On a warm spring day in 1924, housemaid and foundling Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) finds herself alone on Mother’s Day. Her employers, Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), are out and she has the rare chance to spend quality time with her secret lover. Paul (Josh O’Connor) is the boy from the manor house nearby, Jane’s long-term love despite the fact that he’s engaged to be married to another woman, a childhood friend and daughter of his parents’ friends. But events that neither can foresee will change the course of Jane’s life forever.
For in-depth thoughts on Mothering Sunday, please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Mothering Sunday comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation in the original 1.66:1 that is quite gorgeous. This is a thoughtfully composed film with many nuanced shots where you can see an incredible amount of detail interspersed with purposefully dreamy, opaque shots that resonate on a thematic level. There are numerous interior sequences featuring period-accurate production design which provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. The film has a natural color palette on display with the greens of the foliage standing out alongside some comely hues from the outfits. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. White levels are handled beautifully, along with deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. This presentation is a very rich experience.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in the original English that has quite a bit of depth and is well balanced. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Environmental effects imbue the film with a sense of life which this track brings to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully realized world works quite well when it comes to transporting you to this time and place. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. The track is most active when the score is permeating the room in a really wonderful way. Activity in the low end is mostly a non-factor but what is there adds texture to the proceedings. Sony has delivered a superb track for the film.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Mothering Sunday is a well-crafted drama that features an astounding amount of talent on screen. Unfortunately, the story itself never becomes that enthralling, leaving you feeling less for the characters in certain moments than the movie is asking you to feel. The structure of the film makes it difficult to become fully invested in any particular thread or time period. There is a lot to appreciate within this one, it is just likely to leave you feeling detached once you reach the end. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation but next to no special features. If you are a fan of any of these performers, it is worth checking out just to see their superb work.
Mothering Sunday is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony 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.
