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6 Degrees Entertainment

'Green Book: 4K Ultra HD'
(Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, et al / 4K Ultra HD + Blu ray + Digital / PG-13 / 2019 / Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)

Overview: Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen and two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali star in 'Green Book', a film inspired by a true friendship that transcended race, class, and the 1962 Mason-Dixon line.

When Tony Lip (Mortensen), a bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx, is hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley (Ali), a world-class Black pianist, on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South, they must rely on "The Green Book" to guide them to the few establishments that were then safe for African-Americans.

Confronted with racism, danger as well as unexpected humanity and humor—they are forced to set aside differences to survive and thrive on the journey of a lifetime.

4K Ultra HD Verdict: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment continues to expand their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of this quite wondrous 'Green Book' in the new 4K home video format on March 12th, 2019.

Winner of three (3) Academy Awards a few days ago - inclusive of Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), and Best Original Screenplay - for my money, this 'Green Book: 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital' combo pack's sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog; and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is 'Green Book' presented to us as a two-disc combo pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265; Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p); HDR: HDR10; and Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHD's, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisper with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what's more is that it's enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color; like their diner scene where Dr. Don Shirley asks Tony Lip about his soup (to which he replies "Salty".

One minute it's a drab diner, the next, as they discuss Tony's possible career as a food critic, you watch as their quiet conversation unfolds and the diners behind and around them (wearing their subtle colors) suddenly stat to come into focus.

Indeed, the picture enjoys the fruits of the added resolution in terms of bringing out the aforementioned extremely fine facial and some of the yellow graded material (notably the scene where Dr. Don Shirley is reading aloud Tony Lip's letter to his wife; for that's where both actors are swathed in yellow outfits) nurtures its spacial awareness for a fuller impact; giving the scene a stunningly beautiful honeyed amber appearance. Which is interesting, and at least a little different from the 1080p Blu-ray accounting.

As for the audio, well we have: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit); and French (Canada): DTS 5.1.

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

Phew! OK, so, as for the movie itself, well, one of my favorite cinematic experiences is when a film comes absolutely out of nowhere and ends up being incredible.

For me, that is pretty much the story of 'Green Book', a movie that came into the 2018 holiday season with little hype but, when all is said and done, should have been the frontrunner for Film of The Year!

For a basic plot summary, 'Green Book' tells the real-life 1962 story of Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a renowned piano player embarking on a tour of the Deep South.

His race - African American - might pose some issues, so he hires cocky tough-guy Tony Lipp (Viggo Mortensen) from the Bronx to be his driver. As the two set out on their journey, it at first seems like an Odd Couple type of relationship.

But as they experience more of each other's company - as well as the racial injustices of the territory - they come to both rely on and perhaps learn something from the other.

This is a movie that really "sneaks up on you", so to speak. It starts off relatively straightforward and one could be forgiven for thinking it's maybe even a little slow.

But that character development pays off in an enormous way, as by the end you'll be holding back tears (or failing to) after witnessing the bond these men form out on the road and in face of adversity.

For a movie like 'Green Book' to work, the acting has to be spot-on, and it surely is here. You'd never guess this was the same Mortensen that was once the sword-wielding Aragorn in the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise.

He went all-in for this role, shaping both his voice and body to fit the part. Ali has slowly built up a fantastic career for himself, and there's nothing to stop that process here.

Indeed, the arc of his character provides most of the emotion of the film, and his scenes range from heartbreaking to hilarious.

Speaking of hilarious, also consider that this film was directed by Peter Farrelly! Yes, he of 'Dumb & Dumber' fame! While seemingly an odd choice to helm such an emotional project, it proves to be EXACTLY the right decision, as the humor in the film goes a long way towards establishing rapport between the two leads.

As deep as the emotional stuff goes (and it goes deep, to be sure), the comedy is easily just as well-done.

I haven't even mentioned the soundtrack yet, which is another integral role in the film. Whether it be Shirley himself or just the on the road type tunes, the 'Green Book' soundtrack is one of the best I've experienced in quite some time. A great mix of jazz, piano, and orchestral sections.

As you can see, I think that perhaps the biggest reason why 'Green Book' gets the full 10-star treatment from me here in this review is because it does a little bit of everything, and somewhat remarkably nails all those little areas to produce a masterpiece.

The final compliment? The overall message of the film is a great one: that sometimes all it takes for two people to better understand each other (in this case it is black and white, but really it could be anything) is proximity.

Had not fate drawn Dr. Shirley and Tony together, they would have spent the rest of their days likely stuck in their own little boxes. As it turned out, however, it took a road trip to cross those bridges and each man to learn a little from the other.

Anyway, that's that, for the most part, so now let's concentrate on some of the special features included. Well, sadly there's not many, but the stand out would be, for me, 'An Unforgettable Friendship.' It's a featurette that showcases the two real-life men their background so perfectly that it blends seamlessly into the film adaptation.

Featuring some rather lovely behind-the-scenes moments along with some pivotal scenes from the film - noticeably the moment when Dr. Don Shirley is getting beaten up in a bar and Tony Lip comes in to "save" him - the five minute featurette is a massive insight into not only the real men, but the way the actors both got into character also.

'Green Book' will be available on 4K Ultra HD in a combo pack which includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-rayTM, Blu-rayTM and Digital and on 3D Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand this March 12th, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.00:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs via 1080p and comes with the Special Features of:

Includes 4K UHD, Blu-ray and a digital copy of Green Book
Features High Dynamic Range (HDR10) for Brighter, Deeper, More Lifelike Color
Virtuoso Performances
An Unforgettable Friendship
Going Beyond the Green Book

Official Trailer

www.UPHE.com





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