Minari appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie offered a positive visual impression.
Overall definition seemed positive. Virtually no softness materialized, so the movie 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, Minari went for a modest 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 Minari fell into expected realms. Usually the track remained oriented toward ambience, so don’t expect lots of sizzle from the mix.
A few scenes opened up a bit, such as when a thunderstorm threatened. Not much immersive material emerged, though, as this remained a quiet character tale.
Audio quality satisfied. 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 pop up on the Blu-ray, and these launch with an audio commentary from writer/director Lee Isaac Chung and actor Yuh-Jung Youn. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific discussion of story/characters, autobiographical elements, cast and performances, sets and locations, and related domains.
The commentary starts fairly slowly but it improves as it goes, largely because the bubbly Youn offers an engaging personality. While never a great chat, we find a mostly likable piece after that lackluster beginning.
Sowing Seeds runs 13 minutes, 25 seconds and offers notes from Chung, Youn, producer Christina Oh, executive producer/actor Steven Yeun, casting director Julia Kim, production designer Young Ok Lee, costume designer Susanna Song, and actors Alan Kim and Yeri Han.
“Seeds” looks at the film’s story/characters and autobiographical elements, cast and performances, set design and period details, photography and costumes. A little too much praise occurs, but we get a fairly good overview of the production.
Two Deleted Scenes span a total of three minutes, 18 seconds. The first shows Jacob as he teaches the kids about his job, while the second gives us more of Paul’s dinner at the Yi home. Neither seems important.
The disc opens with an ad for First Cow. No trailer for Minari appears here.
A semi-fictionalized exploration of the filmmaker’s childhood, Minari scores when it depicts his first-person experiences. When the film broadens, though, it becomes less effective. The Blu-ray offers excellent picture along with generally positive audio and a few bonus materials. This turns into a watchable drama but not one that consistently connects.