Film

This film was released only four years after the infamous attempt to bug the Democratic offices in Watergate, which spurred the entire course of events in this film. This was a bit of a passion piece for Robert Redford as he began production while its main characters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (who would be played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, respectively) were still reporting on related elements. Redford spent tireless hours, acting officially as the producer and star, researching the stories and the characters in order to deliver a compelling but painfully accurate adaptation.

By making these two reporters the main characters, the film became more of a detective story instead of merely a dramatization for what could easily have been a documentary. By seeing the actual methods these two men apply to uncover the details of Watergate, and “follow the money,” makes the audience all the more engaged in their findings. This, despite the fact that most everyone knows exactly how the film ends well before it begins.

The script by William Goldwin is top notch. It does not hurt that he had a very talented cast to deliver it, but he certainly does capture more than just the facts from the original stories/books he is adapting. As well, Goldwin had the benefit of strong direction by Alan Pakula. In particular I thought he made outstanding use of deep focus shots that depict Woodward typing away in the background, while actual news footage of Nixon plays in the foreground. They made for beautifully orchestrated reminders of how real these incidents, along reporter’s magnificent efforts, were.

Video

Widescreen 1.85:1. The film has aged some, and this is not the cleanest transfer onto Blu Ray I have seen. It looks fine on an HD screen but most definitely hazier than any release from the last 10 years would look.

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 in English as well as French and Spanish 1.0. I’d say that very little has been boosted to make the film seem grander, but there is just so little to boost. The chattering of typewriter keys and anxious tones of voices are about as boisterous as it gets. This film does not require much by the way of a major sound, but certainly some more effort could have been made into immersing us into a newsroom atmosphere, sonically. Mind you, they did not fail, just fell a bit short from their potential.

Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish.

Special Features

Commentary by Robert Redford: This man had his fingers in all parts of the film’s productions and recalls everything with enthusiasm. He does take long breaks to watch with us and starts many thoughts with “the idea here was.” All in all, he provides some very nice tidbits.

The next three featurettes all have a similar format, with an elderly sounding narrator, a patriotic score that never ceases, and the general vibe of a television special.

Telling the Truth About Lies: The Makinng of All the President’s Men: Compilation of interviews with the stars, producers, reporters, as well as Woodward and Bernstein themselves. A few of the interviewees imply that this sort of story could not be created today, in the way it was back in the 70s. Indeed, this is a rare case that could only exist because of the time it happened.

Woodward and Berstien: Lighting the Fire: Many speak of the same interviewees now speak about how inspirational Woodward and Bernstein became. The way they worked this story became the high water mark for any up and coming American journalist.

Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat: Perhaps the most iconic character from the film, famous for being illuminated only by his cigarette ember as he feeds hints to Woodward inside an empty parking garage.

Now that Deep Throat has been revealed as former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt, we get to see a miniature biography on the man instead of some nearly cryptozoological account of a mysterious persona. Trained directly under J. Edgar Hoover, some suspect that his motivations for revealing these clues came as a combination of patriotism and revenge for not being selected to replace Hoover when the opportunity arose. A nice profile of a terribly interesting person/situation.

Pressure and the Press: The Making of All the President’s Men: Similar to what is documented in the previous trio, only this was made very close to the actual premiere of the film, which makes its tone interesting in contrast. The events are still very fresh and the mysteries (including Deep Throat) remained up in the air. An interesting piece that helps add some extra context to how people might have reacted closer to the time of the events and film’s debut.

5/27/1976 Dinah! With Jason Robards: A strange looking talk show where Dinah and Robards discuss the film. A nice enough interview that, like the previously mentioned featurette, helps add some emotional context to people’s first reactions to the film.

Trailer: The tone gives another hint towards the significance of the time of iots release.

This edition also comes with a very large booklet that includes a Timeline, Biographies of the actors and a review. The packaging simulates a very nice quality hard cover book. All very nice.

Final Thoughts

The story is undeniably interesting and important, with or without the film, but the fact about how tight Redford got with Woodward and Bernstein to deliver a dramatic retelling of their quest, along with its close proximity, time wise, to the original story makes this a rare occasion where a new medium does not sensationalize the history it depicts, it becomes a direct part of it.

Film

Time shifts back and forth as the story of a filmmaker who has been struck blind during a car accident is told on both sides of said accident. As well, there is focus on another story, that of a young woman who must act outside of her character in order to advance herself in life, help her ailing father, as well as literally perform as a film actress who is the object of effective for both a film producer and the director (who happens to be the man who is eventually struck blind).

Along with being a sexually charged thriller, this film is also a love note to film noirs of yesteryear plus some touches of Hitchcock (and any debatable connections therein). The tension is boosted by very loud strings in the score and the melodrama is running on all cylinders.

What I found to be the most intriguing element of this film, as well as the most unnerving, was its use of the “Male Gaze.” Laura Mulvey’s essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” writes extensively on the Male Gaze, and the many forms it can take within cinema. A great amount of this can be applied to Broken Embraces, and I will touch on some of that now. This film opens with a blind man seducing a young woman who volunteered to help him read the newspaper. The audience is meant to adopt a male gaze in this instant, and yet it is that of a man who literally cannot see. Perhaps we are meant to fill in for his lack of vision as he acts out a male fantasy, and the audience receives no real context until after the fact. Nevertheless, the film’s narrative continues to lionize this older man, and in fact, both of the older male, main characters (the producer and director of the film within the film), by placing stunning women into their beds and eliminating all young male competition by making them all either homosexuals by confession or by implied, suggestive actions (groping each other in maybe/maybe not playful manners). As Mulvey says in her essay “The determining gaze projects its fantasy on to the female figure which is stylized accordingly.” More often then not, Penelope Cruz, who plays the hopefully main actress, is the subject of these fantasies. A telltale scene would be when the director plcaes a cavalcade wigs onto Cruz’s head while he takes pictures of her reflections. His “Stylizing” of this fantasy is manifested in his altering her looks to suit his visual desires. She is not even allowed to look at him directly in this case, only through the reflection of her mirror can she see who is watching her.

During the entire film, all eyes, and lenses, are on Cruz. Lenses indeed, as the male gaze of the older men (the filmmakers) is further reinforced by the fact that both spend every possible moment either watching Cruz or filming her (I remind you of the just mentioned picture taking/wig scene). The film within the film is a major part of this, but more pertinent is the fact that Cruz is being spied on by her lover’s son, who films her every move for the sake of his father. The son’s gaze is non-sexual as he is a homosexual with no predatory attractions to Cruz’s character, but his lens becomes the gaze of his father who does indeed lust after Cruz, and wished to control her life as well. All of the lenses in the film are part of a Male Gaze, thus the lenses filming Broken Embraces become likewise. Blindess, as a theme, only becomes another of the constant reminders in this film that we are seeing everything through the eyes of an older male fantasy.

The car accident is revealed at the end of the second act, and the act that remains is a series of secrets being exposed at a somewhat uninterested pace. By then, we are invested in these characters, but most all the true action halts as there is no more situational tension, just conversations.

Some relationships die, others grow closer. The film within the film is a bomb but is being mended for a re-release as a cathartic act by the director. There is a very definite arc the story takes for the blind filmmaker where a tragic amount of loss is rectified with a sizable amount of personal gain. With the aforementioned failure to maintain interest in the third act, it is only this arc that we have to cling to by the end, and just barely at that.

Video

Widescreen 2.35:1. The picture quality has its greatest clarity during the closeups. A slight haze finds its way into some of the wider shots, but nothing that was all too distracting.
The bright colours of the film within the film are esspecially vibrant, nearly enough to burn forever in your retinas.

Audio

Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby Surround are the two tracks available. I had mentioned the strings being very prominent in the score, and the soundtrack does a very fine job of making their presense more than felt…almost rattling. You will feel the music in your core and the dialogue sounds very fresh. A nice job.

Subtitles available in English and French.

Special Features

The Cannibalistic Councilor: A short film made from the film within the feature film (make sense?). This is a monologue about promiscuity and indulgence that is of a completely silly and upbeat tone, filled with vibrant colours and plenty of cocaine. A totally contrast to the feature film. Carmen Machi does do a great job with her frantic, comic delivery.

Deleted Scenes: Three scenes that are plenty interesting for those that have just finished watching the film, particularly the emotions within the blind restaurant scene, but most likely cut for time purposes, what with Broken Embraces already clocking in at over two hours long.

Trailers: For this and other films by the same company.

Pedro Directs Penelope: An interesting split-screen view of Pedro Almodovar barking the subtext at Penelope Cruz while she is shooting reaction shots to another actresses’ speech. Funny at points but odd to watch for any person who believes that an actor should be trusted with their own research of the subtext and might be turned off by Perdo’s puppeteering.

Variety Q&A with Penelope Cruz: A set of standard issue questions lobbed at Cruz, and she answers them very politely.

On the Red Carpet: The New York Film Festival Closing Night: A couple clips of red carpet interviews (read: fluffy, easy to answer questions).

Final Thoughts

This melodrama was well-executed enough by the actors. Pedro Almodovar, as both writer and director, could have used a little more discipline and perhaps placed a bit too much of his personality into this piece to make it easier to trim it down all stages of production.

Film  

The Way Back is a film from Peter Weir, that tells the tale of a group or men that escape a Soviet prison camp in Siberia circa 1941 and have to walk over the harsh Siberian landscape to freedom. The film has a quite a cast with Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan in the lead roles along with Colin Farrell. The film is very authentic looking and captures the pure squalor of life (or is it really near death) in a Soviet Gulag in the frozen environs of Siberia.

The men that escape are from all walks of life and nationality. One is an American ex-pat, the other a Polish man who was sent in on trumped up charges of spying, based on a forced “confession” of his wife. Another is a hardened Russian criminal who really should have been sent to a prison. The rest were mostly innocents, those the Stalin regime felt were “undesirables”.

We follow these men on their perilous journey of 4,500 miles through a Siberian winter and into the deserts of Mongolia and then China to their arrival in India and freedom. Needless to say, most of the men and one women they picked up along the way didn’t make it. The film is based on actual events, namely the lives of three actual men who arrived in India in 1941 after trekking over the Himalayas, after escaping from a Gulag. The group had no reason to trust each other but learned over time to do so as it was required for them all to survive.

The film is beautifully written and filmed and features top notch performances of the entire cast. The film can be intense, moving and at all times, very compelling. The Way Back gives us a glimpse of what it was like for these brave individuals to try to persevere over such daunting terrain on foot and with precious little food or water and shows the triumph of the human spirit. The Way Back is one fine film and clearly a labor of love for the entire cast and crew and is well worth a look. The Way back is highly recommended.

Video  

All in all I was quite impressed with the video presentation on this release. The film features excellent blacks and very nice detail. The film’s color palette is a bit skewed to the color cyan, with the film having a cool blue look about it and is most noticeable in the scenes set in Siberia due to the snow. Overall, the film has a very nice look and has a nice sense of depth and clarity, despite the often dark and gloomy conditions is depicts. Depth, clarity and detail are all very good, even during the dark and night time scenes that maintain their sharpness, detail and depth, and rarely look a tad soft as one sees far too often with these types of scenes.

The film is remarkably free of digital noises that can often plague films as dark as this one often is. As one would expect for a new film, the print used in this release is in pristine condition with no evidence of dirt or scratches visible. All in all, this is a fine encode and is one that should thrill fans of the film.

Audio  

All in all, I found the audio here to be every bit as good as the video. The audio features excellent overall fidelity and sounds full and smooth with near reference levels of transparency and imaging. The dialogue track is beautifully recorded and is always very clear and distinct, even during the scenes that were set in blizzard conditions.

The film is very dialogue driven and while the surrounds are not used very aggressively throughout the entire film, they are used very effectively during the entire film to provide a great sense of room ambiance. However, when the surrounds are used very aggressively, such as during the blizzard sequences, they are employed beautifully, with the sound of the wind and snow whipping around the room sounding very realistic.

Another example of when the surrounds are used very well is during the scenes set in the mine, which provide a realistic sense of what is would be like to be in one of those mines, at least in terms of sound The overall dynamics are near reference quality as well which is most apparent during the blizzard sequences. I found the musical score to sound exceptional as well. All in all, this is a great sounding release as well and is a perfect compliment to the top notch video presentation.

Special Features  

The only extra included here besides a trailer for the film is a 30 minute featurette about the making of the film featuring interviews with director Peter Weir as well as the cast. The featurette is presented in widescreen standard definition and does provide a nice glimpse behind the scenes into how and where the film was shot, although I would have preferred had the piece tells us more about the actual real life story upon which the film is based. I guess that is what the internet is for.

Final Thoughts  

The Way Back is a beautifully made and totally compelling film that is fully worthy of a much wider audience than it has received to date and is highly recommended.

Film

Born into poverty, Chaplin took to the stage almost as soon as he could speak. Tirelessly he tried to advance his career, first by acting on stage and screen, then to directing, composing, and ultimately becoming a Hollywood mogul and co-founder of United Artists.

Chaplin’s life was so immense that it is hard to imagine encapsulating it in a single film. Not just because of his talents as a performer, but his personal life was ceaselessly jaded by family woes, relationship and political controversies, which included his expulsion from the United States. Attenborough made a noble effort to face this challenge, and presents a decent, albeit fast-paced, biography. Some parts of his life might seem clipped but any hasty storytelling can be forgiven because of the spectacular cast presenting it.

Not enough can be said about Robert Downey Jr’s performance. Downey manages to convey Chaplin’s demons with utter dignity, all the while never losing the ability to mimic Chaplin’s clowning to a tee. It has been said that Attenborough felt confident enough in said performance that he could splice in actual Chaplin footage, and he was right to do so. When Downey is playing Chaplin, while performing in a film within the film, I completely forget that it is not the genuine article, be it in black and white or colour.

I could list the merits of the entire supporting cast, but to save time I shall briefly make mention of my two favourites. First is Kevin Kline who simply oozed charm while portraying Douglas Fairbanks, and my second pick would have to be Geraldine Chaplin who portrayed her own grandmother so lovingly and yet as so disturbingly broken.

In no way should this be a completely satisfactory profile of Chaplin, it should be a launching point. If one, for some reason, needs something more modern to present Chaplin, this film does a very good job at introducing the man and his work. From here, his films should be mandatory viewing (many of them should be no matter what in my humble opinion).

Video

Widescreen 1.78:1. The blacks are very crisp in this, which is essential when you consider how prevalent black is in Chaplin’s work as well as on his Tramp costume. There are some darker scenes where a slight fuzziness appears on the picture, but never enough to be truly disrupting nor disappointing from the 1080p delivery.

Audio

English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio. The sentimental sounding score is rather lushed but could have used a nice Surround sound treatment to be fully appreciated and complete the immersion experience. All things considered, this is a well mixed soundtrack. The dialogue and music are able to play off of each other without disturbance.

Special Features

The first three features all stem from the same set of interviews with the filmmakers and interested critics.

Strolling into the Sunset: Reflections on the creation of the film. In this featurette, Attenborough admits to the challenges of the film’s vision, and that it was lighter that it was not as thorough as he had hoped.

Chaplin the Hero: This is concentrated praise for Chaplin’s brilliance by the interviewees.

The Most Famous Man in the World: Profiling Chaplin’s significance during his heyday. Of the three segments, this last one offers the most unique material.

“All at Sea”: This is a real treat, an actual home movie shot and edited by Chaplin. The family goof around and even do some visual impressions of 1930s celebrities and politicians. An amusing short.

Bookmarks: This is an option to place markers onto parts of the film. This is a godsend to any teacher wishing to present this in a classroom.

Trailers: Self-explanatory.

Final Thoughts

In many ways, this film is just as much a love letter to the earliest years of film as it is tribute to an individual who would become the most famous person on Earth for a time. As romanticized as it is, this film’s charms are undeniable.

Film

The story is of a teenager from England named Jenny (played by Carey Mulligan0, who starts a relationship with an older man. Originally on a quest to attend Oxford, her new experiences in amongst richer, more mature people have lead her astray and questioning what sort of life she wishes to lead.

Set in England during the 1960s, the film does a great job of capturing the essence of that era. The changes sensed in Jenny run parallel to the general attitude of young Europeans who are casting off more shackles of domineering educators and other authority figures to explore new avenues of music and artistic experience/expression.

The flow of the film is interesting. The opening credit sequence is so bouncy and light that one expects a family comedy to follow. What does follow is loaded with charming performances by a very strong cast. When tensions arise with Jenny’s parents one expects them to be semi-villainous archetypes but turn out to be just as naive and sensitive as Jenny herself. Alfred Molina, as the father, is in his usual professional form. He is defiant but ever-affable. It is by the third act that we are revealed which character was using their charms to cover something more dastardly, and whom it simply came naturally. It is in said revelations that repeat viewing of this film becomes fully warranted. Subtle lines of dialogue of exchanged glances between characters gain great depth and a whole new light is shed on every minute of the film leading up.

Video

Widescreen 2:35:1. Presented in 1080p HD but picture is disappointingly fuzzy at many points. Dark colours do not seem to be as crisp as they should be, except at parts where music seems to be the focus. I’m not exactly sure how or why this happens, but I’m not ruling out some sort of sonic intoxication of my brain due to the fine musical excerpts chosen.

Audio

English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.. The soundtrack is miles ahead of the video quality. The score weaves between the diegetic and the non-diegetic with the richness of tone following said weaving in perfect harmony. All sounds come through very clear and I only noticed one single moment of obvious, post-production dialogue dubbing.

Subtitles available in English and French.

Special Features

(some in HD, most in Standard Definition. All in Stereo.)

Trailers: For this film and others. Nuff said.

Making of: Under ten minutes, this is standard fair for most Making of featurettes. Some comments and clips. Nothing earth shattering at all.

Deleted Scenes: There are many clips but all are short, often extended versions of what made the final cut. This feature helps demonstrate how much tighter the editing made of what was already a well-crafted screenplay.

Commentary by Director Lone Scherfig and stars Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard: This is commentary track is true to its name in that these three are clearly just watching the film and making passing, reactionary comments. There is minimal acknowledgement of the viewers, just the three enjoying the film. This is all well and good but can be extremely dry and dull at points.
One thing I felt like noting is that listeners might not recognize Mulligen’s voice as it is nearly an octave deeper in real life. At least Scherfig’s strong, Scandinavian accent will help in discerning them.
Walking the Red Carpet: As harmless as the Making of featurette, and almost identical in its length. A fluffy bit of actors doing interviews while camera bulbs flicker endlessly.

Final Thoughts

A very fine, dignified film that will feel refreshing for those that are fatigued from the contemporary dramas about youths. The performances were the linchpin to this film’s success and it is always great to see actors put true care into their roles, and elevate what was already a fine story.

Film

The film follows a young man, Mike O’Brien (Penn) who is in a juvenile detention center for vehicular manslaughter of his rival, Paco’s, younger brother. Mike O’Brien has revenge exacted upon him when Paco rapes Mike’s girlfriend while Mike is still locked up. The film gets more suspenseful when Paco goes to jail for the rape and is sent to the same facility as Mike.

The film is gritty and definitely feels before it’s time. The subject matter and atmosphere created were not as common as they are today and although the film doesn’t get the attention it deserves it definitely is one of the few movies of it’s time that foreshadowed the imminent rise of violent crime dramas that have become very popular.

The film feels a bit dated and it’s definitely weird to see a young Sean Penn, but he pulls out all of the stops to give a great powerhouse performance that grounds the whole movie. With Rick Rosenthal (Halloween 2) at the helm of the film we experience a lot of talent while watching this film. It’s a bit of a bummer that the movie isn’t as well-known as it was but perhaps the blu-ray release can spark some new interest.

Video

Bad Boys’ video is displayed using the MPEG-4 AVC codec in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film’s source material’s quality suffers from a film stock with lots of grain, especially during the low lit scenes. It seems like for the Blu-ray transfer they used a very fast and harsh pass over the video with a noise removal filter that really softens the image to a point where it becomes distracting. Texture and details within contrast are all blurred and regardless we still get a noisy image during the scenes at night.

The colors are muted and come off a bit bland, but this look is a product of the film’s time so it’s hard to blame it on this particular Blu-ray, but regardless there’s very little to say about the video quality that isn’t a criticism.

Audio

Bad Boys ‘s audio comes at us using the 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio codec which, considering the source, doesn’t help the feeling that this was a lazy catalog release from the studio. The sound is isolated to the front speakers and during the scenes where you’d expect depth, you’re really left with a feeling that something’s missing.

The dialogue is clear but a bit shallow sounding either from the inferior codec or most likely from the original recording and the sound effects come off flat especially in scenes with many sounds layered on top of each other as they struggle to play through the 2.0 codec.

Special Features

Besides a trailer which is hard to count, the only real extra is a commentary track from the director Rick Rosenthal. The commentary is a bit dull with recollections of the production and the director’s experience with Sean Penn being the only thing that’s memorable when he goes into detail about Sean’s on set relationship with Esai.

Final Thoughts

For a film that lacked much impact when it was released, it’s no surprise the catalog release mirrored that response once again. With a lazy transfer that touts both underwhelming video and audio quality, the fact it has only one extra doesn’t help it’s score much either especially considering it’s the same feature from previous DVD releases. If you’re Sean Penn Completest then this is a no brainer, however I don’t see much reason to upgrade a DVD version.

Film 

Inspired by his loving father, played by Ray Liotta who might have been cast purely to help the audience parallel this film with character arcs in Goodfellas, George dedicates his life to never being poor. Such inspiration leads him to California and into the lap of a drug-dealing opportunity. Not wanting to take any chances, as far as his finances are concerned, he wants to shoot for something bigger than just collecting dollars from the free spirits roaming the beach. He first starts up by smuggling dope to the East by way of his flight attendant girlfriend, and eventually escalates it to flying product from Mexico to the US himself. This drug trafficking evolves from marijuana to cocaine, and the dollars he rakes in convert from thousands to millions at the same time.

George truly is meant to be an anti-hero. We cannot fully sympathize with him when he faces the legal ramifications of his actions, and yet we develop a liking for him. Perhaps Johnny Depp’s charismatic performance was doing us a disservice in this sense, but the film does do a lot to paint George in a certain light. In some ways, he wanted to “do right” for his daughter, but that can also just be seen as an Act Three revelation for him, in terms of cinematic character composition. By the time he is day-dreaming about his daughter, and the final frame dedicated to a real-life shot of George in jail, we are almost forgetting the hedonistic (if not selfish) heights he took his life. He was a drug-dealer who was responsible for corrupting many lives, either through direct contact or by way of the products he smuggled into the US from Colombia, which in turn supported the blood-thirsty Pablo Escobar. If nothing else, this film demonstrates how charm can gloss over many a things but we must be disciplined to remember that a crime is a crime, no matter whose smile is in front of it (but try and tell that to the thousands of kids who have Scarface posters hanging on their walls).

Demme’s composition of this film seems to be a love letter to his favourite films and filmmakers of the late 70s and 80s. Some references are clearer than others, such as borrowing a quote from Jaws, while others are artfully hidden in the staging of some shots (many an ode to Coppola in that vein), or how the camera doesn’t so much film its subject, but pursues them the way that Scorsese’s might (think of the longer shots, without cuts, in Goodfellas, for a prime example of what I mean).

The musical score is a bid obvious and overbearing at times, especially when silence would have sufficed for a scene. A perfect example is how the tension of when George confronts his former partner at his Colombian mansion was plenty to hook us into the moment, but the score rises to an almost distracting level. Demme had such a stellar cast in both the leading and supporting roles that he really should have trusted them to carry a scene when the score seems to be trying to unnecessarily pick up the slack.

Overall, this film remains fascinating throughout. Sometimes things arise so casually that you find yourself forgetting just how immense the character’s actions are, never mind their repercussions. A heavy hitting combo of an engrossing story, well told by a director with a clear vision and a cast loaded with amazing talents.

Video

Widescreen 2.35:1. Not the crispest picture I’ve seen on Blu Ray, but the fuzziness can only be scene if standing very close to a large screen. So this film may not be used as an HD demo any day soon, but its pros certainly outweigh its cons. Said pros include a very vibrant look to the more colourful portions, most notably during the party scenes and anything depicting sunny locations in the 60s or 70s.

1080p HD is doing a rather good job, whether its as crisp as a Pixar release or not.

Audio 

The options include 5.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 Dolby True HD in English, as well as 5.1 Dolby Digital in French. Each track option is very well mixed. The score is ever-present without overpowering the dialogue. Depp’s narration comes through clear, as he never succumbs to the natural droning in his voice.

Subtitles available in English and French.

(DVD copy also offers Dolby 2.0 in French)

Special Features 

Focus Points: An interactive option where clips featuring interviews and facts about the real history behind the film can be summoned when an icon appears on the screen during the film. Essentially, most of these clips are taken from other featurettes available on the disc and are compiled as a sample platter of relevant facts injected into our viewing experience so that we, the audience, can get a greater sense of the time it takes place and the social ramifications in the characters’ actions.

Behind the Story

• Commentary by Director Ted Demme and George Jung: These two do not interact with each other as their comments were recorded separately, but still share time as Demme offers insights and opinions on the making of the film and those that helped him make it, and Jung offers us his own tidbits about the actual time he spent while its being recreated on the screen and/or his more in depth feelings about the characters being portrayed. Each make for an engrossing listen and a real treat for those that appreciate this film’s story.

• George Jung Interview: Demme speaks with Jung, who remains incarcerated, on a wide array of reflections and opinions about the film and the parts of his personal history it resurrects. Despite age and a naturally subdued demeanor created by the impact of a prison life, Jung’s natural charm still leaks through in his responses.

• Lost in Paradise: Cocaine’s impact on Colombia: A fascinating documentary in and of itself. Pablo Escobar, the drug lord, is a crucial part of Blow, and here his effects on Colombia and the escalation of the crippling violence within it, are detailed through graphic footage of real people being attacked and kill, as well as interviews with former guerrilla rebels, citizens, journalists and many others who have witnessed first hand the horrors their country face.

• Addiction: Body & Soul: A look into the effects cocaine has on a person, as well some possible psychological and scientific explanations as to why a person may become addicted to a substance, which is ultimately tied to the story of George Jung over the course of many interviews with those recovering from addiction or studying it.

• Fast Track: An optional track that displays relevant facts and information as the film plays. A welcome addition to the abundance we already can have while watching the film (bringing the count of optional tracks to 3, all playable at once).

Music Video

Push and Pull by Nico Costa : A decent little tune. Purely an extra as it has no direct line of connection to the film’s narrative. Still appreciated.

Online

An advertisement for the film company’s official site, offering more information on the film, but presumably not as interesting information as what already appears on the disc itself.

Extras

• Production Diary: A large handful of handy-cam recordings from the 63 day long production. A cute, candid view of the production. A camera behind the camera diary that is a lot less tedious than other behind-the-scenes featurettes I’ve seen in my time. The final day antics are particularly amusing. Demme is a positive force on the set, which is great for a director, and it reflects in the cast and crew surrounding him. Something very joyful that instantly becomes tragic when you discover how this was Demme’s final film, since we lost him to a (possibly) cocaine induced heart attack.

• Trailers: 2 trailers, one full theatrical, the other a teaser…that’s all you need to understand.

Additional Scenes:

• Deleted Scenes: 10 in total. Demme mentioned in his interview with Jung that the rough cut of the film was 45 minutes longer than the final cut, so I knew I was in for a large haul when it came to deleted material. Some very interesting material all around that were obviously shaved for the sake of time and flow. The quality in presentation is equal to the main feature, showing just how much they meant to the director, and how easily they could re-enter in some cut down the road, perhaps.

• Director Commentary Track: Since the feature film had 3 optional tracks (granted, only one was commentary) it is only fair that the deleted scenes get their own track. Demme offers some very nice insights into what these scenes meant to him and the film. Included in this batch is a jail house scene that Demme notes as his favourite while also reiterating some words of wisdom he received “You’ll know you’re a good filmmaker when you are able to cut your favourite scene,” meaning you can see what is best for the film as a whole, and not just each scene by themselves.

• Character Outtakes: A series of interviews with the actors, completely in character, as they speak about their relationship with George Jung. A nice exercise in demonstrating how professional actors absorb their characters.

DVD copy of the film: A nice copy of the film. Blu-ray does an obviously better job bringing out the great colour palette this film has, but the DVD is no slouch. Always a welcome contribution to any Blu Ray release.

Final Thoughts 

With both DVD and Blu-ray in the package, along with all the special features one could dream of for this feature, this currently reigns as the definitive edition of Blow to have in your collection. The film alone makes for a great ride, and these extras on this edition make it essential for any major film collector.

Film  

I must say that when I heard about this film, I was a bit surprised that it was a Clint Eastwood film. The existence of life after death and people who claim to be able to communicate with the dead are not exactly the typical fodder for an Eastwood film. I guess as Clint is now in his 80′s, these issues are more on his mind. Clint Eastwood directs Hereafter was written by two time Oscar nominated writer Peter North. I did not see this film in the theater and approached it with an open mind. However, given the recent tragic events in Japan, I was surprised to see the film open with that terrible tsunami sequence from Indonesia recreated via CGI with a startling degree of realism.

It is while trying to escape the raging waters of the tsunami that one of the lead characters of the film, Marie (Cecile de France), a French TV journalist, drowns. While drowning, she sees a light and is approached by a group of people whose faces she is not able to discern. Just as she is being surrounded by them, presumably deceased family members and friends welcoming her to the other side, when she is pulled back to this world as she is revived by some tourists who apply mouth to mouth recuscitation.

From then on, she is not able to focus on her career as a hard hitting TV journalist in Paris and becomes preoccupied with the question of whether there is life after death. One of the other major storylines is that a of a young British schoolboy in London, Marcus, whose identical twin is killed when he is struck by a car while he is trying to escape abuse by a group of boys. Marcus is on the phone with his brother when he is killed and is haunted by his twin’s death and wishes to speak with him again and seeks out physics and mediums for that very purpose.

The unifying character in the film who ties everything together is George (Matt Damon), who is a true medium. Living in San Francisco, he is trying to escape his past as a medium as he can no longer deal psychologically with dealing with people looking for some sort of closure with deceased relatives.George is trying a new career as a longshoreman, but is unable to escape people finding him and at times begging him to conduct a reading. When he is laid off from his job, he uses it as an opportunity to go to London to learn amore about his hero, Charles Dickens, and while there he encounters Marcus and Marie, who has just written a book about her near death experiences.

While the subject matter of the film is interesting, I just couldn’t get into the characters, in particular Matt Damon’s George, who is just a little too stiff and unemotional. It would have been a better film had his character been more engaging and fleshed out. He is just too dull for the lead. Hereafter, while a nice film, is certainly not one of Eastwood’s better efforts (hey no one’s perfect), it is nonetheless, worth a look, but only as a rental.

Video 

Clint Eastwood’s films have always looked great in HD and you can add Hereafter to that list. It looks sensational. The film features a rather natural looking if at times, a bit undersaturated color palette, with deep and stable blacks. Clarity, detail and shadow detail are all top notch, with subtle skin, fabric and background textures all clearly visible. This is not a bright and vibrant film and is bathed in varying shades of gray, blue and brown, to create mood, especially in London and Paris. Nevertheless, with the high level of detail, clarity and blacks, this is a great looking film and a top notch encode that will thrill fans of the film.

Audio  

The audio on Hereafter is top notch as well. Although the sound design is not all that sophisticated, the fidelity is superb. While most of the film is rather front heavy, the audio does have its moments. The audio on the opening tsunami sequence is reference all the way, with deep room shaking bass and a total sense of immersion as the surrounds are aggressively used to put you right smack dab in the middle of the action. This is a thrilling aural as well as a visual sequence and has made its way onto my list of reference audio demo material. Excellent bass response is also evident during the sequences where George is able to communicate with the other side, which is noted with a deep pop, almost like the Enterprise reaching warp speed in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek.

The rest of the audio sounds great as well, with a smooth, full and open sound. The dialogue track is well recorded and placed in the mix and the music, as is true with all Eastwood films, sounds superb. All in all, even though the sound design is a bit too front heavy for my liking, the sound quality is superb and fully worthy of a 4 star rating with some sequences rating a perfect score of 5 stars.

Special Features  

Hereafter is a two disc combo pack, with a Blu-ray version of the film and a second disc containing a DVD copy of the film along with a digital copy. The extras consist of a 90 minute documentary in HD which is a look at Clint Eastwood’s career and is without question well worth a look and the highlight of the extra package. Also included are 9 featurettes which form the basis of interactive focus points during the film, all of which can be accessed separately from the running of the film.

The featurettes feature interviews with Clint, Matt Damon, Claire de France, Jay Mohr, and Bryce Dallas Howard, Kathleen Kennedy , Peter Morgan and Robert Lorenz, among others, discussing the creation of the tsunami sequences, exploring whether there is in a fact lifer after death, casting the film, the use of french during the sequences filmed in Paris, the selection of locations for the film and even looks at the lives and experiences of identical twins. All are fairly short and worth a look.

Final Thoughts  

While not one of Clint Eastwood’s best films, Hereafter takes a look at life’s greatest mystery and is certainly worth a look, but on the basis of a rental only.

Film 

Last Tango in Paris stars Marlon Brando as Paul, an American who lives in Paris in an hotel with his wife who owns the hotel. His wife commits suicide in their bathtub and this seems to send Paul over the edge. He takes out an ad for a rather squalid flat in the Passy section of Paris that he is renting and he is there when Jeanne, played by Maria Schneider, arrives to look at the flat.

For some strange reason, they immediately begin to make love on the floor of the filthy flat. They continue to meet there every day for a sexual liaison, even though Jeanne, an actress, is engaged to be married. Most of the film takes place in the flat as Paul and Jeanne interact together. Paul views the flat as a place of solitude, as a way of getting away from the world. He does not even want to know anything about Jeanne. They don’t even know there names or anything about each other. Little by little, director Bernardo Bertolucci, begins to show you a little about the real lives of Paul and Jeanne. You just know, that these two both have serious emotional issues and that their relationship will not end well.

I realize that the film received critical acclaim when it was released but in viewing the film all these years later for the first time, I only found the film to be weird. Both main characters are hard to warm up to with Brando’s Paul, on the edge of the macabre. The film does feature plenty of nudity, fortunately mostly of Maria Schneider, and plenty of sexual activity which while I am sure rather graphic for a non pornographic film of the day, is no where near as shocking today as it was back in 1972. While I appreciate the historical significance of the film, I can’t really imagine sitting down and watching this film more than once. I therefore can recommend the film but as a rental only.

Video 

Last Tango in Paris is a a rather soft looking film. It is a rather grainy looking film and all of the fine film grain appears to be well preserved. I could detect no significant evidence of the application of digital noise reduction to “clean up” the look of the film. The overall image is rather soft, although the close-up scenes have plenty of fine facial detail. The film has a rather warm color palette, with plenty of reds, oranges and browns the dominate colors. Other than the opening title sequence, I found the black levels to be no more than average and certainly not inky. As a result of the softness, the film has a rather flat look, lacking much in the way of three dimensionality. However the over all clarity and detail is still good enough to warrant a full 4 star rating. I am sure that fans of the film will find the encode to be more than satisfactory.

Audio  

I was not as impressed with the audio here as I was with the video, not by a long shot. There is no 5.1 mix presented here at all. While the film does feature a lossless track, it is DTS HD MA stereo only. While this is the default track and is listed as the English track, make sure that you have the English subtitles for the hearing impaired enabled while you watch the film, unless you are fluent in French. Otherwise, you will not be able to follow parts of the film which are in French and not otherwise subtitled. In fact, in many scenes both characters slip in and out of both languages. On the technical end, I found the audio to be rather inconsistent in levels, which varied from scene to scene as well as in scene. There is one scene in particular in the bathroom in the flat where the volume level of the dialogue changes significantly as the actors move closer to the camera by only a few feet.

I also found the overall fidelity of the audio to be less than ideal, sounding a bit harsh and thin, especially the musical score. I also found the musical score to be higher in level as well compared to the dialogue, so that the music is much louder when it kicks in than the dialogue and at times, jarringly so. While this is not doubt how the film sounded in the theater, I would have preferred that a 5.1 track be included as well. Given that there are 15 mono tracks included in some languages that I didn’t even know existed, it would have been nice if they had found room for a 5.1 mix.

Special Features  

There is only one extra included with this release and it is the original trailer for the film, which is nothing more than a moving set of stills. No featurettes about the film at all. Kind of disappointing that a film with such a historical significance gets such a bare bones treatment.

Final Thoughts  

Last Tango in Paris finally makes its debut on Blu-ray. While the video is fine, the audio is a bit of a disappointment as is the lack of extras. The film is certainly worthy for a look, but on the basis of a rental only.

More and more of us, myself included, know someone with Autism or one of the Autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome. For me, this topic hits home as I have a son with just such a condition. I thought it would be very interesting to see if my views of Rain Man and its treatment of the topic of Autism would change in light of my personal experiences with the subject. I can report that is has only increased my respect and appreciation for the film as well as all those involved in its production.

Film  

Needless to say, I guess you can say that I am a bit biased in how I view Rain Man given my personal experience with Autism. I will say that I loved the film even before I had any personal experience with the condition or even knew anyone who had been diagnosed with it. Looking back on the film all these years later, my appreciation has only increased. I can relate to the character of Charlie Babbitt (played brilliantly by Tom Cruise) as he grows exasperated by his brother Raymond’s (Dustin Hoffman in an Oscar winning performance) preoccupation with his underwear. In fact, there are numerous instances in the film just like that which I can relate to, having experienced similar things myself, although not quite as extreme.

Rain Man is a brilliant film, brilliantly written, acted and directed. The fact that it won 4 Oscars for Best Picture, Actor, Director and Screenplay is no surprise looking back all these years later. That is not always the case with the Oscars, which sometimes leave you scratching your head with the selections in hindsight, much like the Grammy’s. The film itself is rather interesting in how it evolves.

The film opens with Charlie in a bit of a business bind, when the cars he is importing from Europe won’t clear customs in Los Angeles due to not being equipped with the proper emissions equipment. Not being able to deliver the cars and collect the fees will ruin his business. While dealing with this issue, he is advised that his father has died. While Charlie has not seen his father in years and had an estranged relationship with him, he returns to Cincinnati for the funeral, ostensibly to collect his inheritance, as money seems to be the only thing that Charlie can appreciate.

Much to his surprise, his father left the bulk of his estate in trust for someone else, leaving him with just an old car, a valuable one at that, but far from the $3 million he was expecting. He quickly finds out that the money was left in trust for the lifetime care of an autistic brother he didn’t even know that he had when he visits the institution where he resides. Charlie decides to essentially kidnap his brother Raymond and tale him back to Los Angeles as a way to break the trust and collect at least half of the inheritance that he feels is his. Along the way, in dealing with his brother, Charlie changes and becomes a much better man, learning to actually love his brother, even though he does use his brother’s unbelievable skills to make enough money in Las Vegas to rescue his business.

While Charlie takes quite an intellectual and personal journey during the film, Raymonds’ is just a physical one. Raymond remains utterly the same from the beginning of the film to the very end. It is just Charlie who has evolved and for the better. Rain Man is a great film that has withstood the test of time. While I may be a bit biased, if you haven’t seen this film, please do, if just to learn a little about the subject of autism. You will be glad you did. Rain Man is very highly recommended.

Video  

While I loved the film, I can’t say that I loved the visuals all that much. Rain Man is heavy on the grain which is fine by me. The issue I had with the visuals relates to the fact that the image is very soft with mediocre blacks at best. The color is also a bit undersaturated which along with the mediocre, leaves the picture looking a bit flat and very dated looking. If you are looking for an image that is sharp, vibrant and detailed, Rain Man is not the film for you, as is soft and flat. I do not know if this is how the film is supposed to look as I have not seen it in years in a theater. Whether the film is in the need of a major restoration I will leave to others. While Rain Man is not the best looking Blu-ray I have seen, it is such a great film that really deserves a look.

Audio  

For me, the real star on the audio front is the musical score which sounds fantastic. The music track is smooth and full with deep bass with excellent transparency and fidelity. The depth of the music is superb, as you are able to hear deep into the music, which is utterly three dimensional. Hans Zimmer’s original score sounds fantastic. The rest of the audio is good but not up to the level of the music.

The rest of the sound design is rather front heavy, with only occasional and subtle use of the surrounds. An immersive sound mix this is not. The overall fidelity is good although not quite up to that of the musical score, sounding a bit thinner and flatter than the music. The dialogue track is well recorded and well presented in the mix. Were it not for the quality of the music in this mix, it would rate no more than a 3.5 on a scale of 5. The fidelity of the music is so good to pull the overall score up to a solid 4.

Special Features 

The extras here are rather mundane in terms of originality. The extras include separate audio commentaries from director Barry Levinson, writer Barry Morrow and writer Ronald Bass. Also included is one deleted scene. There is the typical behind the scenes making of featurette entitled “The Journey of Rain Man”. For me, the best of the extras is the featurette “Lifting the Fog: A look at the Mysteries of Autism”, where experts in the field discuss autism, although not in the depth I would like. What is most interesting about this featurette is the interviews with two men with Autism, Joseph Sullivan and Peter Guthrie, who were the two men who formed the basis of Dustin Hoffman’s interpretation of Raymond. It is clear that Dustin Hoffman patterned his speech and mannerisms on Peter Guthrie. I also found the insights provided by Peter Guthrie’s brother into living with a brother with Autism. This is the one featurette which is well worth a look and is highly recommended.

Final Thoughts  

Rain Man is a great film featuring stellar performances by both Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. While not the best looking film on Blu-ray, the film is so good that it is a worthy addition to the collection of any film fan and is very highly recommended.