Truth (DVD): Review

Film

Truth, a tough, hard-hitting story about integrity versus corruption in the world of politics and journalism. A newsroom drama that details the 2004 CBS show 60 Minutes and their report that investigated then president, George W. Bush, looking in to his military service records. The story subsequently resulted in a firestorm of criticism that eventually lead to anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford) and producer Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) paying with their careers.

The film stars a venerable who’s who list of award winning and award nominated talent, with the likes of Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug), Robert Redford, Topher Grace (American Ultra, Interstellar), Dennis Quaid, Elisabeth Moss, Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek: Into Darkness), Stacy Keach and Dermot Mulroney to name but a few.

Bringing to screen the urgency, pressure and high-stacks of political reporting, Truth leaves little time for setting of scenes or character introductions. It dives right in, grabs the story, dragging it kicking and screaming to the viewer. As things begin to unravel for Dan and Mary, we the possible truths of the entire affair are laid bare to the viewer. Were the allegations true, or did they indeed make mistakes? The film draws a rather definite conclusion here, not leaving any misinterpretation to its audience, and yet the possible ramifications that the news team must have felt are almost tangible, leaving one wondering if a cover-up were present, how far that may reach.

Truth is hard hitting. It’s filled to the brim with talent, is well written, with all the necessary bits fitting together as we hurtle towards the climax, much in the same way a news story comes to perfect fruition minutes before it has to air.

The plot is a rather straight forward one, opting to take one on a journey, rather than leave a viewer trying to predict the next twist moments before it be presented. And whilst this may not be loaded with action, it does indeed carry a good deal of tension. A story that one can become engrossed in, and enjoy, rather than wait for the next special effect to dazzle, or next explosion to wow.

Truth is a hard hitting political drama, and given the timing of its release with the US elections, and candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in contention, it is bound to evoke a good deal of emotion and initiate a least a modicum of thought in the viewer, on how events might relate to the current political landscape.

Disc

Overall, the disc is technically of a high quality, not lacking with regards to the main feature.

Truth is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.

Video

Video is encoded at a high bitrate. There are no visible artefacts on screen. Detail is good, even in darker scenes, no colour bleed, and no issue with blacks.

Viewers with the relevant hardware or software could scale up to a larger or higher resolution screen, should they so wish.

Audio

Audio is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Dialogue is clear via the centre channel, with subtle use of the surround channels to expand the on-screen world, and further draw the viewer in to the story.

Overall though, sound levels do seem a bit low, whether using the 5.1 soundtrack, or the stereo downmix, necessitating the need to push the volume a bit on an external amplifier.

Navigation

Navigation is very simple, opting for a static main menu background, with some soft music playing. There are only options to play the main feature, or to select scenes.

Bonus Features

There are no bonus features on the disc, other than a few trailers for Nobody’s Died Laughing, Genius, Woodlawn which automatically play at the beginning of the disc. These can not be accessed again from the navigation menu.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb