|
|
|
Omar
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Soda Pictures Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (24th September 2014). |
|
The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** From the two-time Academy Award nominated director of "Paradise Now". Oscar-nominated Palestinian thriller. Omar is accustomed to dodging surveillance bullets to cross the separation wall to visit his secret love Nadia. But occupied Palestine knows neither simple love nor clear-cut war. On the other side of the wall, the sensitive young baker Omar becomes a freedom fighter who must face painful choices about life and manhood. When Omar is captured after a deadly act of resistance, he falls into a cat-and-mouse game with the military police. Suspicion and betrayal jeapordize his longtime trust with accomplices and childhood friends Amjad and Tarek, Nadia’s militant brother. Omar’s feelings quickly become as torn apart as the Palestinian landscape.
Video
Soda Pictures have released the Palestinian feature "Omar" on to Blu-ray in the United Kingdom, using the original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The transfer is 1080p, and receives an AVC MPEG-4 encode. There are a couple of flaws, but overall, this is a solid presentation. One of the first things that hits you, is just how well produced the sandy environments are. The various yellows, greys and light browns look very nice indeed, with solid contrast levels and no causes for concern. Unfortunately, blacks can occasionally crush during the darker scenes. In one of the early scenes, the camera stays in front of our three characters as they walk through a busy street at night time, and it is obvious this scene was filmed with minimal lighting. As blacks overpower parts of the screen, minor crush comes into play, and shadow details minimise. This isn't a regular occurrence, but is worth mentioning. In lighter scenes, we do get some barely noticeable banding once or twice, and some light edge enhancement can be spotted by those with large screens (I viewed at 120"). Aliasing was practically non-existent, though there was one big incident at 54:10, when the camera focuses on the back of Leem Lubany, and her dress shows the issue quite strongly. Still, all these flaws are kept to a minimum, and none are bad enough to whinge about. Details are strong throughout, with facial close-ups showing every bit of stubble and facial contour, including Iyad Hoorani's scar being perfectly clear. Long distance shots also show great detail, with damage to old buildings, graffiti on "the wall", and reflections in the windows of vehicles all noteworthy. There is no damage to talk of such as scratches or nicks, and no obvious compression issues. The feature is uncut, and runs 98:45.
Audio
Two audio options are included: - Arabic/Hebrew DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 - Arabic/Hebrew LPCM 2.0 Stereo For my viewing, I opted to view the film using the Arabic/Hebrew DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which, like the transfer, is a technically solid, and enjoyable experience. The first half of the film is very much dialogue orientated, and with that, the surrounds are used mainly for small environmental effects. As the feature moves on, more opportunities arise for the surrounds and the LFE, and we get increased directionality from gun shots, foot steps chasing round the narrow streets, and a helicopter hovering overhead. The track exhibits great fidelity and depth, and at times is surprisingly immersive. There are no issues with drop outs or scratches, and I detected no signs of background hiss. English subtitles have been included, and they are optional, running along the black bar at the bottom of the screen, out of frame.
Extras
The main extra included on this release, is a short "Behind the Scenes" featurette, lasting a meagre 3:48. It shows an interesting point of view, showing us the passion that went into the movie, with it being almost entirely funded by private Palestinian investors, and with a majority Palestinian crew. Unfortunately, bar a bit of behind the scenes footage, it lacks any real tangible information, and is the type of featurette you would see filling in a five minute gap on a movie channel. Not worth more than a single viewing out of interest. The rest of the extras are self-explanatory. Start-up Trailers: - "Only Lovers Left Alive" (1:44) - "Wadjda" (1:52) - "Ilo Ilo" (1:53) Theatrical Trailer (1:57)
Overall
|
|||||
|