The Favourite appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a strong presentation.
Overall, sharpness seemed very good. Some interiors came across as slightly soft, but the vast majority of the film appeared accurate and concise.
Jagged edges and moiré effects didn’t mar the presentation, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws also failed to appear.
In terms of palette, Favourite went with a heavily teal and orange orientation. We found splashes of other hues on occasion, but hey remained in a distinct minority in this largely teal/orange affair.
Within stylistic choices, the hues seemed well-depicted. Blacks were dark and dense, and low-light shots gave us good clarity. I felt pleased with this solid transfer.
Similar thoughts greeted the fairly good DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Favourite, as the soundfield mostly delivered a mix heavy on atmosphere. Environmental noises cropped up in the side and rear speakers, and “action” moments – mainly related to shooting sports - added to the track.
Those elements created a nice sense of place and added impact to the material. The soundscape also featured the score in all five speakers to form an involving setting.
Audio quality satisfied. Speech sounded crisp and distinctive, and music appeared robust and full.
Effects were accurate and dynamic, while low-end response showed good warmth and richness. Nothing here dazzled, but the audio merited a “B”.
Called Unstitching the Costume Drama, a featurette runs 22 minutes, 19 seconds and offers notes from director Yorgos Lanthimos, writer Tony McNamara, producers Ceci Dempsey and Ed Guiney, director of photography Robbie Ryan, historical advisor Hannah Greig, costume designer Sandy Powell, hair and makeup designer Nadia Stacey, casting director Dixie Chassay, and actors Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, Joe Alwyn, James Smith, Mark Gatiss, and Nicholas Hoult.
“Unstitching” discusses story/characters and historical elements, reinventing the genre and using modern elements, cast and performances, hair, costumes and makeup, Lanthimos’s methods and approach, cinematography, and connected domains.
Like many “making of” featurettes, “Unstitching” mixes useful material with happy talk, much of which praises the director. This becomes a decent overview of the production but not one that excels.
Four Deleted Scenes fill a total of two minutes, 47 seconds. Given their brevity, one shouldn’t expect anything major here. The clips offer some minor tidbits but nothing memorable.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we get some ads under Sneak Peek. This area offers promos for The Aftermath, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Old Man & The Gun, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Shape of Water.
A second disc provides a DVD copy of Favourite. It includes the same extras as the Blu-ray.
A wry, sly take on the costume drama, The Favourite offers a clever and unusual effort. Cynical and darkly comedic, the movie benefits from its pervasively nasty attitude and its stellar trio of lead actors. The Blu-ray brings very good picture along with positive audio and a disappointing set of supplements. I wish the Blu-ray came with better bonus materials, but the movie itself becomes an incisive work.