Amelia Blu-ray

Amelia

 (2009)

Biography | Drama



After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheart - the legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam, and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal. In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history.

For more details about Amelia on Blu-ray, see the Amelia Blu-ray Review

Starring: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Joe Anderson
Director: Mira Nair

Amelia Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


While the film comes as a dull disappointment, Amelia’s 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer is anything but, taking flight with an image that’s remarkably detailed and full of color. If the film has one saving grace, it’s Stuart Dryburgh’s cinematography, which paints a warm, vivid picture using a unified palette featuring prominent reds, especially of the primary, fire-engine, freshly picked cherry variety. Whether we’re on the dusty plains of Gambia or in the middle of a misty Nova Scotian morning, color is deeply saturated and the image as a whole is frequently striking, with superlative depth and presence. Skin tones are entirely natural, black levels are consistently inky, shadow delineation is sublime, and strong but never over-pushed contrast gives the image a substantial dimensionality. And clarity keeps up with color, no problem. You’ll count rivets on the side of the Lockheed Electra, note the texture on a leather flight jacket, spot each bit of grime on an engine cowling, and make out each dusty orange strand of Amelia’s hair. I did spot some uncharacteristic softness around the edges of the frame during a few shots, and the thankfully infrequently used CGI isn’t exactly convincing, but it’s fruitless to nitpick about this gorgeous transfer. Grain is exceedingly fine, and there are no overt technical anomalies to spoil the look.

Amelia Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


With all those whooshing, diving, stalling, rumbling, and taxiing planes, you might expect Amelia to have a beefy soundtrack, heavy on directional effects and low-end rumble. And there is a little bit of that, but the film’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is almost as uninvolving as the gripless narrative. Don’t get me wrong; nothing sounds bad—there really are no audio slipups to be found here—but this is one of those tracks that doesn’t capitalize on the sonic possibilities inherent in the story. Rear channel usage is kept fairly quiet. Propellers buzz, planes zip by from left to right, thunder peels and rain pours, crowds of journalists chatter and set off flashbulbs, but it’s all kept to a safe volume so as not to disrupt the period piece’s unwavering decorum. Likewise, Gabriel Yared’s faux-inspirational score never booms the way it could, though there’s plenty of high-end detail to be heard and a robust mid-range. Dialogue is the most important aspect of the mix here, and it’s practically flawless. Aside from a few shouted commands that get muffled (realistically) in the roar of the engines, the lines are all easy to understand and carry a convincing acoustic presence. You might call this track perfectly adequate, but never exceptional.

Amelia Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Amelia Blu-ray Gets Detailed - December 17, 2009


• Amelia Planned for Blu-ray Release - December 10, 2009

Amelia Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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