The Book of Clarence Blu-ray Review
Score: 81
from 3 reviewers
Review Date:
The Book of Clarence offers a visually stunning Blu-ray with excellent A/V quality, despite its dual-genre approach diluting its potential impact.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 92
The Book of Clarence Blu-ray offers an exquisite 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation with lifelike skin tones, vivid primaries, and impressive depth. Despite lacking a 4K release, its transfer is lush and beautiful, with sharp details and vibrant color reproduction, unmarred by any encoding issues.
Audio: 89
Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix for 'The Book of Clarence' excels with its clear, well-prioritized dialogue and immersive soundstage. While not as expansive as an Atmos track, it delivers engaging surround activity, precise directionality, and impactful LFE that enhance dramatic moments compellingly.
Extra: 57
The Book of Clarence Blu-ray extras offer a comprehensive experience for dedicated viewers, highlighted by an insightful audio commentary with Director Jeymes Samuel and LaKeith Stanfield, over 30 minutes of captivating deleted scenes, and featurettes that delve into the film's production, music, and ensemble cast.
Movie: 63
The Book of Clarence ambitiously treads the line between comedy and drama in a biblical setting with LaKeith Stanfield's compelling energy; however, it lacks the sharp satirical edge and cohesion of genre predecessors like Life of Brian, relying instead on strong production design and standout performances to transcend its inconsistent narrative.
Video: 92
The Book of Clarence presents a captivating visual experience on Blu-ray, primarily due to its impressive 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. The film excels in delivering lifelike skin tones and vibrant primary colors, with Roman reds contrasting effectively against the desert's earthy palette. The image quality is pristine, exhibiting neither macroblocking nor banding artifacts. Black levels are excellently rendered, providing a genuine sense of depth and dimensionality throughout the film. Fine textures and edge detailing are crisply rendered, showcasing the intricate production design and costuming. Despite a theatrical release that didn't perform remarkably, this Blu-ray release is a showcase of blu-ray quality at its best, urging a desire for an eventual 4K upgrade, which could elevate this presentation even further.
The disc’s encoding supports a lush depth of field, managing the film's deep focus without distortions. The absence of HDR doesn’t detract from the rich color reproduction, allowing Jerusalem's scenes to appear unexpectedly lavish rather than bleak. Costumes and makeup translate beautifully on screen, with vibrant colors popping amidst a well-balanced contrast ratio. While there are slight hiccups with CGI blending during a few action sequences, these are minor distractions in an otherwise polished and captivating presentation.
Critics may not have uniformly lauded the film’s narrative, but the Blu-ray succeeds in capturing its aesthetic strengths. The meticulous attention to visual detail—from makeup to hairstyling—underlines the investment in production design, yielding a high-caliber disc that embodies both elegance and clarity. Although it's unclear whether 4K was ever planned, this Blu-ray impression leaves viewers eager for the day such an upgrade might reveal even more visual splendor.
Audio: 89
The audio presentation of the Blu-ray for "The Book of Clarence" is a standout feature, primarily thanks to its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. This track excels in delivering clear and intelligible dialogue that remains well-prioritized across scenes, ensuring no loss of clarity amidst the film's dynamic soundscape. The mix successfully balances expansive environments and meticulous directional details, providing an engaging home theater experience that conveys the vibrancy of bustling gladiator stadiums, crowded streets, and sweeping deserts with immersive realism.
Even without a Dolby Atmos mix, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio delivers substantial heft and a wide soundstage. Channel panning is executed with precision, while dynamic rear speaker activity enhances both quiet moments and high-action sequences with texture and depth. Low-frequency effects are expertly integrated, delivering impactful bass during intense moments like chariot chases and dramatic encounters without overpowering other elements. This careful balance ensures that the original score and ambient sounds enrich the viewing experience.
Overall, "The Book of Clarence" offers a robust audio experience on Blu-ray, maintaining immersive qualities and a sense of dimension. Vocal subtleties are complemented by rich environmental sounds, while the comprehensive surround activity adds layers of auditory detail. The result is a sonically engaging presentation that matches the film’s narrative drama with impressive fidelity and weight, satisfying both casual viewers and audiophiles alike.
Extras: 57
The Blu-ray extras for "The Book of Clarence" present a comprehensive and engaging collection that delves deeply into the film's creative process. At the forefront is an illuminating audio commentary by director Jeymes Samuel and actor LaKeith Stanfield, providing insights into the film's production, thematic elements, and its blend of comedy and drama. Accompanied by over 30 minutes of deleted scenes, the disc offers an enriching experience for viewers eager to explore additional narrative layers. Several featurettes—though somewhat brief—further immerse the audience in the behind-the-scenes journey, covering aspects from casting to the innovative musical collaborations that shape the film's unique sound. Though the lack of a slipcover, DVD, or digital code may be disappointing, the enthusiasm of the filmmakers is evidently captured within these supplemental materials.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Insightful discussion with Jeymes Samuel & LaKeith Stanfield.
- Deleted Scenes: Eight scenes including filmmaker introductions.
- Book 4: Making the Film: Behind-the-scenes journey.
- The Gospel of Jeymes: On-set featurette with Jeymes Samuel.
- Band of Brothers: Overview of the ensemble cast.
- Song of Songs: An Epic Collaboration: Exploration of the film's music.
- Gag Reel: Collection of humorous outtakes.
Movie: 63
The Book of Clarence navigates the landscape of Biblical satire with a mixed bag of a narrative. LaKeith Stanfield stars as Clarence, a pothead in 33 AD Jerusalem, striving to clear his debts. Driven by inspiration and desperation, Clarence adopts a Messiah persona to gather followers and escape financial ruin. The film toys with the comedic and dramatic duality yet struggles to commit fully to either. Attempts to emulate the satirical finesse of Monty Python's Life of Brian are evident but fall short due to uneven pacing and humor that often treads too cautiously. However, the production shines in its aesthetics; the cinematography, set design, and soundtrack skillfully invoke the opulence of classic Hollywood biblical epics, creating a visually captivating experience.
The cast, particularly Stanfield and James McAvoy as Pontius Pilate, deliver standout performances, though the expansive ensemble often feels underutilized. Clarence's interactions with historical and Biblical figures provide a platform for humor and insight into the religious discourse, yet the film misses opportunities for depth. Modern parallels with racial tensions surface but are treated too superficially to resonate meaningfully. Despite its flaws, the film manages to elicit laughs through some well-timed gags and charming performances. The narrative weaves its way through amusing chariot races and whimsical dances, although it occasionally succumbs to predictability and unwieldy subplots.
Stylistically ambitious, director Jeymes Samuel’s vision is evident in both liveliness and visual diversity, but the film's bold attempt at straddling comedy and introspective drama results in tonal dissonance. While it wanders from a stoner comedy to glimmers of meaningful drama, The Book of Clarence remains an intriguing story marked by enjoyable moments and excellent production elements, deservedly warranting appreciation on a casual rainy day.
Total: 81
"The Book of Clarence" on Blu-ray presents a dual-genre endeavor by Jeymes Samuel that teeters between comedy and drama, leaving the film somewhat muddled in its identity. Despite its bold attempt to blend humor with religious undertones—a challenging feat in filmmaking—the movie hesitates, opting for safer comedic paths while intermittently touching upon more profound, dramatic themes. Although the film showcases fine performances and fleeting moments of clever humor, it falls short of establishing itself as a standout offering in the crowded landscape of religious comedies.
Sony's Blu-ray release excels where the film's narrative may falter. The impeccable video quality highlights Samuel's homage to cinematic styles of yesteryear, capturing the vibrant production design and compelling visuals effectively. Coupled with an excellent lossless audio track, the Blu-ray offers an auditory experience that complements the film's dynamic musical score. Additionally, the disc's assortment of extras provides further engagement, enriching the viewer's insight into the film’s creative process and thematic ambitions.
In conclusion, while "The Book of Clarence" may not ascend to classic status or appeal universally, it possesses a certain charm and originality that make it worth exploring. Its foray into blending genres warrants appreciation, despite not fully realizing its potential. The Blu-ray edition serves as a valuable asset for collectors and cinephiles interested in experiencing the film's unique components at home, with high-quality presentation and comprehensive extras that enhance its merits. This release is certainly worth a look for those willing to explore its intricate fusion of humor and introspection.
Blu-ray.com review by Kenneth BrownRead review here
Video: 100
I also didn't detect any hint of macroblocking, banding, crush or other distracting encoding issues, leaving me without a single gripe or even nitpick to encroach on The Book of Clarence's perfect video...
Audio: 90
LFE output lends heft to low-end elements as well, making for some chest-thumping sonics that elevate Clarence's more dramatic encounters and help raise the hairs on your neck when his trek toward Messiah-hood...
Extras: 60
Song of Songs: An Epic Collaboration (HD, 4 minutes) - Bringing together the eclectic music of the film....
Movie: 60
Stanfield and McAvoy deliver, particularly when sharing the screen, but the rest of the cast seems lost in the mix, disappearing as quickly as they appear; a parade of extended cameos that reference Biblical...
Total: 80
With a perfect video presentation, excellent lossless audio track, and a solid complement of extras, it's well worth the price of admission....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 100
Some CGI elements don’t quite blend well, a few big action-styled scenes are a little obvious, but that’s a small nitpick....
Audio: 100
Even in quiet sequences, there’s a flurry of background activity to give each scene a sense of space, and dimension, and provide an immersive quality....
Extras: 60
At the head of the table is a very insightful audio commentary featuring director/writer Jeymes Samuel with LaKeith Stanfield....
Movie: 60
That said, the finale is pretty hilarious squeezing in one last good joke thanks to some great casting by Benedict Cumberbatch, but maybe not enough to usher this film into the realm of hilarious salvation...
Total: 80
Fine performances abound and there are some very clever and hilarious scenes to enjoy, but not enough to make this a truly great comedy especially as it tries to have and eat its dramatic cake too....
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 90
Color Reproduction: The colors of Jerusalem I feared would be dusty and bland, but a variety of opportunities within make for a much more lavish case....
Audio: 90
Surround Sound Presentation: Surrounds are used with love for outdoor ambience, crowd noise and of course, once again, music....
Extras: 60
We get 30 minutes of deleted footage and a few supplements about the making of the film, music in the film, casting the film and a gag reel....
Movie: 80
Clarence’s mother and Elijah appear to be the only people who see the good in Clarence, who is now literally fearing for his life due to the mounting debt he’s been amassing....
Total: 80
Taken as-is, The Book of Clarence is destined to be an overlooked original, and while that’s sad, we gratefully have this Blu-ray release to take it in, own it and see it in a great way at home....
Director: Jeymes Samuel
Actors: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, Anna Diop
PlotIn ancient Jerusalem, a struggling yet charismatic local man named Clarence becomes fascinated by the burgeoning influence of a radical preacher. Witnessing the preacher's growing following, Clarence sees an opportunity to improve his own life by securing fame and fortune. Despite lacking any true spiritual conviction, he decides to mimic this figure's style, attempting to position himself as a rival messianic leader. Clarence gathers a group of loyal companions, who are drawn in by his persuasive personality and the promise of glory. As he navigates this new path, Clarence is soon entangled in both comedic and dangerous situations, balancing on the thin line between deception and accidental enlightenment. Jerusalem's complex social and religious landscape challenges Clarence’s ambitions as he grapples with the magnitude and myth behind religious fervor.
As Clarence's charade expands, it increasingly impacts the people around him, blending moments of self-discovery and unintended consequences. He encounters Bertha, a reticent but insightful woman whose wisdom forces him to confront his own motivations. Meanwhile, tension within his followers builds, revealing diverse responses to their own desires for meaning and belonging in a tumultuous era. Amidst growing suspicion from established authorities wary of uprising, Clarence's journey inadvertently prompts deeper, unintended reflections among his followers and enemies alike. Faced with these escalating pressures, Clarence is pushed towards a reckoning with the very beliefs he pretends to espouse, as influences beyond his control challenge his evolving narrative of self-stylized spirituality and pursuit of truth.
Writers: Md Minhaj Miah, Jeymes Samuel
Release Date: 12 Jan 2024
Runtime: 129 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States, Italy
Language: English, Spanish