Aug 142020
 

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


MOVIE INFO:
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Writer(s): Flora Greeson (written by)
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ice Cube, Bill Pullman


DISC INFO:
Features: Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Music Video
Slip Cover: Yes
Digital Copy: Yes
Formats Included: Blu-ray, DVD
Number of Discs: 2


Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 7.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.39
Subtitles: English SDH
Disc Size: 42.87 GB
Total Bitrate: 40.56 Mbps
Codecs: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C (untested)


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


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


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


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.

 

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