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Apostle (The)
R2 - United Kingdom - Fabulous Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (6th July 2015). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Lust. Obsession. Revenge. Redemption. He was touched by the power and filled with the spirit. A man of faith. A man of the flesh. A man plagued by the darker side of human desire, and rage. In his Academy Award-nominated performance, Robert Duvall is Sonny, a gifted Southern preacher loved by his community. When Sonny loses control and commits a crime of passion, he is forced to run from the law. Hiding out in a small town of Bay Boutte, Sonny adopts a new identity and sets out on a new mission to find the road to redemption. With powerful performances by Billy Bob Thornton, Farrah Fawcett and Miranda Richardson.
Video
"The Apostle" was previously released in the United Kingdom by Universal, with this latest release from independent distributor Fabulous Films seemingly a direct port of that disc. Fabulous present the film in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and although the transfer is decent, it is unfortunately non-anamorphic. Let that sink in. It's 2015, the DVD format is coming up to twenty years old, and distributors are still releasing some higher end titles without anamorphic enhancement. What were Fabulous thinking? Still, despite this extremely surprising oversight, the transfer is one of the better non-anamorphic attempts I can remember seeing. The colours used are reminiscent of the Southern States where Duvall's character Sonny comes from. Skin tones look good, and although the more vivid blues and reds appear purposefully muted, they pop as required and add a reasonable level of depth. Blacks are murky and not as deep and inky as they should be, yet remain unproblematic. Details are a mixed bag, with some close-ups showing good facial details, but backgrounds and mid-range items lacking sharpness and clarity. There are some instances of aliasing, with one example along the treads of the caterpillar style farm machinery at 98:10. There is also some mild banding and edge enhancement. The print itself is clean and without any cause for concern. There aren't any major blemishes or scratches, and only the rare speck to speak of. The feature is uncut and runs 128:10.
Audio
Two options: - English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo For my viewing, I obviously opted for the original language English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, which was sufficient, but not great. Overall, the track sounds rather flat throughout, and channel separation, whilst good, is rather basic. Various subtle effects struggle to make themselves heard, whilst David Mansfield's score ranges from subtle to quite powerful in keeping with whichever scene is on-screen. Dialogue is clear at all times, with decent range as shown by the choir songs. Volume levels are consistent, with neither the speech, score, or effects ever silencing each other. There are no major problems to speak of with the track. There aren't any pops, scratches, or drop outs, and I noticed no background hiss. Subtitles are available in either English or French.
Extras
None.
Overall
"The Apostle" is a very good character study that was a labour of love for Robert Duvall. Not only did he direct, write, and star, but he also financed it himself after he struggled to get the money from the studios. If, like me, you're not one for religious films, don't worry about digging into this one, as it is not a preachy film at all. The only real disappointment bar the lack of extras, is the fact this is inexcusably non-anamorphic.
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