The Film
Trailers can be deceiving, and Tamara Drewe is one of those films where what you're promised isn't exactly what you get. All too often the result is that the best parts are in the preview and the final film seems like an extended director's cut of the trailer. Nothing could be further from the truth in this film, which has now arrived on Blu-ray. While it still is about the just slightly ugly duckling girl, who grows up, gets a nose job and suddenly draws the attention of those who previously thought less of her - it is much more.
This comedy, based on the graphic novel of the same name, and directed by Stephen Fears features intertwining stories about romantic liaisons, disenchanted youth, struggling writers and successful novelists. As the title character, Gemma Arterton is just one of the breakout stars in an ensemble filled with twists turns that is captivating by a lot more than a nose.
The Picture
The 2.40:1 1080p widescreen transfer looks sharp and clear, bringing the visual beauty of the English countryside to life. The skin tones are excellent, and the film makes good use of color throughout, which further highlights the changing of seasons. The HD picture also is excellent for those with sharp eyes who can spot details, such as book titles, notes about processing chickens and even some graffiti left by the two adolescent supporting characters.
The Sound
Whereas the picture is excellent and offers subtle peaks into the country life, the sound impresses a bit less. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack does the job, and the dialog comes through with expected clarity, there is little use of surround sound save a few musical sequences. However, these do include a few bits with a pop star drummer, who bangs away with chop sticks in a kitchen sequence and a few times on the actual skins. Here the sound is boisterous and fills the room, but the less of the time the sound is far from noticeable - which for a romantic comedy is about what you'd expect.
The Extras
Gemma Arterton and Luke Evans offer commentary to the film, and the Blu-ray also includes a making of featurette along with a second featurette on bringing the graphic novel to the big screen. The commentary is insightful, but the featurettes do have a bit of a marketing feel. Still for fans of the novel and film it is just another trip to the countryside.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're familiar with the graphic novel or not, Tamara Drewe is an interesting story filled with delightful and not so delightful characters, and numerous characters who are the very opposite of delightful. In fact, part of the charm is that each character has flaws - way beyond a bad nose - and this makes it all the more interesting of a tale.
Product Details
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