Bright Young Things (2003)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Main Menu Audio & Animation Scene Selection Anim & Audio Menu Audio Audio Commentary-Stephen Fry (Director) Featurette-Stephen Fry: Director Documentary Featurette-From The Bottom Up Documentary Theatrical Trailer TV Spots-And Radio Spot
Rating
Year Of Production	2003
Running Time	101:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Stephen Fry
Studio Distributor	The Works Warner Home Video	Starring	Stephen Campbell Moore Fenella Woolgar James McAvoy David Tennant Julia McKenzie Stockard Channing Alex Barclay Simon Callow Bruno Lastra Guy Henry Bill Paterson Imelda Staunton Harriet Walter
Case	?
RPI	$24.95	Music	Anne Dudley Chris Lowe Neil Tennant

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired English	Smoking	Yes, Everywhere.
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Stephen Fry makes his directing debut with his own adaptation of the acclaimed satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh, Vile Bodies. Evelyn Waugh, for those who aren't aware, was not a woman at all, but the pseudonym of Arthur St John, an English novelist of the early to mid 20th century. Published in 1930, Vile Bodies stands as his most famous and financially rewarding work, a scandalous and wickedly humorous traipse through the lives of the young aristocracy - the Bright Young Things. Some critics regard Waugh's novel as the funniest book in the English language and thankfully Fry has preserved its devil may care spirit, rightly choosing to avoid too sternly moralizing about the pitfalls of these young men and women's often shameful decadence. A few critics noted that the original title was likely dispatched for fear of attracting the wrong type of crowd. Vile Bodies does sound more like a schlocky zombie film than a British period comedy. Might it be argued though that this film would, in the long run, be a more worthwhile experience, and luring the odd unwary teenager to see it may be of some value to society? That may sound a little condescending, but it is a shame that yet another little gem of a film slipped through those musty, inner city art-house cinema venues without so much as a decent audience. Stephen Fry has meticulously crafted an authentic pre-World War Two England and populated it with a host of delightful characters, all armed with some very snappy dialogue.

    There are some genuinely hysterical moments, all played to perfection by a wonderfully talented cast, led by newcomer Stephen Campbell Moore, who necessarily provides a degree of sobriety and detachment to steady the narrative, which at times threatens to career out of control. Young British actors Emily Mortimer, Fenella Woolgar and James McAvoy are perfectly cast and embody their often outrageous characters with charm, zeal and toward the end, pathos. Joining them are acting veterans such as Peter O'Toole, Jim Broadbent, Stockard Channing and Dan Aykroyd, all of whom appear only momentarily throughout the film but provide some fantastic moments, all seemingly relishing the chance to ham it up.

    A rare combination then - humour and insight, both in rich supply. So many period films seem to have been released in the last decade, so it is refreshing to find one that manages to escape the clutches of drawing room onanism. Bright Young Things is as assured a directing debut as I've seen, and for that Stephen Fry deserves sincere congratulations. I look forward with great anticipation to the next Fry film.

Video

    As is to be expected with most British productions, that faultless gleam and polish of Hollywood is somewhat absent from the visual quality, but this transfer is commendable. The film is presented at its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and is 16x9 enhanced. Fry, for a first time director, has an uncanny knack of filling the entire frame and provides interesting shot after interesting shot.

    The film is not overly sharp but the levels are solid. Shadow detail does suffer a little at times, due in part to the setting of the film in some dark, smoky rooms and streets. Natural light seems to have been used wherever possible, most likely to maintain the authentic feel of the film, and it is for this reasons that the transfer sometimes suffers. One would have occasionally liked a little more detail but it is perfectly acceptable.

    Colours are well presented, with some very interesting palette choices, particularly during the opening scenes, which are appropriately shrouded in a meretricious scarlet. Such invasive colour schemes apparently were achieved through digital grading. I did worry that the transfer sometimes verged on the edge of over-saturation but it seems to have been a stylistic choice, and who am I to argue with that.

    There is some mild aliasing and an occasional smattering of MPEG related artefacts, but neither of these were of particular concern. Thankfully my pet hate - film artefacts, were kept to a minimum, as should be expected from a recently minted production.

    In summary, a most commendable transfer...indeed.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio transfer is terrific. We are provided with a well crafted English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.

    Audio sync is beyond reproach. There were no audible distortions or dropouts. Dialogue is cleanly and clearly presented, and only during the buzz of the numerous parties does one's ear need to strain a little. Some critics have reported some difficulties with the accents. I myself did not find understanding any of the actors in the least bit difficult, but then my film diet has always had a healthy dose of the various English dialects.

    The surrounds contribute a nice ambience to party and restaurant scenes and whilst not used aggressively, suit the film's purposes well. The subwoofer is well used for the frequent jazz numbers but is otherwise fairly quiet.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    We have been presented with a well put together extras package that has some quality material.

Director Stephen Fry's audio commentary

    I have always been somewhat sceptical of the value of audio commentaries, as whilst interesting, I do feel, particularly in large budget productions, that much of the mystery of the film is dispelled by a creative team detailing every aspect of the production. The best commentaries are, to my mind, like the one included on this release, which delves into the history and thought processes behind the film with only occasional technical explanations. Fry speaks eloquently, spiritedly and with obvious enthusiasm for the project. He offers countless insights and sometimes humorous anecdotes - this ranks with Douglas McGrath's wonderful effort for the Nicholas Nickleby DVD as my favourite audio commentary. Hats off.

Documentary on Stephen Fry

    I dreaded pressing the OK button on my remote to select this extra, expecting yet another egregious pot pourri of fawning comments from cast and crew about the genius, kindness, brilliance, charm, wit, industriousness....blah blah blah of the director. Thankfully, this nine minute snippet is the most detailed fluff piece I've ever sat through, and whilst offering the standard unmitigated praise of Fry (and I suppose why not, it is a great film) there are also some interesting insights.

From the Bottom Up Documentary

    As the title vaguely suggests, this engaging thirty minute feature gives us a look at preproduction (briefly) and shooting of the film from the perspective of a lackey - one of the drivers. His not-so-steady cam is a little hazy and washed out to look at, and is presented onscreen like a slit in a letterbox, but getting past all that, there are some interesting moments. Well worth a look, especially to see the banter between stars Campbell Moore and Aykroyd.

Trailers

    The standard promotional fluff, adequately presented.

    This title doesn't appear to be available in the U.S. yet, and the Region 2 release is identical to ours, but is priced at almost 15 pounds, so definitely go for our local product.

    A thrilling, perceptive, entertaining film. My list of great films from 2003 may be getting too long but I can't resist adding another - this one deserves it.

    The video is commendable, if a little soft around the edges.

    The audio is a perfect complement to the visuals.

    The extras are of excellent quality.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall