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- Last reviewJune 1, 2012
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![Perfect Sense [DVD] [2011]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4875/4875457_sa.jpg)
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
Presently, science fiction is undergoing a bit of a renaissance in theatres. There’s been a trend for a number of years now to produce films which have stronger ties of very human messages. With motion pictures like DISTRICT 9, MONSTERS, CLOVERFIELD, and even 2011’s BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, writers and directors have been spinning tales about the increasing human cost to our sci-fi encounters with the unknown. Some of them have focused more heavily on the action quotient, but, by these films’ conclusions, there has been ample analysis of the risks to the ‘regular folks’ when faced with the unknown, may it take the shape of aliens, monsters, or other organisms. PERFECT SENSE continues in this same mold, upping the stakes for individuals. This time around, it isn’t aliens we’re facing. Instead, it’s an inescapable virus.
Two self-possessed young professionals – a gourmet chef (Ewan McGregor) and a epidemiologist (Eva Green) – find one another at the most trying time in human history: mankind is falling victim to a mysterious plague that robs us of our senses – one by one. Can a cure for what ails them – the plague or their own narcissism – reach them in time?
I won’t spoil it, but I will say that PERFECT SENSE is a perfect winner of a film. Its narration bobs and weaves back and forth between the standard linear – think any other story – and the documentary – scenes and images captured from the greater world at large. The more we get to know our two principles, the more that’s stripped away from them, only forcing us to understand them even more as they collectively lose their sense of smell, then taste, then hearing. It’s as much a cautionary tale as it is an old school romance – boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-girl, boy-loses-girl, but aren’t they fated to find one another again? – is the best possible sense. McGregor and Green’s performances are comfortable and measured, especially when they’re at the weakest – be it having one more layer of their humanity whisked away from them or when they’re lost in one another’s arms. It’s tragic and meaningful – sharp and resourceful – and, if you take it all to heart, you’ll definitely come away with a tremendous appreciation for what smart science fiction looks like in the modern age.
PERFECT SENSE is a product of IFC FILMS and BBC FILMS with participation from Zentropa Entertainments 5, the Danish Film Institute, Film I Vast, Bord Scannan Na Heireann / the Irish Film Board, and Sigma Films. The script is from Kim Fupzaakeson, and it’s directed with great attention to detail by David Mackenzie. It all looks and sounds grand here, though I’ll admit that I had to crank the volume quite a way up through part of Green’s narrated voiceovers; I don’t know if it was a fault of the original recording track or the fact that perhaps it was mixed noticeably lower than the rest of the piece. Sadly, the disc only contains two features – a making-of short (2 minutes long?) and the trailer – and I would’ve definitely loved to have much, much more by way of commentaries and longer documentaries, giving more insight into this very special film.
HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION. Poignant and relevant, PERFECT SENSE will challenge you to think about your life and the greater world around you in ways you may never have before, and it just might have you clinging to that special someone, lingering a few extra moments in her embrace or her scent if for no other reason than for it to remain fresh in your mind.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at IFC Films provided me with a DVD screener copy of PERFECT SENSE for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: Romance with a great sci-fi twist
What's not so great: Sound editing was a bit off
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Double Hour [DVD] [2009]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1975/19752324_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
3
THE DOUBLE HOURS Is A Bit Of A Doublecross
on May 17, 2012
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
THE DOUBLE HOUR Is A Bit Of A Double-cross
Here’s the thing: would a movie like THE USUAL SUSPECTS work successfully as a mystery IF the audience knew who Keyser Soze was from the beginning as opposed to the ending? Would THE SIXTH SENSE have been as captivating if, half-way through, Bruce Willis confessed to the audience that he was a ghost? Or, for that matter, would Darth Vader’s big reveal – “No, Luke, I am your father!” – have been as effective a surprise if the Sith Lord told you during THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK’s opening crawl?
Of course, the answer is ‘no’ to all of the above (unless you’re a sadist), and therein lies a problem unique to this form of storytelling: when can a storyteller effectively reveal a film’s big secret in order to achieve the greatest payoff for the audience? That said, THE DOUBLE HOUR gambles with its narrative structure – pulling the rug out from under the viewers when either they least expected it or were already peeking past the curtains on their own – and I found the results a bit mixed.
Sonia (played by Ksenia Rappoport) works as a chambermaid for an expensive hotel in Turin. At a speed-dating event, she meets Guido (Filippo Timi). The two strike up a romantic relationship, but, on a romantic weekend away from the city, something goes horribly wrong, leaving Sonia’s memory fractured, but she’s desperate to put back the pieces of her missing recollections in order to unravel what really happened the day her new lover died.
THE DOUBLE HOUR is one of those rare films that’s difficult to review to any great length without spoiling some element of it. Suffice it to say, the film – like so many mysteries of this type – has a “big reveal,” and how this revelation is handled genuinely ‘makes’ or ‘breaks’ any picture. It’s clever – not too clever – but, if you’re watching close, I think it’s a rather easy find. Maybe too easy, though that’s not the issue I had with the film. In fact, the problem I had was WHEN they gave it. In short, once you know – as an audience – you’ve been had, then why accept anything or everything following the reveal at face value? You can’t – or, at least, I know I can’t. Once the filmmakers have already displayed their preference for trickery, how can I accept whatever they tell me next as honest once I know definitively that they’ve engaged in obvious deceit?
To be fair, others found THE DOUBLE HOUR much more convincing than I did. The film won ‘Best Actress,’ ‘Best Actor,’ and ‘Best Italian Film’ at the Venice International Film Festival. I’d never argue that Ms. Rappoport and Mr. Timli didn’t rise to the challenge here – in fact, Timli’s work as the flawed and distraught lover was exceptional. Together and independently, they create some nice moments of desperation and tenderness. Rather, my problems evolved from the script. I was never genuinely ‘convinced’ of the mystery, and, when the reveal came when it did, I thought the timing was all wrong. It didn’t destroy my experience with the film, but it definitely diminished it.
The film comes from Samuel Goldwyn Films along with participation from Flatiron Film Company, indigofilm, Medusa Film, and several others. It’s stateside distribution is handled through New Video. The disc is very well produced – images are crisp with plenty of detail, and sound plays a very key role consistently throughout the picture (so listen closely!). The special features are slim – there’s only a brief behind-the-scenes featurette and some deleted scenes (nothing much is added, so they were better excised). The picture is spoken Italian with English subtitles.
RECOMMENDED. It’s definitely worth seeing, despite what I saw as obvious drawbacks. Like the packaging says, there’s “a romance, a robbery, a mystery,” though not in equal parts measure. THE DOUBLE HOUR is the kind of experience you may want to visit one more time – only to see what you may’ve missed the first time through – though I’ll admit that I was never really pulled into the narrative’s web of deceit. I think the script dabbled too closely with what was hidden behind-the-curtain, and I think it managed (or mismanaged) its “big reveal” way too soon, leaving me as a viewer to question anything (and everything) that came after that moment.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at New Video provided me with a DVD screener copy of THE DOUBLE HOUR for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: An intriguing mystery ...
What's not so great: ... spoiled by poor narrative choice
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker [DVD] [2012]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/4875/4875527_sa.jpg)
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
Gaming properties present a unique opportunity for filmmakers. First, there’s a guaranteed, built-in audience surrounding the franchise, one that will favorably lap up almost anything poured into the trough in hopes that it’ll enhance the gaming experience. Second, there’s an established property – no need to have to think up everything fresh and new to this already established world – so drafting a story might come a bit easier or, at least, a bit less daunting. Third, there’s terrific crossover AND ‘crossback’ potential – fans of a new film may very well go back and purchase versions of the game in order to rediscover this new fantasy, and existed fans will be far more likely to invest in the newest version of the game now that they’ve been dipped back into this realm of imagination.
However, therein lies one specific problem: when crafting a film based on a popular video gaming franchise, it’s important not to speak directly in the virtual shorthand already established – the characters, the worlds, the situations, etc. – because you might only disillusion newcomers with a story whose background relies on having played the game … and methinks that’s the greatest shortcoming of DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER.
As I’ve said (and had to say often, as of late), I’m no gamer, so I can’t speak to how well the films accurately depicts the world of DRAGON AGE. I can’t address how well the various races introduced here – these knights, these mages, these wizards, and these mystical rulers in long flowing robes – relate to the gaming experience. What I can say is that, right out of the gate, I was more than a healthy bit confused as to what was going on – why had these wizards kidnapped this young maiden, how did they know she held the secret they’d long sought, who commanded these knights who showed up to rescue her, and what was up with all these dragons? So far as this viewer was concerned, a healthy bit was lost in the translation; it wasn’t until about thirty minutes in that I had a better understanding – one that, at least, answered some of the questions that could’ve (and should’ve) been laid out earlier – and all of it started to make sense.
Still, as one who loves a good fantasy yarn, DAWN OF THE SEEKER has plenty to offer by way of action and adventure. Cassandra – a brave and beautiful young ‘Seeker’ (basically a knight for all practical intents and purposes) – must rise up to confront and expose the conspiracy behind the religious ruling order, known as the Chantry of Andraste. Her chief problem? She’s hotheaded and quick to act without thinking about the consequences. It’ll take a newfound maturity – that and the companionship of a young mage only at a cusp of discovering his magical powers – for her to win the day, drive the evil knights from her fellowship, and stop the dragons from marauding her fabled kingdom.
See? Doesn’t that sound exciting?
It did to me, but there’s quite a bit of DAWN OF THE SEEKER that falls flat. For state-of-the-art animation and storytelling, there’s a lot here that just didn’t work for the uninitiated viewer. Right out of the gate, I had more questions than could be answered with any degree of screenwriting logic. As I’ve always said, once I understood the world as it was being presented, it was much easier to understand the narrative, but the film never successfully achieved the level of coherence I would’ve wanted, and this was due in large part because Cassandra – our lead hero – was never really someone I related to. Part-Knights-Templar and part-Shakespearean-shrew, she’s brimming over with an anger that never gets ‘humanized.’ Granted, that can be a difficult task for any animated motion picture, but seeing how Disney and Pixar do it every day I would think it to be an easier task than what comes across here.
That, and, no matter how many times Cassandra loses her sword (a big no-no for a knight), it’s always back in her possession just in time for the next action sequence. She can fall out of the sky on the back of a dragon, but, once she hits the ground, she’s perfectly fine; she simply gets up and runs off on her next adventure. At what point did the script explain her invulnerability to danger? Given the fact that she gets manhandled quite readily elsewhere by lowly humans, why is it she can take the brunt of a swipe from these goliath-sized lizards and get back up without so much as a bruise or a scrape? It defies logic, and, due to the fact it never gets fully explained, it only serves to weaken the picture almost to the point of silliness – never a good thing, even in a film inspired by a game.
What works here are the dragons. They’ve been given some of the best attention-to-detail and animation ever committed to a film. They’re real creatures here – living, breathing demons with wings who belch fire and howl with tremendous power – the things that fill the nightmares of valiant warriors. Not all of DAWN’s animation works – it gravitates heavily between obvious CGI and little more than average Saturday morning TV fare – but they’re put great love into the dragons, and, on that point alone, the film’s worth watching. Too bad they get so little attention until the last action pieces.
The film comes from BIOWARE and Toneplus Animation Studios with FUNimation as a contributing partners. It looks and sounds pretty grand, though I’ll admit I had some trouble with characters’ audio in the early part of the film. The disc has a handful of special features, but the one I enjoyed the most was the tour of BioWare’s Studios along with the behind-the-scenes look at how the film was conceived on through the creative process. Otherwise, it was all a bit standard stuff. The Blu-ray release is packaged as a Blu+DVD combo pack which is a nice touch.
RECOMMENDED for fans of the game (obviously) and even fans of fantasy entertainment will probably find stuff to love here. DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER isn’t a failure on any level – other than trying to capture relevant, relatable characters in a world where the laws of physics need to be respected – and it contains some of the best dragon sequences committed to film since the 80’s underrated gem, DRAGONSLAYER, came and went from screens. More focus on these huge beasts – along with greater focus on hammering out this magical realm and characters non-gaming viewers can relate to – would’ve produced something I would’ve enjoyed more than I did. Seriously, I wanted to like this one much more than I did.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at FUNimation provided me with a DVD screener copy of DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: It's based on a video game.
What's not so great: Well, that would be that it's based on a video game, too.
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![The Red House [2 Discs] [Blu-ray/DVD] [1947]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/2015/20152451_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
3
THE RED HOUSE Could've Used More Color
on May 17, 2012
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
For reasons I’ve never really been able to quantify, I’ve never been much of an Edward G. Robinson’s work. It isn’t that I haven’t seen him as gifted or as relevant as others who came from his era of filmmaking; rather, it’s just that I’d long only seen him in many of the same roles – one after the other – so I thought he’d made a career out of playing the same stock character in a long list of films. THE RED HOUSE – recently released with a digital restoration in High Definition – and THE STRANGER have caused me to rethink my position, as both films gave Robinson a chance to genuinely flex some acting muscles in roles perhaps a touch less ‘heavy’ and maybe even a bit ‘noble.’
Meg (played like a teen urchin by the lovely Allene Roberts) has been raised by ‘adoptive’ parents, an old farmer named Pete (Robinson) and his sister Ellen (Judith Anderson). Now that she’s blossoming in adulthood, she begins wondering about her past and what happened to her real parents – she’s long been told that her parents left her in order to go off and start a life all on their own in the land of opportunity. Could it be that there real fate is somehow tied to the secrets long tucked away in a nearby forest where old Pete warns against the screams in the night? Are the woods haunted, or is the secret something much more treacherous?
Based on a book of the same name, THE RED HOUSE was written and directed by Delmer Dawes (3:10 TO YUMA and DESTINATION TOKYO). It’s essentially a pot-boiler style mystery – Pete’s haunted by the bloody events of his past, but he’s bound and determined to keep young Meg from discovering them – and, measured against the today’s standards, it’s fairly tame, but I have no doubt that Robinson’s performances probably shocked and scared a few folks in the audience back in the day. His performance here runs the gamut from a kindly old father to a crazed and vastly troubled soul. You can see an empty, gnawing heartache in his eyes when he begins mistaking Meg as her mother, and you get a sense of his character’s remorse as he slowly reveals the events haunting ‘the red house’ more in his mind than it is in reality.
Though the film has an impressive reputation with fans of noir and classic films, I don’t feel that it held up all that well today. The pacing is a bit lethargic, and I’m not sure that the shooting script couldn’t have benefitted from another draft or two. For example, events from the beginning of the film – specifically, Lon McCallister plays Nath Storm, a high school chum and eventually boyfriend to Meg, and it’s his first venture into the forest that shows audiences that it’s ‘haunted’ – seem illogical and really feel out of place when compared against the history revealed in the conclusion. Perhaps Dawes as director was a bit too close to his own adaptation to see the possible flaws in his draft. At best, he musters an average film that benefits from Robinson’s big-star involvement more than it deserves.
The film was made by Sol Lesser Productions (as Thalia Productions, Inc.) and distributed theatrically by United Artists in 1947. The disc comes from HD Cinema Classics, and it looks and sounds perfectly fine with the digital restoration (transferred from the original 35mm elements) provided on this Blu-ray. The movie’s trailer is also available. The disc comes with a brief featurette on the restoration process, and there’s an audio commentary provided by William Hare, a noted expert of early film noir. The Blu-ray is a combo-pack so there’s both a standard issue and HD release available, and the package contains a nifty little reproduction of the original movie poster contained.
RECOMMENDED only for fans of noir who want to see something completely different. It’s good but far from great. THE RED HOUSE bares some strong, respectable similarities to great noir from the era, but the film’s pacing and too many squeaky-clean, black-and-white characters really spoil the mood of this chiller that probably chilled more people half-a-decade ago than it ever will today’s jaded viewers.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at HD Cinema Classics provided me with a DVD screener copy of THE RED HOUSE by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: Impressive outing by Edward G. Robinson
What's not so great: Not as chilling today as it probably was back then
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters [Special Edition] [2 Discs]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/38bb6a32-d44e-47b3-ad2a-520c9056bc44.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS Features A Carnival of Extras
on May 9, 2012
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
I’ll admit I can a bit late to the whole Doctor Who craze. Like most folks in America (my side of the pond, as it were), Tom Baker was the first real Doctor. This isn’t to say that I was unaware of the three who came before; rather, it’s only to say, at that point, the whole franchise came together for me in a persona I could more fully appreciate, who didn’t seem to English-stuffy, and who brought the kind of warmth and whimsy so often displayed in Doctors who’ve played the role since. Do I have a favorite Doctor Who? Why, of course, I do! But that isn’t the purpose of this review.
CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS comes from the Jon Pertwee years, and the story – much like so many tales from early Who – actually respectfully delves into a whole host of matters so common attributed to quality science fiction. It explores class structure – government – social disorder – multiple worlds – the technology of shrunken worlds – and almost Matrix-like existence as the Doctor and his companion Jo (played with suitable aplomb by Katy Manning) find themselves trapped inside a Miniscope, a device that shrinks whole environments and the peoples and creatures who populate them, all for the purpose of providing viewing entertainment for others. It becomes a race-against-time as the peepshow device begins to fail, leaving the Doctor’s companion stuck inside and facing death unless he can find a way to rescue her from it before the circuits fail.
I could go on and on discussing the plot and the various delightful shenanigans pulled by the traveling showman, Vorg, and his assistant Shirna (Cheryl Hall) – notice the similarities? An older gentleman with a youngish attractive girl at his side? – as well as dissecting the endless parallels between the story on the outside of the peepshow box and the story on the inside, but what really matters here is that it’s quintessential Doctor Who. It’s a terrific yarn built on an interesting premise, and it’s all detailed with entertaining characters. It’s certainly one of the better pre-Tom-Baker episodes I’ve ever seen, and I’ll definitely watch it again in the future.
However, what I really wanted to rave about here were the special features, which are downright amazing given the fact that what we’re dealing with here is a television production nearly forty years old as of the writing of this review. Despite the age of the piece, the BBC has provided two separate audio commentary tracks – each hosting both onscreen and behind-the-screen talents – and they stories they detail are as vivid as if it all happened yesterday. There’s an honest, appreciable love of the Who franchise by those given the opportunity to play in that universe, and I listened to both with great delight. Granted, there was an awful lot of crossover material – I can’t tell you the number of times it was discussed that Mr. Pertwee loved to ‘lift’ personal souvenirs from the soundstage and location shoots – but it was still all told with great respect and genuine warmth.
But … the extras don’t stop there!
There’s also a wonderful notation track that runs the length of the four episodes. This is a function track – much like a subtitling feature – that is turned on and off by the viewer, and the notes detail interesting trivia and tidbits not only associated to the filming process, but it also goes into incredible behind-the-scenes facts including direct quotations of scenes edited from the shooting script and never filmed! Some of what’s learned is minor, but there’s a great amount of detail here – it’s all told very much in the fashion of MTV’s ‘Pop Up Video’ from several years back – and it’s equally as charming as the audio commentaries.
But … it doesn’t stop there!
There’s a restored edit of the second episode. It’s longer than the one that aired originally on the BBC, and it inserts several short bits that expand slightly the socio-political themes still present but given short exposure in the entirety of the CARNIVAL. Furthermore, the discs come with a ‘making of’ featurette that cobbles together the best moments discussed in greater detail on the commentaries; there’s a feature detailing many of the Doctor’s favorite weapons and gadgets throughout the entire run of the television show; there’s a host of photo galleries and model shots; and there’s even a short video exploring the more famous maritime ship disappearances, a theme central to the main story for these installments. All-in-all, it’s an incredible collection of material involving actors, craftsmen, and other creative personnel like rarely seen before and certainly hard-to-come-by for a television production almost forty years ago!
I’ll give a special shout out to the short feature on actor Ian Marter. He appears in a supporting role in CARNIVAL, but he returns as a completely different companion during Tom Baker’s run. Mr. Marter was so enmeshed in the Doctor Who universe that he even authored several novel adaptations of episodes that aired, and this 20-minute documentary looks back at one of Who’s early key players who left us long before he should have.
It’s an amazing experience that comes from BBC and BBC Warner. The disc is professionally produced, with both visuals and audios solid.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE. If you’re a Who fan, then you owe it to yourself and fandom to experience this Special Edition collection from start-to-finish. If you’re not a Who fan but you’ve thought about jumping aboard to see what all the fuss is about, then this could as well be the disc you’ve been waiting for. It’s easily enough to jump aboard this delightful journey in mid-stream, and Pertwee – while a bit stiff for my tastes – does a great turn as the Doctor. If you’ve absolutely no interest in Doctor Who … then what are you doing still reading my review at this point? Get off your tuckuss, and get out there to buy a copy, watch this, and I guarantee you’ll join the club!
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at BBC Warner provided me with a DVD screener copy of DOCTOR WHO: CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS (Special Edition) for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: Are you kidding me? It's Doctor Who! What's not great?
What's not so great: Well ... it is Doctor Who, after all ...
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha [DVD] [2012]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1975/19752193_sa.jpg)
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
ALPHA Rises to the Top!
I’m not a gamer. That may come as a surprise to most of you who I believe will be drawn to this review almost entirely seeking the endorsement of an established gamer. Before I opened the package bearing the copy of TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON: ALPHA I had never so much as heard of TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON; I didn’t know it was an established gaming franchise; I didn’t know anything more than ‘Tom Clancy’ is an established author of very credible techno-military thrillers … but I was probably as equally excited as you are to see what this ALPHA film was all about, and, let me tell you, I was riveted. ALPHA – slated for release on May 22 along with Ubisoft’s “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier” video game for Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 – is nothing short of brilliant.
Now, a little back history here …
As best as I understand it, Ubisoft launched the Tom Clancy Ghost Recon brand back in 2001, and it boasts a series of video games in and around the fictional military universe created by the author himself. From what I learned from the ‘making of’ featurette on the disc, Ghost Recon crosses into several entertainment platforms – games, films, and books – and capitalizes specifically on the characters and situations created by Mr. Clancy in delivering high suspense military adventures, all set against a backdrop of international intrigue. These soldiers are part-combat-specialists, part-special-ops-soldiers, as well as part-spies, and they’re equipped with only the best state-of-the-art equipment that the military has to offer.
As for Alpha’s story?
Operatives within the U.S. intelligence community have finally closed in on Chevchenko, a villain involved with all measures of international badness. The Ghost team is sent in to stop the delivery of Bulava class nuclear weapon. The stakes are high, but the team will stop at nothing to keep America safe from nuclear terrorism. Specifically, ALPHA’s story serves as a prequel to the ‘Future Soldier’ game.
To put it bluntly, this 25-minute film contains as much action as some full features I’ve seen. And I’m not talking low-brow guns’n’guts action: I’m talking cream-of-the-crop elite military engagements here. Ubisoft spared no expense in crafting this tense little flick, bringing in some behind-the-scenes talent who contributed to such features as CHILDREN OF MEN, BLACK HAWK DOWN, and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. Additionally, they brought in Military Weapons Specialist Harry Humphries (I’ve heard of Humphries contributions to other films, and he’s a bit of a Hollywood legend), who’s served as a consultant to such films as TRANSFORMERS, IRON MAN, and THOR. I hated hated hated for this to end – though I suspected it would when I realized it was, essentially, an elongated set-up for a game – but what was delivered was terrific.
And, yes, maybe (just maybe) this will infuriate folks who hate being mildly ‘spoiled’ – so, if you’re inclined, then look away, brave reader, look away – but it all ends on a cliffhanger. That’s right! It doesn’t exactly wrap itself up all neatly in one 25-minute package because it’s a set-up for the game. It may help to think of it as one long commercial – not that there’s anything wrong with it – because that’s what you get: a hugely successful tease for what I have no doubt will be a hugely successful video game if the film is any indication.
The film is a joint production of Ubisoft Entertainment and Little Minx (a subsidiary of Ridley Scott & Associates) along with Flatiron Film Company. You wouldn’t believe it’s a short film (and you certainly wouldn’t want it to end!) because everything about it is absolutely top notch. Video production is exceptional; audio production is terrific; and immeasurable great detail has done into every aspect consistently. When these folks say “feature film,” they mean it. The disc comes with a making-of featurette (at 28 minutes, it’s actually longer than the film itself, and it’s entirely worth it to see what lengths they went to in putting all of this together) and a single preview that apparently screened at the 2010 Comic-Con.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION with only the single reservation that – as I’ve already said – I didn’t want it to end. It’s a military techno-thriller done by folks who clearly know what that means.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at New Video graciously provided me an advance screener DVD of TOM CLANCY’S GHOST RECON: ALPHA for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: Exceptional production qualities
What's not so great: It's only a short film! With a cliffhanger!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Above Suspicion: Set 1 [2 Discs] [DVD]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1982/19829617_sa.jpg)
The British television series Above Suspicion, created by many of those responsible for Prime Suspect, earned strong reviews for its realistic depiction of murder investigations. This set combines the first two cases in the show's history, Above Suspicion and The Red Dahlia.
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
So long as I’ve been watching them, the Brits have done televised mysteries exceedingly well.
Granted, I haven’t seen them all, but I’ve seen enough to known that theirs is award-winning formula that seeks to bring quality material to the small screen, and ABOVE SUSPICION is no different. The program – it recently aired its fourth series in January, 2012 – are based on Lynda La Plante’s novels of Detective Anna Travis. While I’ve not read any of the books, I’m certainly inclined based on the quality of narrative presented in release of the first two series on DVD.
In short, Ms. La Plante’s novels focus on the cases of (rookie) Detective Anna Travis (played by the adorable Kelly Reilly). Along for the ride are several significant supporting characters, including DCI James Langton (Ciaran Hinds), DI Mike Lewis (Shaun Dingwall), and a handful of recurring police players. Together, they explore cases involving serial killers and 'pros', as well as a maniac who may be preying on beautiful young women .
Particularly winning is Ms. Reilly, who subdues the usual big-city-sexiness so common with female leads of the U.S.-based crime shows beneath a layer of small-town charm: her hair is unkempt most of the time, and, indeed, her coworkers of the first installment remark how she wears practically the same outfit to work every day. Her first day on the job, she traipses through a muddy crime scene in fashionable high heels, only to end up throwing up and fainting upon viewing her first corpse. Still, she’s a comely lead, and she brings a kind of naïve, wholesome charm to stories otherwise weighted with dark and bloody matters: psychosis, murder, and incest.
Balancing out Reilly’s naiveté is Mr. Hinds as her superior, DCI James Langton. Clearly, he’s seen and done it all as a member of the police force, and, yes, that includes his boss, Commander Jane Leigh (Nadia Cameron-Blakely). He’s engaged in an inappropriate workplace relationship – though occasionally it appears he’s done so precisely to make things easier for him at work – and, as rumors persist, it looks like he’s willing to again with Detective Travis. He’s drawn to her – in part due to the fact that he worked for years with her father – and, together, they share a chemistry driven far more out of professional courtesy than it ever is romantic desire.
And what would a great procedural be without great villains? Of course, I can’t go into any detail here without spoiling it, so I’ll leave it with a simple, benign observation: they’re equally vile, equally despicable, both backed with convincing performances by the talent involved.
If there’s any shortcoming here, then it would logically fall back to the source material – the novels of Ms. La Plante – to understand them. Perhaps, a strong case could be made that the villains here are all, predictably, white well-to-do individuals. Clearly, crime is rampant across all levels of society, and maybe – maybe – it’d be nice to see that represented in the stories we tell culturally. In the end, maybe the author is simply trying to reflect that the affluent are more likely to have the means AND the money to engage in some pretty nefarious scenarios; hopefully, I’ll get the chance to see the other two series and learn that Ms. La Plante’s villains leaned toward a different cultural and economic persuasion. Still, the stories work, and that’s why I’d wholeheartedly be interested in seeing more from La Plante Productions.
The program comes from ITV Studios and La Plante Productions, and the disc is produced by Acorn Media. The first installment – “Above Suspicion” – is a two-part series that aired in 2009 and was instantly dubbed “a younger, sassier successor to ‘Prime Suspect.’” (It’s important to note that Ms. La Plante wrote the teleplays for the first and third series of “Prime Suspect.”) “Above Suspicion: The Red Dahlia” is a three-part series that aired in 2010, and it deals with a killer who’s copycatting the US’s infamous Black Dahlia murders. Both series have exceptional video and audio qualities. Additionally, each installment is given a brief ‘behind-the-scenes’ featurette as well as cast interviews. I will state that my player experienced some mild difficulty in correctly accessing the disc’s menus – when trying to view the ‘Episodes Directory,’ I was instead shown only a black screen with two boxes for selection but no text appeared in the boxes. It was easy to work around, but I thought it worth mentioning in the event that any other viewer have the same issue.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION. Smart and simmering, ABOVE SUSPICION couples elements of the effective police procedural along with well-groomed character dramas to produce a winning contrast between the people who’ll stop at nothing to break the law versus those who’ll stop at nothing to catch them.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Acorn Media provided me with a DVD screener copy of ABOVE SUSPICION: SET 1 for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: Excellent British Procedural
What's not so great: Villains a bit predictable at times
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![What Women Want [DVD] [2011]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1947/19479318_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
3
WHAT WOMEN WANT Still Eludes Us All
on November 27, 2011
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
Back in the days when Mel Gibson had much more than a prayer for an acting career (circa 2000), he smartly with director Nancy Meyers in WHAT WOMEN WANT, the story of a sexist advertising executive who learns his lesson when he unwittingly develops the power to read only women’s minds. The $70 million picture went on to gross almost $400 million worldwide, so it was perhaps inevitable that someone somewhere decided to cash in on the successful, romantic formula of a man earning a woman’s heart by understanding her innermost thoughts and desires …
… but who’d’thunk it would’ve been China?
Flash forward almost a dozen years, and you have WHAT WOMEN WANT (aka I KNOW A WOMAN’S HEART) starring international superstars Andy Lau (perhaps best known outside China for INFERNAL AFFAIRS, the inspiration for Martin Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED) and Gong Li (best known for her incomparable beauty and a long tenure in art-house films). Granted, the overt romance – kissing and cuddling – has been strongly toned down by the Chinese, but the major points of the story remain intact. Lau stars as Sun Zi Gang, a sexist ad executive who believes he’s destined for ‘corner office glory’ whose life is turned upside down when CEO Dong (played by Chengru Li) instead decides that what the agency needs most is “what women want,” and that’s best decided by Li Yi-Long (the aforementioned Gong Li).
Before China embraced the film, only in Hollywood could the recipe for suicide (a hair dryer dropped into a bathtub full of water) serve as the inspiration for a romantic comedy. To China’s credit, they’ve lost the hair dryer in favor of an artistic fish lamp, but the overall effect is the same: electrocution is the catalyst for Sun Zi Gang’s newfound mind-reading ability. Suddenly, Sun can read every woman’s mind, and the usual hilarity ensues. Much of the ‘laugh points’ remain intact from the American original – Sun struggles to find his ‘inner woman’; Sun’s administrative assistant is curiously without a brain for her boss to read; Sun’s daughter prompts him to begin to understand just what it is that women want – and that’s a tremendous benefit. Humor is a universal language, and sometimes cultural differences stand in the way of a good, solid laugh, but Lau – no slouch as a charismatic lead – certainly milks every cinema moment for what it’s worth. Playing opposite one of China’s premiere actresses is certainly an inspiration, but, if it weren’t for these two worthy leads, I might not have even felt the inspiration to see the Chinese interpretation much less finish it.
As can happen with the passage of time, romantic comedies lose their edge. They’re forgotten when the next quality rom-com comes along, and, sadly, 2000’s WHAT WOMEN WANT doesn’t look, smell, and feel all that different from 2011’s Chinese facsimile. Sure, there are some thematic tweaks – the Chinese wisely chose to play up the more mystical aspect of how such a romance was possible to begin with – but, overall, it isn’t all that dissimilar. There’s an added ‘father figure’ component for Lau. His daughter isn’t played off as a bit of a fringe outsider amongst her peers. Lau doesn’t really have an intellectual equal or a challenge in his workplace, so it’s hard to accept that Dong’s reasoning to go outside the agency for a new executive director. Still, these are chump changes, nothing of real creative substance, so I didn’t feel that they contributed greatly to an enhanced story. Honestly, the greatest strength of the Chinese version is the casting of Lau and Li because I can’t imagine the film even remotely succeeding without these two stars, so, on that front, at least, the producers chose wisely.
But as for the source material?
The original WHAT WOMEN WANT had elements of broader farce that, thankfully, appear to have been hacked off in this retread. Gibson likely had a greater international presence, so there was little risk in amping up the physical comedy. Lau underplays everything here. He dresses up in women’s clothes and accessories in trying to awaken his ‘anima,’ but there are more than a few missed laughs. Again, maybe that’s a cultural difference that the directors and producers didn’t want to exploit. It’s hard for me to know because I’m not as up on Chinese culture as the next critic. All I can say is that this variation on WHAT WOMEN WANT had much less ‘com’ than ‘rom’ for a ‘rom-com’ and perhaps the American version is the better of the two on that assessment alone. As I said, it’s otherwise difficult to tell these two films apart.
It’s a solid effort, but nothing exceptional. Lau and Li’s fans should be thrilled. Recommended.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to share that the people at New Video provided me with a DVD screener copy for the purposes of completing this review.
What's great about it: Reasonably entertaining Chinese interpretation
What's not so great: Couldn't the Chinese have chosen a better flick to copy?
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man [1976]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/prescaled/500/500/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/3ef8d197-8609-439f-80df-00752ea12843.jpg)
Customer Rating
4
LIVE LIKE A COP Lives Up To Its Cult Status!
on November 27, 2011
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
Cop films tend to come in several varieties, but, for my tastes, they tend to break down into two basic themes: either (A) the cop is fighting the system (think of Sylvester Stallone in COP LAND, or Al Pacino in SERPICO) or (B) the cop wears a badge but operates outside the system, always on the edge with his career and his life oft times hanging in the balance (think ‘Dirty Harry’ Callahan as played by Clint Eastwood in DIRTY HARRY or in any of the other HARRY films, or Bruce Willis from any of the DIE HARD pictures). While the former breed of cop films tends to garner the critical praise, it’s the latter that draws the attention and general respect of the viewing audience, and that’s because if any of us found ourselves in a situation requiring the assistance of the police then we’d want a true supporter of justice (Dirty Harry) out there gunning for our safety. That’s not so much a political commentary on any legal system; it’s just that folks feel more secure in knowing that the police are going to stop-at-nothing to see villains, ne’er-do-wells, and dastardly devils definitively dealt with once and for all. Also, it’s easier to forgive the cop for tauntingly saying “make my day” when we know that our days have been made safer as a consequence of his actions, right or wrong.
Similarly, Director Ruggero Deodato embraces the cop ‘dark side’ in this signature 1976 release, LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN, which incidentally looks terrific as a result of the restoration process for this release from Raro Video. Kudos to all those involved in bringing this film into the digital age.
The story could be lifted up and mass produced directly from any cop thriller of this variety. Two officers, Alfredo and Antonio aka ‘Fred’ and ‘Tony’ (played with sufficient 70’s cool by Marc Porel and Ray Lovelock), have proven their effectiveness in “cleaning up the streets,” and they’re promoted to a secret task force which specializes in perfecting the body count with criminals. Eventually, they cross ‘Bibi’ (played with screen chewing aplomb by Renato Salvatori), and the rest of the film is essentially a cat-and-mouse chase (admittedly, an unusually violent cat-and-mouse chase!) of good guys versus the bad guys where neither side will sleep until the other side rests six feet under. It’s a simple premise, but that’s all it takes when the centerpiece here is action, violence, and a few buckets of well-placed blood.
Clearly, much has been written about LIVE LIKE A COP’s violence. Much like the original DIRTY HARRY, there’s a fair amount of shock value intended with this film. Apparently, some of the film’s original content was censored during its initial theatrical release. By today’s standards, some of that inhumanity seems passé (torturing a suspect, torching an entire parking lot of cars owned by criminals, sexually roughing up an uncooperative female witness, etc.), but the film still carries a lot of bite; in particular, I was a bit stunned with how one of the cops deal with the surviving cyclist from the opening sequence, and I think that’s when I knew I was in for a fairly wild, cinematic ride. I won’t spoil it in any way because, in retrospect, it makes perfect sense given the framework of these characters as they’ve been written and developed.
Cop-centric action aficionados have plenty to be thankful for with the release of LIVE LIKE A COP. For starters, the film starts with not only a terrific opening motorcycle chase, but also it’s a sequence that’s arguably one of the greatest motorcycle chases ever captured on film. That alone is no small feat in itself. Not only do these two dark horses ride together, they live together, sharing a single bedroom and, most likely, any woman who happens their way. (This is an Italian film, after all!) While dressing a bit dated (hello, bell bottoms!), Fred and Tony look a little too much like European underwear models for my tastes at being believable heavies, but they pull it off convincingly. Think of them as an international “Starsky & Hutch”; indeed, I wondered how much influence one property had on the other as the actors bear a reasonable resemblance to one another.
If anything, the film suffers from a bit of a laugher-of-a-conclusion where our heroes/anti-heroes aren’t really given an authentic chance to go out swinging properly. Imagine BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID without the gunslingers marching out into their ultimate showdown, and you capture only a hint of what awaits Fred and Tony, though it’s nothing so fatal. Again, I’m hesitant to give too much away because I don’t want to spoil it for any of the viewers, so I’ll leave it at stating that the ending as filmed was a bit of an emotional letdown. This is not to say it was inconsistent in any way; it makes perfect sense given what developed in the slim storyline. However, the visceral appeal of seeing the bad guys suffer at the hands of the good guys is central to the effectiveness of LIVE LIKE A COP, and I can’t imagine the American studio system greenlighting the film with its current climax because the two leads end up being deprived yet vindicated in a unique if not troubling last-second turn of fate that gives the film more ‘sleeper flick’ or ‘cult movie’ credibility than it does anything else.
Highly recommended.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to share that the people at Raro Video provided me with a DVD screener copy for the purposes of writing this review.
What's great about it: Great 70's period cop flick
What's not so great: Ending could've used an overhaul
I would recommend this to a friend!
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![Becoming Santa [DVD] [2010]](https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/1977/19777565_sa.jpg)
Customer Rating
5
You WILL Believe In BECOMING SANTA
on November 27, 2011
Posted by: EdwardLee
from Flack, Spain
A Holiday Treat for the Child In Each of Us!
Jack Sanderson is on a mission. After he unearths a picture of his recently deceased father dressed up as Santa Claus, he wants to know more about why his ‘old man’ played St. Nick. He can no longer ask his father, so the curiosity soon begins to get the best of him. Was it out of a duty or an obligation? Did he lose a bet? Why would his father of all people -- not a particularly jolly fellow, as Jack can recall – agree to play Santa? He never seemed all that jolly or jovial to Jack, so what possessed the elder man to do it? Was it some big mystery, or was the man simply looking for some way to recapture the magical spirit of the holiday season? Jack’s mission is to ‘become Santa’ for a single Christmas season, hoping that he can discover what impulse may’ve propelled his father to do it so many years before … but Jack ends up perhaps discovering that he’s missed out on more than just an old family secret.
Thus begins the magical and delightful BECOMING SANTA, a documentary that details Jack’s journey to serve as the ultimate holiday fat man. From his humble (and smelly!) beginnings of bleaching his beard, mustache, and hair a pure white all the way to showing up by appointment in several homes on Christmas Eve where children are briefly allowed to spot Santa Claus placing presents under the Christmas Tree, Jack embraces his new mission, and he learns a little about himself and what truly makes the yuletide gay along the way. He has a custom Santa suit tailored to his body; he attends a ‘Santa School’ to get training on how to deal with children; and he even volunteers to play St. Nick on the Susquehanna Railroad’s ‘Polar Express’!
Smartly, the documentary is balanced between Jack’s quest and other popular Santas who inform the viewer on a multitude of topics, including the historical origins of the Santa popularized today. The film is chocked full of a wonderful history detailing the holidays, coupled with Jack’s heartfelt discovery of just how significant a role Claus plays in the lives of countless families across the world. There’s far more to learn about the man and the season than anyone can imagine, and the audience comes along with Jack as he discovers that dressing up in a red suit is only the easy part. Rekindling peace, love, and tenderness alongside a healthy giving spirit during the holiday season turns out to be a full-time, life-altering decision!
Simply put, BECOMING SANTA is not unlike a Christmas gift: you’re not too sure what you’re getting yourself into by opening it, but, once you’re there, you’re swimming in the magic! The film is an unexpected pleasure – an easy holiday treat – for young and old alike. It’s the kind of film that can be shared by families through the ages. It isn’t crass or commercial in the slightest, as some Xmas exposes can be, but it reminds us that what matters most in the ‘silly season’ is the simple belief that giving is vastly more rewarding than receiving. This documentary doesn’t have a naughty bone in its body! There probably is no better primer for preparing for the holidays – certainly, there isn’t any film better for nurturing the budding Santas in each of us! – and this feature will definitely become a staple in our household in the years ahead. It’s warm and heartfelt with just the right chemistry between Jack and his audience, and it comes with my highest recommendation.
In the interests of fairness, I am pleased to share that the holly ol’ folks at Cinema Libre Studios graciously provided me with a screener DVD of the film for the purpose of writing this review.
What's great about it: A wonderful holiday experience
What's not so great: Holidays only come once a year!
I would recommend this to a friend!
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