew Chapman, 2011)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Film & Entertainment VIP Medienfonds 4 GmbH & Co. KG Video: MPI
Disc: Region: 'A'-locked (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:40:50.044 Disc Size: 24,974,371,521 bytes Feature Size: 18,047,797,248 bytes Video Bitrate: 19.97 Mbps Chapters: 14 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: September 27th, 2011
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.78:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2526 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2526 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, none
Extras: • Interview with Charlie Hunnam (26:26 in 480i) • Interview with Patrick Wilson (18:43 in 480i) • Interview with writer/director Matthew Chapman (19:40 in 480i) • Interview with Mark Damon - Producer (28:48 in 480i) • Interview with Michael Mailer - Producer (12:01 in 480i) • Trailer (2:06 in 1080P)
Bitrate:
Description: Gavin (Charlie Hunnam, Cold Mountain) is on the ledge. Hollis (Terrence Howard, Crash), who just learned that he is not the biological father of his children, is tasked with talking Gavin down. Their conversation eventually reveals Gavin s deep-rooted conflict with his fundamentalist Christian neighbor Joe (Patrick Wilson, Watchmen), whose theological opposition to Gavin was intensified by Gavin s gay roommate and later by Joe s wife's infidelity. The negotiations take a drastic turn when Hollis learns that Gavin has a deadline, and his life is not the only one hanging in the balance. Writer/director Matthew Chapman (Runaway Jury) returns after a long hiatus to helm this unpredictable thriller that asks challenging questions about faith and reason; the nature of belief; and the value of human life. *** Atop a high-rise building, Gavin, a young hotel manager, is about to end his life. Hollis, a detective whose own world... has just been turned upside down, is dispatched to the scene. As Hollis tries to persuade Gavin not to jump, each man begins to open up about his past, and we discover that neither of them is convinced that his life is worth living.
The Film:
“The Ledge,” it should be noted, is not dumb. What undoes it is
its mechanical structure: a stale dramatic formula of the sort taught in
elementary playwriting classes. Although it affects an attitude of being
fair and balanced as its poses Big Questions about faith and the
existence of God, it barely camouflages its contempt for the
free-spirited Gavin’s righteously born-again Christian adversary, Joe
(Patrick Wilson), a pathetic, bigoted, sociopathic paper tiger of a foe.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. The Ledge is one of those HD-to-35mm shoots put to Blu-ray disc and giving an impressive appearance. It has some of the plastic-look of digital but also a strong sense of depth and detail - especially notable in close-ups. The transfer is modest - single-layered but supported by a reasonable bitrate. Colors never stand-out but everything seems to be visually true. This Blu-ray has a consistent feel and by modern standards is fairly tame visually as the 1.78:1 ratio film is almost a chamber piece with a handful of simple sets and no real dynamic action sequences. This Blu-ray probably looks exactly like the film The Ledge and I didn't notice any contrast flaring or anything that deterred from the video portion of the presentation.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :We get a competent DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 2526 kbps. The film doesn't export any aggressive range or depth - it is really not part of the experience. There are some separations at the subtle end. The score by Nathan Barr is relatively supportive sounding clean with some crisp edges. There are optional English and Spanish subtitles. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.
Extras : There are 5 lengthy interviews and the participants are generous with their time. The separate discussions with actors Charlie Hunnam and Patrick Wilson, writer/director Matthew Chapman and producers Mark Damon and Michael Mailer last over 1.5 hours (total) in 480i and cover many topics from personal questions about how they got into their profession to specifics about The Ledge. I thought they were all reasonably interesting. There is also an HD Trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze September 20th, 2011
|
About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3500 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD
Player APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V Gary W. Tooze ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS
|