Official Secrets Blu-ray - Keira Knightley

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Gavin Hood
UK / USA 2019

From the award-winning director of Eye in the Sky, comes the incredible true story of the spy who defied her government to stop a war. In 2003, British intelligence specialist Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley) received a memo with a shocking directive: collect blackmail worthy information on UN council members to force the vote for the invasion of Iraq. Unable to stand by and watch the world rush into war, Gun makes the decision to leak the memo to the press, igniting an international firestorm that would expose a vast political conspiracy and put Gun in harm’s way.

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The true story of British intelligence whistleblower Katharine Gun who prior to the 2003 Iraq invasion leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. The memo proposed blackmailing member states into voting for war.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: January 28th, 2019

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Review: Wild Side - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: There is also a Region FREE Hong Kong Blu-ray available: and it is available on DVD:
Distribution	Wild Side - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:51:56.918
Video	2.39:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 39,052,588,060 bytes Feature: 33,981,063,168 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.70 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DUB: DTS-HD Master Audio French 3216 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3216 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 3251 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3251 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	French, French (SDH) (both forced when English language is chosen), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Wild Side 2.39:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 39,052,588,060 bytes Feature: 33,981,063,168 bytes Video Bitrate: 31.70 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Apropos de film (15:38 - English with optional French subtitles) • Trailer (2:10- English with burned-in French subtitles) Blu-ray Release Date: March 11th, 2020 Slim black Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Wild Side Blu-ray (March 2020): Wild Side have transferred Gavin Hood's 2019 feature Official Secrets to Blu-ray. Surprisingly, this didn't reach US or UK on Blu-ray, but is available on DVD in those countries and a Region FREE Hong Kong BD. The Wild Side is on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. It can look a shade dampened but not having seen it, I expect this is the intended look of the film, perhaps better represented that it is in the past. It is in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio and is very consistent, clean and about the level in-motion that you would expect from a modern production in 1080P.

The bad news is, again, the non-removable French subtitles when the original English audio is chosen. This was part of the licensing agreement that Wild Side made to produce this package. The audio is in 24-bit DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround tracks for both the original English (with non-removable French subtitles) and a French DUB. The score is credited to Paul Hepker (Eye in the Sky) and Mark Kilian (The Ward, Traitor). There are, the aforementioned, French subtitles on this Region 'B' Blu-ray disc.

NOTE: Text screens have been Frenchified (descriptive, computer text etc. altered to the French language) see samples below.

The Wild Side Blu-ray offers a 1/4 hour video piece about the film with director Gavin Hood and others giving input on the production. It is in English with optional French subtitles. There is also a trailer with burned-in subtitles.

I was only so-so on Official Secrets. I've always kinda liked Keira Knightley, but not so much in this role. This was a well-made film by Gavin Hood but, I guess in the current climate, my mind is elsewhere. Perhaps I am jaded, the government lying to us (and covering it up in despicable ways) doesn't seem like a revelation anymore. I should revisit one day as it is highly lauded. The Wild Side Blu-ray is really for French-language purchasers only.