Plot: What’s it about?
Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) had become a success in the realm of movies, but after a spell of bad luck, she now finds herself fresh out of rehab. In order to remain employed by her company, she must move in with her mother Doris (Shirley MacLaine), who used to be a movie star herself, though that was years ago. This does not please Suzanne, as it puts her back inside her mother’s presence and since she has struggled to leave her shadow, this is bad news. As if that wasn’t enough, Doris still treats her like she was a child, which only adds to Suzanne’s laundry list of problems to contend with. But this is the lifestyle she must now deal with and as time passes, she starts to see the lighter to her problems, even the heartbreaks and personal crisis moment seem to have a silver lining of late for her. Can Suzanne learn to defeat her problems with just her own resources, or is she doomed to remain held back by them?
Based on the book by Carrie Fisher, Postcards From The Edge is a look into some serious subject matter, with a sense of humor of course. In addition to writing the book, Fisher also wrote the screenplay and since the book was autobiographical, I can’t think of anyone better suited to tackle that task. This film has some excellent performances, but I think the real star is Fisher’s writing, as it always provides the cast with superb material to work with. The characters seem very real, the situations are well developed, and of course, tons of memorable quotes could be pulled from this flick, very impressive work indeed. But even the best material needs a competent group of actors and this case, we’re given Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid, among others. The cast is downright awesome in Postcards From The Edge, which ensures the writing is given the deliveries it so much deserves. Although this picture does have liberal doses of humor, it also has drama and even tragic scenes, so don’t expect a non stop barrage of comedy, as it blends the two genres together. This flick is given a very high recommendation and with an excellent commentary from Fisher on deck, there’s no reason not to give this disc a chance.
I’ve always been a fan of Mike Nichols’ movies and while his direction isn’t always excellent, his flicks are usually still fun to watch. I think Nichols often relies too much on his stars and as a result, some of his efforts seem disjointed, even ineffective. But most are still enjoyable to watch, even if they lack the higher level of direction. He can sometimes hit all the right chords however and here, I think he nails the material at every turn. He is able to blend the comedic and dramatic moments with ease, no sense of misdirection at all, at least as far as I’m concerned. I wouldn’t rank as his finest effort behind the camera, but his work here is impressive and some of his best stuff. Other films directed by Nichols include Working Girl, Silkwood, Catch-22, Regarding Henry, The Graduate, Primary Colors, and Carnal Knowledge. The cast here includes Meryl Streep (Music of the Heart, Death Becomes Her), Shirley MacLaine (Steel Magnolias, Used People), Dennis Quaid (Any Given Sunday, The Right Stuff), CCH Pounder (Race, Face/Off), Gene Hackman (Hoosiers, The Firm), and Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, The Story of Us).
Video: How does it look?
Postcards From The Edge is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. The image here looks very good and aside from some small errors, I don’t think there’s much to complain about here. I did see some edge enhancement at times a couple instances of print defects, but not enough of either to strike the score much. The colors have a solid texture and show no flaws, while flesh tones are natural and warm also. The contrast is smooth and stark as well, no detail loss is evident and black levels seem in order at all times. As I said, this isn’t a perfect transfer, but I think fans will be very pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a dialogue driven film and as such, the included 2.0 surround track is more than adequate. I did notice some good surround use at times, such as Carly Simon’s music and a few more complex scenes. Not enough to workout the home audio system by any means, but enough to add some depth and that’s always welcome. The vocals are the real central element here however, so the crispness and cleanness are terrific attributes. No real complaints with this mix, as it more than handles the needs of the material. This disc also includes tracks in Portuguese, Spanish, and French, as well as subtitles in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Thai, Chinese, and Korean.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as an audio commentary track with writer Carrie Fisher. I am very pleased to find this option here, as Fisher based her writing on her own life and as such, her comments add a lot to the value of this disc.
