Cinderella Man Blu-ray

Universal Studios | 2005 | 145 mins | Rated PG-13 | May 26, 2009

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Video Video codec: VC-1 Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1 Audio English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 French: DTS 5.1 Spanish: DTS 5.1 English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 French: DTS 5.1 Spanish: DTS 5.1 (less) Subtitles English SDH, French, Spanish English SDH, French, Spanish (less) Disc 50GB Blu-ray Disc BD-Live

Price List price: $26.98  Amazon: $16.49 (Save 39%) Third party: $16.48 (Save 39%) Usually ships in 24 hours Blu-ray review Movie 4.0 Video 4.0 Audio 4.0 Extras 5.0 Overall 4.0 Playback Region free

Cinderella Man Blu-ray Review

Crowe and company save a predictable biopic...

I'm beginning to think there isn't a leading role in Hollywood that Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe couldn't transform into Oscar gold. Even when he inadvertently stumbles onto the set of a mediocre film -- Virtuosity, Proof of Life, and A Good Year spring to mind -- he exudes an unwavering confidence and commitment to his craft, investing himself wholeheartedly in spite of any circumstances, challenges, or egos that stand in his way. As far as I'm concerned, it's this same integrity that allows a sensationalized, overtly-sentimental period piece like Cinderella Man to work as well as it does. Not only does Crowe's understated performance inspire his castmates to reach similar heights, he provides a much-needed anchor-point for an overambitious director and manages to ground a screenplay that tends to prioritize mild flights-of-historical-fancy over genuine period authenticity.

Equally effective inside and outside of the ring, Crowe delivers a knockout performance...

Based on the riveting true story of James Braddock, a 1930s boxer forced into early retirement after a hand injury threatened his career, Cinderella Man explores the struggles and hardships ordinary American citizens faced during the Great Depression. After reluctantly giving up his livelihood, Braddock (Russell Crowe) begins to look for steady work so he can still provide for his wife (Renée Zellweger) and four children. His days are long, the work is hard, and his mind is occupied with dreams of a triumphant return to boxing. But before you can say plot development, a visit from his former manager (Paul Giamatti) and a fortuitous cancellation gives him another chance to fight. Strapping on a pair of gloves and stepping into the ring against impossible odds, Braddock delivers a devastating blow that forever alters the trajectory of his life. As a public deprived of hope latches onto his comeback story, he becomes an overnight celebrity and begins to prepare for a battle-of-the-ages against heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko).

Yes, director Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code, Frost/Nixon, Angels & Demons) attempts to amplify the vulnerability and turmoil of his characters... yes, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (Batman & Robin, A Beautiful Mind, I Am Legend) manipulates events at his slick-penned will... and yes, the film itself has been specifically constructed to appeal to as many heartstrings as possible. However, Crowe, Giamatti, and the usually-grating Zellweger rise to the occasion, injecting humanity and soul into their Depression-era tribulations. In fact, the trio exhibit such masterful control over their expressions and interactions that I can't think of any other actors who could so intrinsically inhabit their roles. Crowe carefully massages a sense of despair and desperation into his every thought and action, presenting Braddock as a hard-working everyman that unwittingly becomes a symbol to a starving nation. Giamatti is a force of spittle-spewing nature, using Gould's chunky charms to cleverly contrast Braddock's at-times thick-headed disposition. Zellweger crams love, loss, and fear into her petite frame, allowing Mae to express devotion, hesitancy, and resignation in the same breath. All three award-winning actors mold the film into something it wouldn't be had anyone else signed onto the project.

Cinderella Man is a bit overbearing -- aligning situations against Braddock in vicious succession, using Thomas Newman's admittedly-astounding musical score to milk every ounce out of tragic developments, and frequently making the boxer's life too humorless for his own good -- but the story at the heart of Howard and Goldsman's take on the tale is too strong, moving, and relevant to affect the film on a fundamental level. Ultimately, I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking Cinderella Man is overwrought and manipulative... it is. However, I found myself so swept up in Braddock's personal life, successes and failures, and eventual rise to fame that I can't help but recommend this one.

Video

The Blu-ray edition of Cinderella Man features a filmic 1080p/VC-1 transfer that, while dark and soft, is quite faithful to cinematographer Salvatore Totino and director Ron Howard's intentions. The palette alternates between warm, golden hues and bleak, colorless expanses, both of which capture the tone of the period and enhance the emotional undercurrent of the story. Blacks are thick and oppressive, but coat the foregrounds and backgrounds beautifully while offering better shadow visibility than the film's previous DVD releases. Likewise, overall detail isn't as crisp or refined as Blu-ray enthusiasts might expect (Totino's use of Cooke S4 prime lenses being the culprit), but textures are still relatively revealing, edges are well-defined (without the help of any overzealous edge enhancement), and the film's intermittent brightly-lit shots look fantastic. It helps that the image is extremely clean: I didn't detect any distracting source noise, artifacting, banding, or blocking. And while it appears Universal employed a minor application of DNR to reduce grain, the technique's usual side effects (waxy faces, motion smearing, and loss of clarity) have been kept to a bare minimum.

All things considered, Cinderella Man looks great. It doesn't deliver the sort of jaw-dropping picture you'll use to showcase your equipment, but it provides an excellent representation of the film's original theatrical presentation.

Audio

Universal comes through with yet another stirring DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Braddock's bouts are extraordinary: sharp thwacks enhance jabs in the heat of battle, a wet splatter accompanies the leathery whump of hooks, and the meaty shunk of a shot to the jaw packs enough punch to leave a lasting impression on the listener. Hushed dialogue is definitely the cornerstone of the film's soundscape, but the scattered fight sequences showcase the track's LFE prowess, dynamic power, and rear speaker proficiency. No matter the scene, pans are smooth, directionality is accurate, and prioritization is impeccable. Even Thomas Newman's musical score has been meticulously distributed across the soundfield; his crooning violins and heart-aching melodies nestling softly amongst the speakers, enveloping the listener at every turn.

As it stands, my only complaint is that Howard's quietest scenes lack comparable presence. Acoustics are underwhelming at times, injecting an unsettling silence into several subdued interior spaces. Regardless, Cinderella Man's efficient Master Audio track is a satisfying treat any fan or audiophile will be able to enjoy.

Supplements

Cinderella Man hops into the ring with a myriad of mesmerizing special features culled from the standard DVD, Collector's Edition DVD, and 2006 HD DVD. While all of the disc's video content is unfortunately presented in standard definition, the breadth of Universal's supplemental package more than makes up for it.

• Audio Commentaries: Director Ron Howard serves up a comprehensive and informative (albeit overtly-complementary) commentary track that covers every aspect of the production from his discovery of Braddock's story to the scripting process, from casting to his work with Russell Crowe, and his overall impressions of the final film.
  
  Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman follows Howard with a rather redundant solo commentary that covers much of the same ground. He runs out of things to say as the film grinds on and resorts to endless praise of Howard's talent and career, but he does offer quite a few details about changes he made to Braddock's life, characters that were combined to simplify aspects of the tale, and plot developments that were streamlined.
  
  Last but not least, co-writer Cliff Hollingsworth (who penned the original draft of the script) offers a fact-check track that compares the events in Howard and Goldsman's final film with the realities of Depression-era America, Braddock's struggles, and other aspects of their biopic. If you're a stickler for historical accuracy, approach this one with caution: he just might change your opinion of the film itself.
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (SD, 37 minutes): While each cut, trim, and alteration included in this impressive collection is brimming with tasty character nuggets, they were also wisely cut from the final film. Howard is on hand to discuss why each one was removed, but his reasoning should be obvious to anyone familiar with the film, its themes, and its pacing.
• Becoming Jim Braddock (SD, 28 minutes): Russell Crowe talks about his commitment, movements, and training in this fantastic, low-key pre-production featurette.
• The Fight Card (SD, 22 minutes): This lengthy casting documentary not only details Crowe and Zellweger's desire to bring Braddock's story to the screen, it focuses on the supporting actors Howard found to fill Cinderella Man's diverse secondary roles.
• Pre-Fight Preparations (SD, 25 minutes): A series of four production featurettes -- Focus on Script, Creating the Reality, Russell's Transformation, and Inflatable People -- dig into the screenplay, set design, costumes, locations, boxing prep, and the use of thousands of dummies to fill out arena crowds.
• Lights, Camera, Action (SD, 22 minutes): This engrossing addition documents Howard's use of extensive research, careful choreography, intense training, camera placement, and editing techniques to craft Braddock's bouts.
• For the Record (SD, 7 minutes): Trainer Wayne Gordon and consultant Angelo Dundee take center stage in this decidedly unfocused look at Crowe's training and the film's boxing sequences.
• The Man, The Movie, The Legend (SD, 14 minutes): A relatively superficial mini-doc in which Howard reflects on Braddock, his story, the film, and its relevance to modern viewers.
• Jim Braddock (SD, 11 minutes): An intriguing introduction to some of the real men and women in the legendary boxer's life including his son, Howard Braddock, and his grandchildren, Tim Braddock and Rosemarie Dewitt.
• The Sound of the Bell (SD, 7 minutes): Dive into the development, orchestration, and recording of Thomas Newman's musical score.
• Music Featurette (SD, 2 minutes): Newman also appears in this secondary score featurette that looks at the collaboration between Howard and the composer.
• The Human Face of the Depression (SD, 6 minutes): Howard gives a historical overview of the Great Depression and its affect on everyday people.
• Braddock vs. Baer (SD, 32 minutes): Black and white archive footage of the actual fight showcased in the film's climax.
• Ringside Seats (SD, 9 minutes): Howard, Goldsman, producer Brian Grazer, and late nonfiction novelist Norman Mailer sit down to watch and discuss Braddock and Baer's fight.
• Kodak Gallery (SD, 2 minutes): A convoluted, overwrought Kodak commercial.
• Photo Montage (SD, 3 minutes)
• BD-Live Functionality

Cinderella Man is one of director Ron Howard's finest. It isn't as precise as Apollo 13 or as captivating as Ransom, but it does boast phenomenal performances, an inspiring story, and an unexpectedly relevant exploration of hope during a period of tremendous economic turmoil. Universal's Blu-ray edition is even better. With a faithful video transfer, a rousing DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a seemingly endless collection of supplemental materials, Cinderella Man is a perfect disc to pick up for dear old dad this Father's Day.



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