The High Note is a fine music-drama-comedy with some good performances from Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, but can’t say this is a terribly memorable film and unlikely will remember a month from now.
The High Note
(2020)
Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Music
Universal Pictures | PG13 – 113 min. – $34.98 | August 11, 2020
Date Published: 08/14/2020 | Author: The Movieman
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Universal Pictures Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis (TRACEE ELLIS ROSS), a superstar whose talent, and ego, have reached unbelievable heights. Maggie (DAKOTA JOHNSON) is Grace’s overworked personal assistant who’s stuck running errands, but still aspires to her childhood dream of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever. Quick Hit Review: The High Note is a decent but ultimately forgettable music-drama though I did like the performances from Dakota Johnson – further proving to be a talented actress despite appearing in the 50 Shades franchise – as well as Tracee Ellis Ross, somebody I’m not especially familiar with (though know she’s a star in Black-ish), however she does have a nice singing voice. The other highlight is some catchy R&B music, both new and old. Ice Cube for his part is fine and has a few fun scenes opposite Johnson. The film was directed by Nisha Ganatra following the Emma Thompson/Mindy Kaling drama-comedy Late Night and was scripted by Flora Greeson marking her feature debut. The High Note is an adequately entertaining music-drama that could’ve used more focus on either Maggie or Grace’s stories, but still the music itself is catchy and at the very least never was bored or lost interested. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 2.5/5 |
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This release comes with a glossy, slightly title-embossed, slip cover. Included inside is a DVD Copy and Digital HD redemption code. Deleted/Alternate/Extended Scenes (25:48) — There are 22 scenes included here, some just alternate takes and others don’t really expand the plot or characters. The Dream Team: Inside the Creation of The High Note (5:16) — Short promotional featurette with on-set interviews with the cast and crew set against scenes from the movie. Making a Legend: The Grace Davis Story (4:04) is a profile on the fictional character. Last up is a Music Video (3:08) for “Like I Do”. |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Universal releases The High Note onto Blu-ray shown in its original 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio and has been given a 1080p high-definition transfer. The picture is bright and fairly colorful from the few concert sequences while detail is sharp and well defined throughout. |
AUDIO – 4.75/5 |
| The disc comes with a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track taking full advantage of the pop-R&B music and score with nice depth as the LFE kicks on. Dialogue comes through with good clarity. I didn’t notice any major or obvious instances of interference or poor sound design. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Overall, The High Note is a fine music-drama-comedy with some good performances from Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, but can’t say this is a terribly memorable film and unlikely will remember a month from now. |