Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Long before the concept existed, the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer, was the original "It Girl." Like her direct ancestor Princess Diana, she was ravishing, glamorous and adored by an entire country. Determined to be a player in the wider affairs of the world, she proved that she could out-gamble, out-drink and outwit most of the aristocratic men who surrounded her. She helped usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. But even as her power and popularity grew, she was haunted by the fact that the only man in England she seemingly could not seduce was her very own husband, the Duke. And when she tried to find her own way to be true to her heart and loyal to her duty, the resulting controversies and convoluted liaisons pushed her to the brink of risking banishment by her husband, family and all of London society.

This film gives a very interesting look at the life and times of English society and how hard women had it in the not too distant past. I thought this was going to be a playful romance film with upbeat characters but it is anything but. Instead we see how hard it was for women in arranged marriages and the struggles to make life and love work in a time when everything was controlled by royalty.

The HD presentation is good but the cinematography of the film presents some obstacles. The photography is a bit on the unfocused side from time to time and lens issues become apparent throughout the film. This lends to a softer look than you may be use to from HD. There is still plenty of depth but the image doesn’t have the rich dimension I’ve seen with some other newer releases lately. Fine detail in close-ups is good, but not quite reference level. Color has a very natural presentation and contrast levels are good overall.

The TrueHD soundtrack is good but the film’s themes don’t lend to a very dynamic experience. The film’s score does do a great job with the mood and tempo of the film and fills up the front soundstage nicely. Subtle ambiance is present throughout in the surround soundstage but I didn’t get a lot of atmosphere from the mix. Dialogue sounds very natural in tone and timbre and is the highlight of the mix.

Extras include a look at the real Duchess and the production of the film and portraying this icon. You also get some trailers and a look at the production design of the film.

I really expected a different film going in on this one. I like how they didn’t try and tone down how hard life was back then for women. The A/V presentation is good but not quite up to par with the better video presentations out there. Worth a rental.