The Dinner Blu-ray Review

Lionsgate Films presents "The Dinner" on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, demonstrating a visually complex and multifaceted presentation. The film, lensed by Bobby Bukowski, exhibits a diverse range of photographic techniques, making its source material secondary to its visual styling. Main scenes in the restaurant are suffused with deep ambers and hellish reds, creating an intimate ambiance, while flashbacks showcase elevated brightness and intentionally subdued contrast. These varied techniques result in a juxtaposition of sleek, glossy digital imagery and traditional film-like textures. Subtle and effulgent lighting is employed throughout the restaurant scenes, providing a soft, gauzy ambience that enhances the film's aesthetic.

The disk offers generally excellent detail levels, with close-ups delivering remarkable fine detail and clarity. Despite these strengths, some scenes approach pixellation, introducing occasional splotchy moments, notably visible in specific instances (e.g., screenshot 17). Nonetheless, the high-class 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encode holds up remarkably well under scrutiny. The film emulates a traditional film look with judicious use of grain and impressive black levels that never undermine the overall transfer quality. This meticulous visual craftsmanship complements the film’s narrative themes with subtle visual cues, ensuring an engaging viewing experience. The differing visual styles between the main scenes and flashbacks not only add variety but also further emphasize the film's layered storytelling approach.

The Blu-ray release of "The Dinner" by Lionsgate features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that adeptly captures the subtleties of this dialogue-driven film. Although much of the dialogue occurs in confined spaces, the sound design still leverages directionality effectively, especially during the restaurant scenes. The audio mix brings the ambiance of an upper-class dining setting to life, with the clinking of glassware and subtle room chatter enveloping the viewer. These elements flow realistically through the front and surround channels, creating an immersive atmosphere without overwhelming the dialogue.

However, it is worth noting that the dialogue mix could be improved. Although fidelity is consistently fine and dialogues are clear, they sometimes appear softer, particularly during crucial whispering and conspiring scenes. This necessitates occasional straining to grasp every word, which might detract slightly from the viewing experience. On a positive note, the score is well-balanced across all channels, making smart use of the surrounds to maintain auditory engagement without becoming front-heavy. Overall, this track complements the film’s setting effectively while maintaining a subtle presence that suits the dramatic tone without drawing undue attention.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Dinner" offer a well-rounded selection of supplemental content that enhances the viewing experience. The Audio Commentary by Director Oren Moverman and Actress Laura Linney stands out with insightful discussions about the film's nuances and their deep appreciation for the source material. Linney's familiarity with the characters provides viewers with a richer understanding of their complexities, making this commentary particularly engaging. Additionally, the Photo Gallery in 1080p quality provides a visually stunning collection of behind-the-scenes images. These extras effectively deepen the audience's connection to the film and its creative process.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary with Director Oren Moverman and Actress Laura Linney: Insightful discussion on film's nuances and source material.
• Photo Gallery: High-resolution behind-the-scenes images.

"The Dinner" is a gripping narrative that uncovers deep-seated familial conflicts amidst a deceptively opulent setting. The film centers around two couples—Paul and Claire Lohman (Steve Coogan and Laura Linney), and Paul's brother Stan (Richard Gere) with his wife Katelyn (Rebecca Hall)—meeting for an ostensibly normal dinner at an upscale restaurant. This seemingly simple premise is laden with complex subtext, largely driven by the nuanced performances of its cast. Coogan's portrayal of Paul highlights a neurotic individual plagued by undiagnosed mental issues, creating an uncomfortable yet compelling dynamic, whereas Gere's Stan balances political aspirations with familial obligations, adding layers to his ostensibly honorable character. Linney and Hall shine in their respective roles, bringing depth to their characters through subtle nuisances and powerful expressions.

The film employs an intentionally disjointed narrative structure that oscillates between the present dinner table drama and intricate flashbacks. This approach provides insight into the character’s backgrounds and the dark incident involving their children, which is pivotal to the plot. However, the execution of these flashbacks has a significant impact on viewer engagement. Some transitions may appear jarring, leading to initial confusion about the timeline and context, potentially detracting from the overall coherence. The technique does evolve to reveal substantial character intricacies but could have benefited from a more fluid narrative flow.

Despite its structural shortcomings, "The Dinner" presents a multifaceted examination of parental responsibilities and moral dilemmas. The film delves deep into how each character grapples with the consequences of their children's misguided actions, with Claire's unwavering denial juxtaposed against Stan's resolve to confront the issue head-on. The screenplay's ambition to adapt Herman Koch’s novel is evident; however, translating literary complexities into a cinematic format sometimes falls short, creating sporadic moments of disconnection. Nonetheless, the film succeeds in delivering emotionally potent themes through its stellar cast performances, making it a thought-provoking watch that lingers long after the credits roll.

"The Dinner" presents an intricate narrative underpinned by solid performances from its ensemble cast, though the film's execution falters due to a disjointed story structure. Integrating frequent flashbacks, the film creates a sense of narrative whiplash that can be disorienting to viewers. Despite these flaws, the quality of the acting and the sharpness of the screenplay shine through, offering depth to the characters and their morally complex dilemmas. The Blu-ray transfer captures these nuanced performances well but occasionally shows signs of visual inconsistencies. Whether these visual oddities were intentional remains unclear, adding another layer of ambiguity to the film.

From a technical perspective, the audio-visual quality is mostly commendable, enhancing the film’s tense atmosphere. The sound mixing ensures dialogue clarity, which is crucial given the verbose nature of the script, while the visual presentation preserves the film's aesthetic, albeit with periodic deviations in quality that some might find distracting. The special features included in the Blu-ray package provide insightful behind-the-scenes content that can enrich one's understanding of the adaptation process.

In conclusion, "The Dinner" may in fact leave you wanting a little bit more to eat, especially since it ends almost mid-sentence without any clear resolution of the central issue at hand. The film may not be completely successful, and it probably darts to and fro too much for its own good, but it's graced by some sensational performances and some extremely smart writing. This has made me extremely eager to see the two previous adaptations of the source novel, and I'm going to set out to track those down as soon as possible. The video presentation here is odd at times, but I'm frankly uncertain as to whether some of the oddities were intentional. Recommended for those who can appreciate strong performances amidst a chaotic narrative framework.