A Thousand and One follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps her six-year-old son, Terry, from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in a rapidly changing New York City.
For in-depth thoughts on A Thousand And One, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’s review from its Sundance premiere here.
Video Quality
A Thousand And One debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that perfectly captures this gritty indie period piece. The transfer delivers a great amount of detail and clarity, especially in distinct aspects of the urban locale, clothing, and production design. Objects hold up prominently in shadowy environments and retain their depth with banding rarely showing up in any capacity. The movie features black levels with significant depth that do not devolve into banding or crushing. Highlights are rock solid with no blooming or clipping to be found. The movie itself has a subdued palette where you will not find hues popping off the screen, yet it represents this world impeccably. No damage or digital noise was detected that would distract from this transfer. Universal has provided a first-rate disc for this one.
Audio Quality
The film arrives on Blu-Ray with a deftly realized DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that holds up well. Surround channels get some subtle but effective activity during the scenes walking down the block and other bustling locales. The movie fleshes out environmental sounds to make the spaces feel more three-dimensional and alive. The low end adds a small bit of texture that enriches the atmosphere. Dialogue and sound effects are in harmony with the soundtrack where nothing gets muddled in the mix. Universal has treated this one well on the audio front. There are English SDH, Latin American Spanish, and French Canadian subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on the disc.
Final Thoughts
A Thousand And One is a fantastic debut effort from A.V. Rockwell that shows a level of confidence typically reserved for seasoned veterans. The thoughtful examination of these characters neither judges them nor lets them off the hook for their actions. The performance from Teyana Taylor is one of the best of the year and would be more widely discussed in a just world. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a grand A/V presentation but no special features. This is recommended for any fan of independent cinema. Recommended
A Thousand And One can be purchased on Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
