|
|
|
There's Something About Susan
R2 - United Kingdom - Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (4th November 2014). |
|
The Film
 ***This is a technical review only.*** An intimate documentary, profiling the enigmatic Susan Boyle as she battles to overcome life-long performance anxieties and struggles to fulfill her musical aspirations of touring live. Very personal access and a triumphant finale mark this out as a must-see programme. Susan Boyle is one of the most successful singers in the world, a Grammy nominated artist who has sold over 20 million records, a woman who came from nowhere to become an overnight global sensation. But she has suffered from anxiety her entire life and, despite her fame, she has never felt able to tour. Until now… Last year Susan decided to test herself by embarking on her first ever series of live solo concerts. This film follows Susan on a journey through the stress of rehearsals, to the opening night in Scotland and on to a sell out concert in America in front of 20,000 adoring fans. If all goes well a world tour will follow. But Susan’s nerves make pressure extremely difficult to cope with and success is far from certain…
Video
Independent British distributor Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment have released the documentary "There's Something About Susan" in to DVD in the United Kingdom using the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is anamorphic, and looks as good as any similar documentary that would be shown on mainstream television. As with most documentaries, a lot of the footage is shot on-the-fly, though perhaps with a bit more preparation than the norm, and some of the scenes do show a slight drop in quality due to the natural lighting. There aren't too many issues with the transfer, though some light aliasing can be noticed from time to time, one example being the microphone stand at 18:30. This isn't too big of an issue though, and never appears as too large of a blemish on the screen. Details look good throughout, with faces in crowds, flowered patterns in Susan's clothing, and long distance shots of Scottish mountain scenery, all showing off details to the high end of DVDs limitations. Colours are strong, with accurate and natural looking skin tones, and the flashy sequins in some of the costumes during concerts showing off the depth of the considerable palette. There are some moments which are a little noisy (31:50 and 32:53 when backstage, 35:01 looking into the crowd) and shadow details are at times inconsistent, but this is a concrete presentation overall. The documentary is uncut, and runs 43:19.
Audio
The documentary is provided with a single English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, which does the job well, but occasionally lacks a little depth. Interview segments are clear and concise, whilst the footage of rehearsals and meetings also sounding fine. The main issue here, is the concert footage, where sometimes the piano accompaniment is a little too overbearing in comparison to the actual singing. Channel separation is minimal and kept pretty much for the score which runs during the interview segments. There are no major issues with the track such as drop outs or scratches, and I noticed no signs of background hiss. It sounds like television special filmed for BBC or ITV. No subtitles are included.
Extras
None.
Overall
This documentary took me a little by surprise. We really see how hard Susan Boyle battles her insecurities, and the problems she faces. Stardom doesn't suit all people, including Susan Boyle, but she is extremely talented, and a very likeable person. This just goes to show that being bullied from a young age can have such a horrible effect on someone who obviously just wants to be able please people. It also hit a personal spot for me, as Boyle suffers from asperger's syndrome like one of my brothers, so I see some of this 'abnormal' behaviour in a different way to most. Susan Boyle hasn't let money change her, and has remained true to herself, and to her close friends. An outstanding character.
|
|||||
|