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DVD REVIEW
About Schmidt
(2002)
Starring:
Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis
Director: Alexander Payne
Rating:
R
Studio:
New Line Cinema
Release Date: 6.03.03
Review
Posted: 6.07.03
Spoilers: None
By
John Teves
Warren Schmidt
is a retired insurance salesman, who at age 66, has no
particular plans other than to drive around in the motor home
his wife insisted they buy. He's not altogether bitter, but not
happy either, as everything his wife does annoys him, and he
disapproves of the man his daughter is about to marry. When his
wife suddenly dies, he sets out to postpone the imminent
marriage of his daughter to a man he doesn't like, while coping
with discoveries about his late wife and himself in the process.
ABOUT SCHMIDT is presented in
an aspect ratio of 1.85:1; the image has been enhanced for 16X9
televisions. New Line Cinemas has given us yet another
exceptional video transfer. The picture is detailed and sharp
through out its presentation. I notice some light edge
enhancement with sporadic jagged edges, but over all this caused
no concern. Colors were dull but this is to be expected for such
a film. Black levels were deep and appropriately dark, while
shadow detail came across dense. There were occasional signs of
grain and shimmer during the wider shot scenes. Regardless New
Line still provides us with a great transfer for its
presentation of ABOUT SCHMIDT.
ABOUT SCHMIDT is presented in
both a Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS track. Either track worked well
here, this is not an action packed film so both audio tracks
were somewhat unresponsive and surround usage was limited.
Effects were clear and accurate, and when appropriate, they
provided solid range, generally a plain DD5.1 track. Audio
quality appeared to be consistently good; dialogue was fine with
signs of edginess; for the most part ABOUT SCHMIDT presented a
reasonable track that worked well for the film, nothing out of
the ordinary here.
About Schmidt
is one of those few films that can really gain your attention.
The film is not magnificent, but it sure is one of the few films
that really gets mature filmgoers to think about life and
reason. It’s a film that is more dedicated to reality and that
is where writer/director Alexander Payne goes right in on this
nearly talented film.
Like MOONLIGHT
MILE, ABOUT SCHMIDT is a film that can strike someone hard on
the emotional cord giving the viewer an encouraging wake-up
call. The performance by Jack Nicholson was first-rate;
Nicholson carries both a somber nature and a feeble laughable
edge with his character. The entire cast does a marvelous job as
well. The DVD provides excellent picture and some nice extras.
For mature filmgoers, ABOUT SCHMIDT can be a moving mechanism to
send a wake-up call.
ABOUT SCHMIDT
is an honest and stirring film; this film will supply whatever
the serious moviegoer chooses to accept, and part of it depends
on your actual maturity or overall take on life itself. It’s not
a conventional film because it demands meticulous attention and
analysis but for those who want a thinking film ABOUT SCHMIDT
comes highly recommended.
DVD Rating: 4 out of 4
Review originally appeared on
DVDFreak.net
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