In Chicago, Zaynab (Fawzia Mirza) is a thirty-something American-Pakistani lawyer who lives with and cares for her recently widowed, TV-obsessed mother (legendary Indian actress Shabana Azmi). Alma (Sari Sanchez) is a free-spirited Mexican-American bookshop owner. After meeting in a bar, the two quickly fall into bed with each other and embark on a romance…but problems aren’t far behind. Zaynab’s traditional mother still expects her daughter to marry a man, while Alma finds herself reluctant to get involved with the closeted Zaynab, leaving them at odds despite their strong attraction for each other. And then there’s Zaynab’s latest interest: training in Lucha-style wrestling with a former pro grappler! Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best US Narrative Feature at Outfest and a worldwide festival darling following its SXSW premiere, critics and fans alike agree on the film called “a gem” by the Chicago Sun-Times.

For thoughts on Signature Move, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/66A22AvMBjM?si=7rA6vXO8GS3F-7-_&t=1042]

Video Quality

Signature Move comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that represents the film quite well. This is a deftly captured independent feature that presents an incredible amount of detail within the frame. Thanks to this HD upgrade, audiences can see subtle elements of the costumes and production design clearly for the first time. The skin tones and makeup look very detailed and natural all around. The film is teeming with bold colors throughout with countless moments that radiate off the screen. This film uses lighting effectively to bring a bit of dynamic filmmaking to the proceedings, and the efforts pay off well. The highlights are handled without issue, and the deep blacks do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. This presentation delivers exactly what you want from the experience.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that handles the material with ease. While there is some wrestling within the journey, this is not an action-heavy film. Nevertheless, activity in the low end is handled well when it comes to music and other distinct elements. The film features music pretty consistently as it fills the room with grand fidelity. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overwhelmed by the sound effects or the score. The sound design keeps all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a bustling soundscape that believably replicates the world. This is a favorable release that does a nice job with the material. There are optional English, English SDH, and German subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Star Fawzia Mirza and director Jennifer Reeder provide an entertaining commentary track in which they give background details on how the film was constructed, memories from the production, the members of the community who appeared in the film, the shooting locations, the production design, and more. This is such a lovely track that fans should not miss.

Video Production Diary: A nearly 25-minute video diary that follows the production from the first day to the end of the shoot with loads of impromptu interviews and fun moments.

Interview with Director Jennifer Reeder: A ten-minute interview with the director in which she discusses her career before Signature Move, getting involved with the project, what it was like to work on this production, memorable moments from the set, the process of working with the performers, taking this film on the festival circuit, career opportunities that opened up after this film, and more.

Interview with Fawzia Mirza: An eight-minute interview with the multi-hyphenate in which she discusses her life before the movie, getting into writing, developing the story into a feature, the inspiration for the plot, memories from the set, and more.

Interview with Sari Sanchez: A nearly six-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses growing up multiculturally, what attracted her to this film, her thoughts about her character, memories from the set, and more.

A Conversation with Shabana Azmi: An audio conversation is provided with the legendary actress in which she discusses various aspects of her life and career.