The Truman Show 4K UHD Review
“The Truman Show” still holds up 25 years later.
In 1998’s “The Truman Show,” the story revolves around Truman Burbank- an everyman who is the focal point of the elaborate titular reality series. Truman (who has no idea he is starring in his own reality series) works a cushy desk job, has a wife, has a best friend (Marlon) and lives in the idyllic town of Seahaven, but lately he’s been wanting more out of life. His mind wanders to a woman he once met (Lauren) that he can’t stop thinking about. Lauren was an extra who was removed from the show after she broke the rules. The show itself is broadcast 24 hours a day and features over five thousand cameras recording his every move. Every person in the town (which is one big set) is an actor. Basically, he’s living a lie. Over the course of the film, Truman begins to suspect that something is off after he encounters a broken light, a radio malfunction, a set and looped routines. Will he discover the truth or will he go mad trying to find it? That’s the question.
Directed by Peter Weir (best known for “Witness” and “Dead Poets Society”) and written by Andrew Niccol, “The Truman Show” is a prescient sci-fi film that was released before the reality show boom that continues to this day. It’s a weighty film about reality, privacy, celebrity, freewill, corporate America, and voyeurism, but it’s also a dystopian tale. Although we (the audience) aren’t fully aware of what life is like outside the set, it is indicated that things are less than ideal. The series creator, director and self appointed father of Truman (Christof) sees his show as a sort of controlled utopia even though it’s a rather totalitarian society that he oversees like the control freak he is.
On the subject of the cast, you can’t ask for a better one. It’s no secret that Jim Carrey was THE mega star of the 90’s and with this film he showed real range. Yes, there’s humor here, but he’s not doing a wildman routine like in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” It’s a restrained, delicate, and often dramatic performance. Alongside “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind,” this is Carrey at his most mature. Elsewhere in the cast are noteworthy performances by Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Noah Emmerich, and Natasha McElhone. Ed Harris (as the aforementioned Christof) is in top form here and even earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as the man who is essentially playing God with Truman’s life.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? This is a pleasant upgrade with exterior shots looking especially clean. The colors aren’t as rich as one might expect but this is still a worthwhile 4K disc for fans.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? ‘Truman’ is by no means an audio centric film, but this track highlights a lot of audio details (like background sound effects) and showcases the underrated score by Burkhard Dallwitz.
Extras (On The Blu-ray):
* Digital copy
* Blu-ray copy
* Theatrical and teaser trailers and 2 TV spots
* Photo gallery
* 4 deleted scenes
* “How’s It Going To End? The Making Of The Truman Show”- A 2 part making of documentary
* “Faux Finishing, The Visual Effects Of The Truman Show” featurette.
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