The Farewell appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie offered a positive visual impression.
Overall definition seemed positive. Only a little softness materialized, so the movie usually appeared accurate and concise.
I noticed no signs of jaggies or edge enhancement, and shimmering was absent. The film lacked print flaws and seemed clean.
In terms of colors, Farewell went for a teal and orange tint. These appeared fine within the film’s stylistic choices.
Blacks seemed dark and tight, and shadows demonstrated good clarity. This added up to a satisfying presentation.
A character drama wouldn’t seem to be a candidate for a whiz-bang soundtrack, and the DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio of Farewell fell into expected realms. Usually the track remained oriented toward ambience, so don’t expect lots of sizzle from the mix.
Audio quality satisfied. Although didn’t get much score, the music was full and rich, while effects showed nice clarity and accuracy.
Speech – obviously an important factor here – appeared concise and crisp. Nothing here soared, but it all seemed perfectly adequate for the project.
A few extras appear, and we get an audio commentary from writer/director Lulu Wang and director of photography Anna Franquesa-Solano. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at real events and their adaptation for the screen, story and characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, photography, editing, and related domains.
Overall, we get a nice look at the production. The track covers an appropriate array of topics and does so in an informative, engaging manner. I’d like a little more about the way the movie reflects Wang’s experiences, but this still turns into a useful piece.
Two featurettes ensue, and Nothing But the Truth runs 15 minutes, 31 seconds. Here Wang discusses her life and what brought the story to the screen, cast and performances, and reflections on cultural topics. Some of this repeats from the commentary, but Wang brings a nice overview.
Via Going Home, we find an eight-minute, 51-second chat with actor Awkwafina. She discusses how she got the role, cultural topics and other impressions connected to the film. Awkwafina delivers some useful insights.
Two Deleted Scenes complete the set: “Hit the Airplane” (1:03) and “Blind Psychic” (2:08). “Airplane” offers a pretty superfluous comedic moment, but “Psychic” brings a revelation about Billi’s mom that probably should’ve made the final cut.
As a story of death, Chinese culture and ethics, The Farewell offers an engaging tale. Sprinkle some gentle comedy with good performances and this turns into a rich drama. The Blu-ray brings solid picture with adequate audio and a few bonus materials. Farewell becomes a vivid exploration of its topics.