VOX LUX (Blu-ray + Digital)
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Video: 1.66:1 1080p Widescreen
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
THE RATINGS
The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½
Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Special Features - ½ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
Overall - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰
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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
You either love it or you don't. Pick a side. Any side.
You either love it or you don't. Pick a side. Any side.
Reviewed by Gavin King
2018 was a pretty prolific year in terms of movies about music stars, fictional or otherwise. We got the smash hit Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which very deservedly gave powerhouse actor Freddy Merc - er, sorry, Rami Malek a coveted golden Oscar statuette for the Best Actor category. And good thing, too, because in my personal opinion the rest of the film was simply eh. Aside from Malek's transparent Mercury performance, it was a cliched, cookie-cutter movie-of-the-week biopic that really didn't have a lot new to offer. Time travel back to a month before Bohemian Rhapsody's theatrical release and there's the brand-new interpretation of A Star is Born, helmed by Bradley Cooper himself and starring both him and acclaimed pop artist Lady Gaga. It was an incredibly well-directed and solidly-scripted cautionary tale of the obstacles and inner turmoil that can come amid all of the overwhelming fame and crowd cheers when on stage. Because showbiz isn't all roses. But one particular film that mainstream audiences seem to have crossed off of their radars is Brady Corbet's Vox Lux, the chronicles of a glitzy pop star who rose to stardom in her own unusual way. For the folks that did see the film, though, one thing is for certain: it's arguably one of the most divisive films of last year. Some loved its unique, unusual style, while others just wanted the thing to burn in a raging dumpster fire. But for the former and those kindly movie-watchers who are willing to give Celeste and her colleagues a chance, it's a masterwork. Brady Corbet displays an assured, skilled sense of filmmaking in most every frame of the feature, and it's only helped that he's got a devoted, powerfully-preformed cast by his back. It's haunting, strange, atmospheric, courageous, colorful, and quite honestly one of my favorite films of last year. Not everyone is going to love it like I did, but the craftsmanship displayed throughout all 114 minutes is to be lauded.
1999: Teenage sisters Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) and Eleanor (Stacy Martin) are survivors of a terrifying school shooting that leaves a majority of students and teachers dead. Moments after, the sisters band together to compose a powerful song that epitomizes their emotions, experience, and viewpoint of the frightening tragedy. Celeste eventually is greenlit by a local label manager (Jude Law) which, in turn, sparks the start of her unexpected path to pop stardom. A handful of years pass and around present day 31-year-old Celeste (Natalie Portman) is a mother to a teenage daughter of her own. As she continues to keep her musical career churning forward for her loyal fans, she fights scandals, confusion, the press, and increasingly barbaric acts of horrific violence that spread past Celeste's terrifying younger days.
With Vox Lux, filmmaker Brady Corbet is chronicling the life of a rags-to-somewhat-riches pop icon who finds her footing not so much in selling albums or cranking the Billboard top 10s but more in being an individual with real human struggles and inner battles that hit close to home for her. The film introduces young Celeste with a literal bang, as a school shooter makes all hell break loose and causes mounds of shocking casualties. Celeste miraculously survives the event along with her sister Eleanor which consequently compels the two to create a song from the heart that encapsulates their horrific experience while in the chaotic moment. Then the fame gates open wide and Celeste's star status thrashes through the roof. This is sort of the tone that the film and Corbet are aiming to go for. Sure Celeste is known by a decent chunk of the population as any other everyday radio sugar pop icon a la Ariana Grande thanks to obligatory marketing tactics, but that's only a shell of what she is at the heart. Her music is intended to empower more than entertain her devoted fanbase. Yes, Celeste's live performances may feature bright and loud pyrotechnics to wow fans, but she also blesses a reason behind each beat and note. As Celeste asks her audience during the film's climactic sequence: "So, tell me; how many of you have cried yourself to sleep at night?" This isn't simply music to get stuck in your head 24/7 or the kind to play on repeat during long road trips with the friends. Celeste's popularity stems not primarily in the bubblegummy net appeal but more so in the Sweat and Tears behind her music, for the past - and current - experiences in her very chaotic away-from-showbiz life that inspire her to put her foot down and create music from the heart, not from the factory.
The depictions of Celeste's often harrowing rise to stardom are raw, unflinching, and masterfully depicted, breathing startlingly realistic life to a fictional story that in all honesty gives the film an almost behind-the-scenes-like feel. Brady Corbet has a keen, razor-sharp eye for the extremely vital and criminally overlooked "show, don't tell" aspect of cinema. The introduction to Celeste's harsh young experiences regarding the school shooting hit profoundly hard as Corbet makes the extremely wise decision to disregard obstructive, cheesy underscoring and an overabundance of lightning-quick cuts in exchange for prodigious sound mixing and tight, unconventional camerawork. Corbet's signature touches are on full display throughout as unique bits such as displaying credits usually reserved for the end of the feature over the opening of the film to an absolutely stellar final performance scene that, sorry, absolutely trumps Bohemian Rhapsody's Live Aid scene in terms of cinematography, color choices, lighting, sound engineering, and more. The way Corbet represents the rawness and harsh reality of Celeste's unforgiving life story is something only few filmmakers can truly accomplish.
Of course, it wouldn't be a prolifically hard-hitting tale without an exceptional lead performance, and sure enough, Natalie Portman could not have done a better job breathing harsh life to the character. From her quick-lipped attitude to the rich singing voice she projects onstage, this is quite simply Portman's finest work to date, and we're talking about a year in which she was a lead in the great sci-fi mind-warper Annihilation. It gets said a lot about a handful of various films, but I can't imagine anyone else portraying the flawed but powerful character of Celeste in a more believable way. Jude Law is excellent as well as what is credited as "The Manager", and Raffey Cassidy is continuously proving herself to be one of the finest younger actresses working today. With her work in The Killing of a Sacred Deer and now this film, let's just say that this kid's going places.
Hop along. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
1999: Teenage sisters Celeste (Raffey Cassidy) and Eleanor (Stacy Martin) are survivors of a terrifying school shooting that leaves a majority of students and teachers dead. Moments after, the sisters band together to compose a powerful song that epitomizes their emotions, experience, and viewpoint of the frightening tragedy. Celeste eventually is greenlit by a local label manager (Jude Law) which, in turn, sparks the start of her unexpected path to pop stardom. A handful of years pass and around present day 31-year-old Celeste (Natalie Portman) is a mother to a teenage daughter of her own. As she continues to keep her musical career churning forward for her loyal fans, she fights scandals, confusion, the press, and increasingly barbaric acts of horrific violence that spread past Celeste's terrifying younger days.
With Vox Lux, filmmaker Brady Corbet is chronicling the life of a rags-to-somewhat-riches pop icon who finds her footing not so much in selling albums or cranking the Billboard top 10s but more in being an individual with real human struggles and inner battles that hit close to home for her. The film introduces young Celeste with a literal bang, as a school shooter makes all hell break loose and causes mounds of shocking casualties. Celeste miraculously survives the event along with her sister Eleanor which consequently compels the two to create a song from the heart that encapsulates their horrific experience while in the chaotic moment. Then the fame gates open wide and Celeste's star status thrashes through the roof. This is sort of the tone that the film and Corbet are aiming to go for. Sure Celeste is known by a decent chunk of the population as any other everyday radio sugar pop icon a la Ariana Grande thanks to obligatory marketing tactics, but that's only a shell of what she is at the heart. Her music is intended to empower more than entertain her devoted fanbase. Yes, Celeste's live performances may feature bright and loud pyrotechnics to wow fans, but she also blesses a reason behind each beat and note. As Celeste asks her audience during the film's climactic sequence: "So, tell me; how many of you have cried yourself to sleep at night?" This isn't simply music to get stuck in your head 24/7 or the kind to play on repeat during long road trips with the friends. Celeste's popularity stems not primarily in the bubblegummy net appeal but more so in the Sweat and Tears behind her music, for the past - and current - experiences in her very chaotic away-from-showbiz life that inspire her to put her foot down and create music from the heart, not from the factory.
The meeting.
The depictions of Celeste's often harrowing rise to stardom are raw, unflinching, and masterfully depicted, breathing startlingly realistic life to a fictional story that in all honesty gives the film an almost behind-the-scenes-like feel. Brady Corbet has a keen, razor-sharp eye for the extremely vital and criminally overlooked "show, don't tell" aspect of cinema. The introduction to Celeste's harsh young experiences regarding the school shooting hit profoundly hard as Corbet makes the extremely wise decision to disregard obstructive, cheesy underscoring and an overabundance of lightning-quick cuts in exchange for prodigious sound mixing and tight, unconventional camerawork. Corbet's signature touches are on full display throughout as unique bits such as displaying credits usually reserved for the end of the feature over the opening of the film to an absolutely stellar final performance scene that, sorry, absolutely trumps Bohemian Rhapsody's Live Aid scene in terms of cinematography, color choices, lighting, sound engineering, and more. The way Corbet represents the rawness and harsh reality of Celeste's unforgiving life story is something only few filmmakers can truly accomplish.
Of course, it wouldn't be a prolifically hard-hitting tale without an exceptional lead performance, and sure enough, Natalie Portman could not have done a better job breathing harsh life to the character. From her quick-lipped attitude to the rich singing voice she projects onstage, this is quite simply Portman's finest work to date, and we're talking about a year in which she was a lead in the great sci-fi mind-warper Annihilation. It gets said a lot about a handful of various films, but I can't imagine anyone else portraying the flawed but powerful character of Celeste in a more believable way. Jude Law is excellent as well as what is credited as "The Manager", and Raffey Cassidy is continuously proving herself to be one of the finest younger actresses working today. With her work in The Killing of a Sacred Deer and now this film, let's just say that this kid's going places.
VOX LUX Blu-ray - Video Quality
Vox Lux takes on a mostly grainy appearance throughout that is meant to add to the film's artistic intent and value. It's too bad Universal didn't go all out for a UHD release considering the wide array of bright colors the film presents but there's no mistaking this Blu-ray's visual excellence. (And, to be honest, the lack of a UHD is understandable considering the fact that this isn't exactly a "high demand" title.) Details are not insanely sharp - again, the film is intentionally soft and grainy - but you'll notice small facial pores, bits on intricately-designed costumes, and various environment-defining backgrounds that sport all of the clarity and crispness that Brady Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley went for. The color palette is really quite impressive here. The highlight comes with the final performance, where bright blues dominate Celeste's spotlight as she belts her heart out. The colors are more or less again about filmmaker intent, balancing naturalism and creative design very well; blue does seem to be the dominant color throughout, though plenty of other shades find their place, whether they be indoor or outdoor, night or day, etc. Black levels are a fairly critical component of the film and fall into no reasons for concern. Compression issues like aliasing or banding were virtually nonexistent. This isn't so much a conventionally great image but as a direct representation of exactly what the filmmakers were going for, it shines.
Vox Lux's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is flawless. It's a bummer the film wasn't mixed natively in an overhead sound format such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X as many of the film's aural elements - the atmospheres, the music - would have presented an ideal candidate for an object-based approach, but this 5.1 track is, much like the video, a spot-on, virtually problem-free replication of filmmaker design and approach. The film opens with a shocking school shooting scene that features loud, piercing gun sound effects and shrieking screams. It's an incredible example of what's soon to come from the track. Obviously, with this being a film centered around music, each tune absolutely soars in the mix. They're all mixed loud in the stage but never loud to excess. It's that perfectly harmonious balance that makes the ears giddy with joy and rhythm, all thanks to assured stereo separation, pinpoint surround integration, and a seamlessly complimentary low end activity. As one would expect, the concert finale is a sonically demanding moment where listeners are introduced to fully immersive crowd cheers as Celeste starts blessing her fans with her biggest and most powerful (literally and emotionally speaking) hits, each of which occupy all six speakers in the mix with exceptional cadence and prowess. The track additionally introduces plenty of immersive and terrifically realistic ambient effects, such as a restaurant in chapter six during one of the film's most engaging moments. Above it all, dialogue remains crystal-clear, fully audible, and always easy to understand. It's a track that perfectly coincides with the video quality. It may not be traditionally reference-quality, but as far as creative intention goes, there's absolutely nothing to complain about.
I'm a guilty Sia fanboy at the time of writing this (it's honest-to-God unhealthy the amount of times I've played LSD's Genius on Spotify), so I might be cheating a little bit when I say I love this film. Okay, really, I'm not. I loved Vox Lux. But one thing is for certain: it isn't for every audience. It's unconventional, unafraid and quite frankly odd. But unconventionality needs to rule in Hollywood since we're supposedly so infested with recycled ideas and unoriginal rehashings of popular franchises. And it's funny, because when we get an original and fresh film like Vox Lux, people still complain. But I'm not here to bash on folks' opinions. If you disliked Vox Lux, then don't let my opinion force you to jump onto my bandwagon. But case in point with my take: the film is a daring love letter to the art of film, bolstered by exceptional performances (particularly by the hugely talented Portman), Corbet's one-of-a-kind filmmaking, great songs, and an assured focus on what makes cinema so interesting and different. Overlooked little gem, really. While Universal didn't even try with offering up some insightful extras, the good news of the day is that video and audio quality are fantastic. I'm just going to go with my gut and say: cautiously recommended. Because I can't guarantee you'll love it as instantly as I did. In fact, you might despise it to death. But isn't that what makes the moviewatching community so great, differing viewpoints on films?
EXTRA SCREENSHOTS:
Vox Lux takes on a mostly grainy appearance throughout that is meant to add to the film's artistic intent and value. It's too bad Universal didn't go all out for a UHD release considering the wide array of bright colors the film presents but there's no mistaking this Blu-ray's visual excellence. (And, to be honest, the lack of a UHD is understandable considering the fact that this isn't exactly a "high demand" title.) Details are not insanely sharp - again, the film is intentionally soft and grainy - but you'll notice small facial pores, bits on intricately-designed costumes, and various environment-defining backgrounds that sport all of the clarity and crispness that Brady Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley went for. The color palette is really quite impressive here. The highlight comes with the final performance, where bright blues dominate Celeste's spotlight as she belts her heart out. The colors are more or less again about filmmaker intent, balancing naturalism and creative design very well; blue does seem to be the dominant color throughout, though plenty of other shades find their place, whether they be indoor or outdoor, night or day, etc. Black levels are a fairly critical component of the film and fall into no reasons for concern. Compression issues like aliasing or banding were virtually nonexistent. This isn't so much a conventionally great image but as a direct representation of exactly what the filmmakers were going for, it shines.
VOX LUX Blu-ray - Audio Quality
Vox Lux's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is flawless. It's a bummer the film wasn't mixed natively in an overhead sound format such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X as many of the film's aural elements - the atmospheres, the music - would have presented an ideal candidate for an object-based approach, but this 5.1 track is, much like the video, a spot-on, virtually problem-free replication of filmmaker design and approach. The film opens with a shocking school shooting scene that features loud, piercing gun sound effects and shrieking screams. It's an incredible example of what's soon to come from the track. Obviously, with this being a film centered around music, each tune absolutely soars in the mix. They're all mixed loud in the stage but never loud to excess. It's that perfectly harmonious balance that makes the ears giddy with joy and rhythm, all thanks to assured stereo separation, pinpoint surround integration, and a seamlessly complimentary low end activity. As one would expect, the concert finale is a sonically demanding moment where listeners are introduced to fully immersive crowd cheers as Celeste starts blessing her fans with her biggest and most powerful (literally and emotionally speaking) hits, each of which occupy all six speakers in the mix with exceptional cadence and prowess. The track additionally introduces plenty of immersive and terrifically realistic ambient effects, such as a restaurant in chapter six during one of the film's most engaging moments. Above it all, dialogue remains crystal-clear, fully audible, and always easy to understand. It's a track that perfectly coincides with the video quality. It may not be traditionally reference-quality, but as far as creative intention goes, there's absolutely nothing to complain about.
VOX LUX Blu-ray - Special Features
- "Wrapped Up" Music Video (1080p, 2:13) One of the film's most profound songs synced to clips from the film.
- Trailer (1080p, 2:19) The theatrical trailer of the film.
- "Wrapped Up" Music Video (1080p, 2:13) One of the film's most profound songs synced to clips from the film.
- Trailer (1080p, 2:19) The theatrical trailer of the film.
VOX LUX Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation
I'm a guilty Sia fanboy at the time of writing this (it's honest-to-God unhealthy the amount of times I've played LSD's Genius on Spotify), so I might be cheating a little bit when I say I love this film. Okay, really, I'm not. I loved Vox Lux. But one thing is for certain: it isn't for every audience. It's unconventional, unafraid and quite frankly odd. But unconventionality needs to rule in Hollywood since we're supposedly so infested with recycled ideas and unoriginal rehashings of popular franchises. And it's funny, because when we get an original and fresh film like Vox Lux, people still complain. But I'm not here to bash on folks' opinions. If you disliked Vox Lux, then don't let my opinion force you to jump onto my bandwagon. But case in point with my take: the film is a daring love letter to the art of film, bolstered by exceptional performances (particularly by the hugely talented Portman), Corbet's one-of-a-kind filmmaking, great songs, and an assured focus on what makes cinema so interesting and different. Overlooked little gem, really. While Universal didn't even try with offering up some insightful extras, the good news of the day is that video and audio quality are fantastic. I'm just going to go with my gut and say: cautiously recommended. Because I can't guarantee you'll love it as instantly as I did. In fact, you might despise it to death. But isn't that what makes the moviewatching community so great, differing viewpoints on films?
EXTRA SCREENSHOTS:
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