Four years of unjust jail haven’t dampened the spirits or determination of Nikki Finn. The spunky parolee sets out to clear her name — and sets the Big Apple spinning in deliriously funny ways.
“Madonna is sexy and funny — a very engaging comedian,” Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote of her work in Who’s That Girl. The music/movie superstar displays kicky comic flair and contributes four terrific soundtrack tunes (“Causing A Commotion,” “The Look Of Love,” “Can’t Stop,” and the title song). Griffin Dunne co-stars as an uptight, soon-to-wed attorney whose mild lifestyle swerves into the path of uproarious oncoming traffic courtesy of Nikki. This frisky caper proves screwball comedy is alive and swell.
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Video Quality
Who’s That Girl comes to Blu-Ray with a pleasant digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer derived from a new 2K scan of the 35mm Interpositive. The screwball nature of the narrative keeps things light and vibrant, and this translates over to the aesthetic of the picture. Colors consistently saturate the frame with sumptuous hues radiating off the screen in the production design, lighting, and costumes. Black levels seldom falter with crush and compression artifacts are not visible in this presentation. Skin tones are consistent and natural across the ensemble.
The transfer retains the natural film grain of the source without any unnecessary manipulation to compromise the image. Print damage has been almost completely eliminated with nothing big ever marring the image. The grain helps bring out the complexity of the image while avoiding a weak encode that would otherwise introduce some unwanted elements. Clarity and detail are in excellent shape with some of the makeup on Madonna or the fur of the giant kitty impressing in close-up shots. The urban locales, the clothing choices, and the production design all render with the ideal amount of texture and definition. Shout! Studios has treated this one very well for fans.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray presents the film with a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that brings this one to life in a rewarding manner. When you have Madonna in your film, there is a fair chance that the soundtrack is going to be a prominent feature, and it sounds rich and full here. Every tune radiates out with a formidable fidelity. The snappy dialogue comes through crisp and clear in league with all competing sounds. The environmental effects such as the car engines and the growl of the big cat are delineated without turning into a sonic mess. This track does not strive to be your next demo experience, but it provides the necessary sonic weight while never showing any weakness. Shout! Studios has done nice work here. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Russell Dyball provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses the details of this film, the opening animation, the background of the performers, the history of musicians on film, the comic stylings of the feature, and more.
- Image Gallery: An eight-minute collection of production stills, promotional materials, and more.
- Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided.
Final Thoughts
Who’s That Girl is a perfectly serviceable ‘80s screwball comedy that is outrageous and unbelievable while serving up the fun you expect from such an outing. Madonna delivers a big, colorful performance that suits the farcical nature of the narrative. The character may not be aligned with all tastes, but Madonna plays it well opposite Griffin Dunne as a capable straight-man. This achieves a good number of laughs, and that is about all you can ask of it. Shout! Studios has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a swell A/V presentation and a worthwhile commentary track. Madonna fans will appreciate this long-awaited upgrade. Recommended
Who’s That Girl is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this set 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.
