Hi, Bryan Here….
Woody Allen’s ‘Manhattan’ is one hell of a fine movie, no matter what Woody Allen says. The video and audio make this the best the film has ever looked since the theatres. This film has some of the most iconic shots in any Woody Allen film and for that fact , any film made. The whole film is just one beautiful shot after another. Frame worthy. While there are no extras besides a theatrical trailer, this is still one bluray worthy of owning.
THE FILM
‘Manhattan’ follows Isaac Davis (Allen) who is a television writer who is trying to write a book on his own life. Isaac is divorced and is dating a 17 year old who attends school. His ex wife (Meryl Streep) has become a lesbian and is also writing a tell all book about her marriage to Isaac. Then Isaac meets Mary (Diane Keaton) who is a mistress to a good friend of his and he eventually falls very much in love with her. Isaac eventually leaves his 17 year old girlfriend for Mary, and the two set out to find their love and sexual intimacy in the beautiful yet cruel location of Manhattan. Like I said above, I love this film and think this is one of Allen’s best shot films even though he disagrees. See, Woody was so unhappy with the final cut of this film, he asked for the film be shelved and that he would make another film for free. Allen said, “If this is the best I can do, then they shouldn’t pay me for making movies.” I disagree with him. Woody does a great job of starring in the picture as well as Diane Keaton, and Meryl Streep. These characters embody that iconic style of Woody Allen wit and charm as well as their hilarious flaws. If this film doen’t make you want to visit Manhattan, I don’t know what will. Truly a spectacular film.
THE VIDEO/AUDIO
‘Manhattan’s’ video comes n that glorious 1080p we all love and has a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The film itself looks wonderful. I did not notice any digital noise or specs of any kind. There is a bit of grain to this B&W film, but that is being true to its time and nature of the film. There seems to not be any kind of digital enhancing here. The detail is top notch that you can notice textures in detail on clothing and items. The depth is amazing on every exterior shot that you might just feel like you are in NYC in your living room. Amazing transfer. The audio has a great DTS-HD mono 2.0 mix and sounds great. Like ‘Annie Hall’ it doesn’t need the 5.1 sound and I’m glad the didn’t convert it to such. The dialogue comes out crystal clear without any hissing or cracks. The score of Rhapsody in Blue sounds amazing and never forced. It flows nicely over the images. Excellent audio presentation.
THE EXTRAS
Theatrical Trailer (3 mins) – Trailer for the film.
THE ULTIMATE WORD
This again is one of the best shot Woody Allen films. The film is funny and ful of charm. Everyone does an amazing job of acting and the storyline is just wonderful. I highly recommend this movie based on the film itself and its incredible audio and video presentation. Of course there are no extras, because Woody Allen doesn’t do extras. Fans should definitely pick this up and if you haven’t seen this, you won’t regret purchasing this. Truly a great film.
-Bryan