Still Alice appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This was a competent but less than stellar presentation.
At times, sharpness seemed a bit iffy. Interiors tended to be a little fuzzy; this wasn’t a substantial issue, but the movie didn’t always provide great delineation. Still, it was usually fairly accurate.
I saw no jagged edges or shimmering, and the movie lacked edge haloes. I also failed to discern any print flaws, as the film remained clean and clear.
Colors veered toward a somewhat amber feel. Other tones tended to seem fairly desaturated, and these came across fine given the palette choices. Blacks could seem a little muddy, and shadows were slightly dense. While I think the image lacked impressive elements, it was reasonably appealing.
Similar feelings greeted the low-key DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Still Alice. The soundscape lacked much ambition, as even street/beach scenes stayed constrained. A few unique elements popped up in the surrounds – like a guy who handed out leaflets on a college campus – but this was a mostly restricted mix without a ton of environmental information.
Audio quality appeared fine. Music was warm and full, and speech remained natural and concise. Effects had little to do, but they showed good accuracy and clarity. No one will use this mix to demo home theaters, but it suited the story.
The set includes three featurettes. Directing Alice goes for eight minutes, 40 seconds and includes comments from writers/directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland and actor Julianne Moore. Glatzer dealt with ALS during the film’s production and died from related complications in March 2015 – so “Directing” shows how he and Westmoreland worked on Alice. This becomes an abnormally interesting – and moving - look behind the scenes.
With the nine-minute, 20-second, Finding Alice, we get info from Moore, Glatzer, Washington, Alzheimer’s Association Chief Science Officer Maria Carillo, executive producer Maria Shriver, early-stage Alzheimer’s advisor Sandy Oltz, co—producer Elizabeth Gelfand-Stearns, and actors Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart. “Finding” examines the actors’ research and their approach to the roles. The featurette delivers another insightful view of the subject matter.
An Interview with Composer Ilan Eshkeri lasts six minutes, 29 seconds. In this piece, we learn about the movie’s music. Though not as good as the prior two programs, this one adds some good details.
Three Deleted Scenes run a total of six minutes, eight seconds. We find “Original Intro” (1:58), “Doctor Visit” (2:10) and “Student Presentation” (2:12). Though I wouldn’t deem any of them to provide crucial information, all three bring us some good moments.
The disc opens with ads for Whiplash, Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner, Leviathan, Red Army and Wild Tales. We also get the film’s trailer.
Though not a great film, Still Alice provides a fairly involving, emotional look at the course Alzheimer’s Disease takes. Led by an excellent performance from Julianne Moore, it mostly succeeds. The Blu-ray offers adequate picture and audio as well as a small but useful set of supplements. Alice becomes a moving drama.