A Month in the Country is a well made drama headlined by the beautiful English countryside as well as two solid performances by Colin Firth and a young Kenneth Branagh marking his feature film debut. Unfortunately the Blu-ray release doesn’t quite measure up to the story with utterly average video and only so-so audio while the bonus material is limited, though the commentary is worth a listen.
A Month in the Country
(1987)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Drama
Twilight Time | PG – 96 min. – $29.95 | July 14, 2015
** Click Here to Purchase A Month in the Country on Blu-ray from Screen Archives **
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Pat O’Connor directs the wonderful Simon Gray’s adaptation of J.L. Carr’s novel, A Month in the Country, the tale of a pair of emotionally wounded World War I veterans (COLIN FIRTH and KENNETH BRANAGH marking his film debut) who find some respite in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and in their supportive friendship. As they work, respectively, on the restoration of an ancient church mural and the possible unearthing of an archeological treasure, they encounter, also, the local vicar’s young wife (NATASHA RICHARDSON); between them, this trio reflects the many faces of love and longing.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5
Audio Commentary – Film Historians, and Twilight Time regulars, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman sit down for an academic yet still interesting track touching the various themes present in the film.
Theatrical Trailer (2:05; HD)
Also included is the standard 6-page essay booket.
VIDEO – 2.75/5
Twilight Time releases A Month in the Country onto Blu-ray presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. Frankly, this one was a tad disappointing considering the setting and the beautiful locales where the film was shot. In a word, the picture is rather soft; details aren’t great while the colors tend to be more muted rather than bright. I suppose the one positive thing I can say is it does appear to be a clean transfer free of major instances of dust marks or dirt.
AUDIO – 3.5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track fairs a bit better providing for clear dialogue levels and decent enough depth when it comes to ambient noises beginning with the credits sequence between the score and rain downpour. It’s nothing I’d call amazing and still has limitations yet it’s still a fine lossless track and probably slightly better than anything that came before, if only slightly.
OVERALL – 3.0/5
Overall, A Month in the Country is a well made drama headlined by the beautiful English countryside as well as two solid performances by Colin Firth and a young Kenneth Branagh marking his feature film debut. Unfortunately the Blu-ray release doesn’t quite measure up to the story with utterly average video and only so-so audio while the bonus material is limited, though the commentary is worth a listen.
Published: 07/18/2015
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.