A Ghost Story [Blu-Ray]

Director: David Lowery

Cast: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara

Release Date: October 3, 2017

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 9.5/10
Disc Rating: 7.5/10

Synopsis:

Academy Award® winner Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara star as a young couple who — after being separated by loss — discover an eternal connection and a love that is infinite.

Filmmaker David Lowery brings us a powerful tale about love, purpose and the unavoidable passing of time. ‘A Ghost Story’ tells the story of a young couple (Affleck & Mara) whose existence together is unexpectedly disrupted by a tragic accident. Unable to move on, the ghost of the deceased finds their way back home where they silently witness the larger scope of time, love and so much more in this beautiful and moving story unlike anything else you’ve recently experienced.

Written and directed by the incredibly talented David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon 2016, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) who once again does an amazing job at the helm of ‘A Ghost Story’ guiding his own screenplay along with a consistent heart and passion that never goes unnoticed. The film also owes a tremendous amount of credit to the passionate and talented performances from the limited cast, specifically the two key roles portrayed by Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) both of which have worked with Lowery prior and are simply outstanding here in each of their respective roles, therefore really allowing this remarkably human tale to work as magnificently as it does.

‘A Ghost Story’ is a truly powerful, emotionally overwhelming and just downright phenomenal piece of filmmaking that dares to venture as far from the norm as possible and the odd steps, and slow moving first act will try the patience of casual viewers, but if you’re able to endure (and even appreciate) moments within such as what has to be the most lengthy shot of one individual eating pie ever seen in film, then the remainder of the film will not disappoint in the slightest. It’s a calm, patient and beautiful exploration of time and the ties that bind us, and for those as emotional as myself it’s likely to weave its way thoroughly into your thought process and take your emotions on a roller coaster ride the likes of which you haven’t experienced in quite some time, and is almost guaranteed to linger with you long after the final frame. An accomplishment all the more impressive when considering what a silly premise the ghost with a sheet concept is (something even Lowery himself expresses in the extras).  It’s passionately guided along each calm turn by director David Lowery whose highly capable guidance is perfectly complimented by leads Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara whose notable performances never falter. I would strongly urge anyone that’s a fan of David Lowery’s work or either of the key cast members to give this one a chance when you have the time, it requires a bit of patience and definitely won’t appeal to a lot of individuals, but for those who can appreciate it for what it is, it’s not to be missed.

Overall, ‘A Ghost Story’ is passionate and moving, somehow managing to take a relatively goofy concept and turn it into a powerful and heartfelt film that takes you on an emotionally riveting journey not likely to be soon forgotten. It’s yet another remarkable effort from talented filmmaker David Lowery that also features noteworthy performances from leads Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. ‘A Ghost Story’ is definitely a film that many casual movie watchers won’t have any interest in, but for folks that may be all intrigued it easily earns one of my highest recommendations. For fans of Lowery, Affleck and/or Mara in addition to anyone with the patience and unique taste to appreciate this splendid piece of filmmaking it should have no trouble whatsoever proving itself more than worthy of both your time and the cost of a rental; it’s a truly moving and spectacular tale that won’t be easily forgotten.

VIDEO:

The Blu-ray release of ‘A Ghost Story’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing the film’s original 1.33:1 4×3 Aspect Ratio with the old school rounded edges. The video presentation looks pretty great as a whole and delivers a sharp, detailed and smooth presentation throughout with no noticeable faults to be discovered along the way. It holds up admirably even during the numerous darkly lit sequences and never causes anything occurring on screen to become negatively affected or rendered indiscernible. Overall, this is quite the wonderful high definition video presentation that looks gorgeous from start to finish.

AUDIO:

The Blu-ray release features a lossless 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack brings a clean, crisp and subtly active audio presentation that while not overly aggressive, still delivers around every turn. It takes advantage of all five available channels in order to immerse the viewer within the story by sending mild creepy elements, music and more throughout the various speakers on occasion, and never conflicting with other simultaneously occurring audio elements, nor suffering any faults throughout. Overall, this is a solid 5.1 channel DTS-HD MA soundtrack that compliments the film quite well and delivers in every way required of it.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The Blu-ray release of ‘A Ghost Story’ includes some worthwhile extras that fans of the film should appreciate. Included on the release is an ‘Audio Commentary with Writer/Director David Lowery, Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo, Production Designer Jade Healy and Composer Daniel Hart’, in addition to a ‘Deleted Scene’ from the movie (running approximately 6 minutes in length) and a couple of behind the scenes Featurettes that include interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus behind the scenes footage and more. The included Featurettes are: ‘A Ghost Story and the Inevitable Passing of Time’ (running approximately 20 minutes) and ‘A Composer’s Story’ (approximately 5 minutes).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They additionally will suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

Film Rating: 9.5/10
Disc Rating: 7.5/10

‘A Ghost Story’ is Now Available to Own on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD from A24 & Lionsgate Home Entertainment

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