The Hero – Blu-Ray Movie Review

Synopsis

Sam Elliot plays Lee Hayden, an aging semi-retired actor who was something of a one-hit wonder. He had one major success in film where he played the character "The Hero" in a Western many years earlier. He is still working mostly doing voice overs for commercials and the like. He is suddenly braced with a diagnosis of terminal cancer. This diagnosis leads to some interesting changes in his life where he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. He also strikes up a May – December relationship with a witty stand up comic, Charlotte (Laura Prepon).

Specifications

Lionsgate
2017, Color, Rated R, 1 Hr 33 mins
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Sam Elliott, Laura Prepon, Nick Offerman, and Krysten Ritter
Directed by: Brett Haley

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Mild
Sex: Mild
Language: Yes

Commentary

I kind of want to give this movie five stars but it isn’t quite up to the standard of the rare few that are worthy of a perfect score. The movie naturally has a bit of a slow pace and I just let it all wash over me for its short running time of just over 90 minutes.

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I will say that the acting is incredible in this movie on all levels. I was touched by this movie and I dare say it left a mark on me and I won’t soon forget it. There are more than a few scenes that brought a tear to my eye. This movie is good enough that I will be watching it again. Highly recommended.

Technical

The director uses filters, light and focus to set the mood for various scenes. These effects may make the image come across as drab, soft and/or lifeless which is just what the doctor ordered. The Blu-ray encode is apparently true to these stylistic choices and so four stars are definitely warranted. I was particularly smitten by how well the darker scenes were conveyed with excellent depth of image and excellent grayscale tracking.

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This movie is dialog-driven but with ample environmental effects. I found the sound effects to be true to life and naturally immersive.

Extras

This is a one-disc package with the Blu-ray and a Digital HD Code.

On-disc features are sparse – Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Brett Haley and Sam Elliott and a Photo Gallery.

Jim Clements

Jim Clements has been an audio nut since childhood where you could find him underfoot at his local high end store on most weekends. (This particular shop was within walking distance of Jim's home, much to the chagrin of the owner and his staff.) Jim's audio journey started early because he loved great music of all kinds. And he still does. Like most audiophiles, Jim was not particularly inspired by a vast majority of the audio systems he encountered. So his quest grew through his efforts to recreate a live listening experience in the home. This has proven to be a never ending quest. One major offshoot of all this is that Jim has become something of a cinema enthusiast as well. So now he's working on the video and surround sound conundrums too. Since perfect recreation of sound and video is a goal to be pursued but never attained, Jim derives his pleasure from the journey itself. He wants to help our readers on their own personal quests by reviewing products thoroughly and objectively. On a personal note, Jim is a Professional Engineer, licensed in California and Texas. He currently has his own engineering practice in San Antonio, Texas. Jim is also part owner of a small chain of craft beer growler stations in South Texas.