Conviction: True story of the fight to free a wrongly-convicted man

Conviction (drama, biography)

Directed by Tony Goldwyn

Starring Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver and Melissa Leo

20th Century Fox | 2010 | 102 min | Rated R | Released Feb 01, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Spanish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 3.5/5

Conviction tells the true story of Betty Anne Waters (Swank) and her 18-year fight to free her brother Kenny (Rockwell), who was convicted of murder. She was a young woman with two children, working in a bar at the time of Kenny’s conviction. Instead of accepting it, she decided to study law part-time so that she could access evidence and fight the case on his behalf.

The story is told with the use of a few flashbacks. The first shows us how Kenny is arrested by police officer Nancy Taylor (Leo), while others show us the relationship between Kenny and Betty Anne when they were small children. Kenny is originally cleared of suspicion, but is arrested a second time two years later. After a series of damning testimonies, he receives a life sentence.

Both siblings struggle to adjust. Kenny tries to commit suicide in prison and Betty Anne almost flunks her class. She splits with her boyfriend and is dismayed when her two boys ask to live with their father because she doesn’t spend enough time with them. Imagine having to give up your children in that way. Her decision to help her brother consumed her.

Betty Anne is given new hope when she learns in school that DNA testing has freed other wrongly-convicted prisoners. She passes her exam and qualifies as a lawyer, enlisting the help of classmate Abra Rice (Driver) and a group specializing in freeing prisoners with the help of DNA evidence.

One of the biggest problems she faces is tracking down evidence that is so old. She eventually discovers some disturbing facts about the case and fights to reveal the truth. Kenny is powerless to help, but Betty Anne gives him the courage to go on with his life. She’s his inspiration.

The main theme of the story is the love between a brother and sister and how it impacts each of their lives. It’s an inspirational tale and Swank and Rockwell nail their roles. While all the ingredients are there to make a moving drama, something doesn’t quite work.

Betty Anne sacrifices so much and we should feel elated when she achieves her goal, but the setup was lacking and I wasn’t completely drawn in. Maybe it’s that we are never totally sure that Kenny is innocent? Or perhaps it’s because all the childhood flashbacks involve scenes in which the siblings are breaking the law in some small way? Maybe it’s because Swank and Rockwell are so good in other roles that I had unrealistic expectations?

Video Quality 4.5/5

The film looks great. Detail is sharp throughout and I couldn’t detect any obvious problem with the presentation. There isn’t a lot of beauty in the film as the settings were drab and grimy for the most part, but everything looks natural and real.

Audio Quality 4/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix does everything it is supposed to. This is a story driven by dialogue and it comes across clearly in every scene. There’s nothing flashy and the rear channels are used sparingly, but the track is free of any blemishes.

Special Features 1/5

There’s just one feature included in the package and it only lasts 10 minutes. Director Tony Goldwyn talks to the real Betty Anne Waters. We learn how long it took for the film to be made and some of the problems encountered along the way. The feature includes a rather sobering fact: Kenny died in an accident just six months after being released.

This is a good film. It’s well-acted and easy to follow. There are some strong scenes, especially when Swank and Rockwell are on screen together. But it’s not a great film, and I can only recommend it as a rental.

Overall score 3.5/5 

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Delicatessen - Cannibalism can be funny

Delicatessen (comedy, romance, fantasy)

Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Starring Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac and Jean-Claude Dreyfus

Lionsgate Films | 1991 | 99 min | Rated R | Released Sep 14, 2010

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

French, German, Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Subtitles:

English, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Discs:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4/5

Delicatessen is an unusual film. If you have seen any of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s other works, you’ll have an idea of what to expect. There are no jokes, but there is a lot of weird visual humor. It’s like meeting a French version of Quentin Tarantino or David Lynch.

The plot, such as it is, is set in an apartment complex above a delicatessen. The butcher, Clapet, hires people to do odd jobs. We are never told what year it is, but the action takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where food is scarce. Clapet’s motive for hiring people is to kill them and feed their body to the building’s inhabitants. The movie’s opening scene shows one such murder.

A new man arrives to apply for the now vacant position. He’s Louison (Pinon), an ex-circus clown. He has no money so pays for his taxi with his shoes, and then wears clown shoes for the remainder of the film. Clapet hires him. Pinon has appeared in every Jeunet film in the past 20 years and seems perfectly at home with the director’s quirky style.

The building is falling apart and Louison has plenty of work. He is generally well-liked and soon attracts the attention of the butcher’s daughter, Julie (Dougnac). An unlikely romance blooms between the two and she begs her father not to kill Louison. She wears glasses and can barely see without them, but takes them off for her first date with Louison. The results are hilarious. She tells him that people in the building get eaten, but he has fallen asleep and misses the warning.

If you have seen the trailer, you’ll be familiar with a sequence in which the butcher has sex on a squeaky bed. We are shown various odd characters engaging in weird activities, and they all synchronize their actions with the sound of the springs squeaking. I don’t think I have seen anything else like it.

Sound travels through the building’s pipes and is used to develop parts of the plot. In an early scene, the camera takes us through a pipe to show where it leads. Very Lynchian.

Jeunet is original, creative, weird and genuinely funny, in a dry sort of way. The overall mix is unique. The film plays more like a series of vaguely connected scenes than a fluid story, but each element has something interesting. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

Video Quality 4.5/5

The world of Delicatessen is filled with mist and grime. Outdoor scenes are deliberately murky and the image looks a little soft and noisy, but such scenes are infrequent. Detail is strong in the remaining scenes and shines during the frequent close-ups. Jeunet’s films have unusual color palettes too. For example, Amelie is full of greens and reds. Delicatessen has a reddish-brown tint and it fits the atmosphere well. Apart from the few misty shots, the overall quality is excellent for a film with such a low budget.

Audio Quality 4/5

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix does its job well. Dialogue is clear and it’s easy to hear frogs croaking and water rushing, as well as the unusual musical duets performed by Julie and Louison. The score has a distinctly French feel to it and adds something to the overall mood. Subtitles are displayed in white text and appear inside the frame.

Special Features 4/5

There’s plenty of background information to be found for those wanting to know more about the film:

Making of: Fine Cooked Pork Meats (13 minutes)

Trailer and Teaser (4 minutes)

Main Course Pieces (65 minutes)

Audio Commentary (Jeunet’s comments in French with optional subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Archives (9 minutes)

What is Delicatessen? Is it a comedy? A romance? Fantasy? Horror? It’s a wonderfully unique mess served up as only Jeunet can. If you are already a fan of his work, this fits right in. For those new to it, this is a good place to start. I prefer Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, but Delicatessen has a lot of replay value and I’m happy to have it in my collection. Give it a try if you don't mind foreign language films.

Overall score 4/5  

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Tangled: A new take on the Disney formula

Tangled (animation, comedy, family, musical)

Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

Starring the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy

Disney / Buena Vista | 2010 | 100 min | Rated PG | Released Mar 29, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

French: DTS-HD HR 7.1

Spanish: DTS-HD HR 5.1

English: Dolby Digital 2.0

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy

The Film 4.5/5

Disney has been responsible for some wonderful films since releasing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. I remember being taken to the cinema as a child to see Bambi and The Jungle Book, and anxiously awaiting holiday specials showing classic Disney clips. What’s more, all of Disney’s releases are suitable for family viewing.

While I appreciate all of the above, many of Disney’s classic titles are formulaic. It seems like there’s a princess in every story, although there are only nine official Disney princesses. The movies feature numerous songs and often start with the image of a storybook which is used to set the scene. All of those things work, but it’s a little too predictable for my liking.

Tangled is different.

Instead of using a storybook for the exposition, it uses a narrator. The narrator is Flynn Rider (Levi), our hero, and he’s sarcastic and genuinely funny. There are songs, but they are short, infrequent, and also funny. There’s a princess, but she doesn’t act like one. This is a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It feels fresh and contemporary. Quite frankly, I was surprised and delighted with the whole thing.  

We learn during the opening scenes that an old woman, Mother Gothel (Murphy), possesses a golden flower with the power to heal and reverse the effects of aging. The queen is sick and needs the flower to heal her, so a party of soldiers is sent to find it. It works and newly-born princess Rapunzel (Moore) is infused with the plant’s powers. Mother Gothel wants to appear young so she kidnaps the princess and keeps her in a tower. The king and queen release floating lanterns each year on Rapunzel's birthday and hope that she will eventually be found.

Rapunzel thinks that Mother Gothel is her real mother and that she’s being kept in the tower to protect her from the dangers of the real world. Her main wish is to see the lights that appear on her birthday. Her only friend is Pascal, a chameleon. He doesn’t speak, but does a good job of expressing his feelings through body language.

Flynn Rider is a notorious thief who stumbles across Rapunzel’s tower while evading capture from the king’s soldiers. Rapunzel hits him over the head with a frying pan and locks him in her closet. She’s convinced that the outside world poses no threat to her.

We learn that her hair has many uses. It’s one way into the tower, but she also uses it to pick things up and to tie Flynn to a chair. The two enter into a bargain; he’ll take her to see the floating lanterns and she’ll give him back the tiara he stole. She sends Mother Gothel on an errand and leaves the tower with Flynn.

Flynn takes Rapunzel to the Snuggly Duckling inn which is supposed to represent a sort of biker pub. The patrons aren’t what they seem and end up liking her. Mother Gothel tracks the pair down and Flynn is also found by one of the king’s horses, Maximus. The horse doesn’t speak either, but is one of the funniest characters in the movie. He feels that he isn’t appreciated, but Rapunzel wins his loyalty.

There’s plenty of action during the ensuing chase scenes, and the pair are forced to use their wits to escape all kinds of peril. Mother Gothel is the most evil character in the story, although her selfish actions are understandable when you consider that she’ll die without the effects of Rapunzel’s magic hair.

There’s considerable character development in the story and, being Disney, it has a happy ending. The mix of humor, action and romance works well. The characters are easy to like and there’s always something interesting happening.

Video Quality 5/5

I recently reviewed Megamind and mentioned that, as well as aliasing, the backgrounds appeared unfinished. Watching Tangled, the difference is easy to spot. There is so much detail and depth in each frame. Take a look at the background shots and you’ll see what I mean. Leaves rustle in the breeze, clouds drift and water ripples. This image is comparable to Bolt or the recent Pixar releases. It’s another perfect transfer from Disney.

Audio Quality 5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix also receives a perfect score. There’s a lot happening at times, and every little sound is heard. Background noises such as hooves or running water enhance the experience and you’ll hear things coming at you from all directions. Dialogue and music also receive the correct treatment. It’s hard to fault anything in the presentation.

Special Features 3/5

Deleted Scenes (13 minutes) – Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard introduce this segment and explain how and why certain scenes were changed. The scenes are unfinished and appear as storyboards or partially animated.

Original Storybook Openings (8 minutes) – These are early versions of what may have been and are similar to the deleted scenes.

50^th Animated Feature Countdown (2 minutes) – Tangled is Disney’s 50^th animated feature. See a brief glimpse of them all, in release order.

Extended Songs (8 minutes) – Full versions of two songs from the movie.

Untangled: The Making of a Fairy Tale (12 minutes) – A light-hearted feature with actors Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, talking about the movie and the history of Disney.

Tangled Teasers (9 minutes) – Amusing fake ads featuring characters from the movie.

Discover Blu-ray 3D With Timon and Pumbaa

Learn How to Take Your Favorite Movies on the Go

Trailers

DVD copy

Tangled was a nice surprise with its fresh take on traditional Disney themes. There’s plenty here for children to enjoy. The characters are cute and friendly and the action is never far away. Adults will enjoy it too. Disney’s 50^th animated feature is one of the best releases the studio has made and its modern animation style is a pleasure to watch.

Overall score 4.5/5

Click here to see where Tangled ranks among my Top 20 animated films.


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Lolita: Kubrick's controversial film finally available on Blu-ray

Lolita (drama, romance)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring James Mason, Peter Sellers, Shelley Winters and Sue Lyon

Warner Bros. | 1962 | 154 min | Released May 31, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0

French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish (Castillan and Latin): Dolby Digital 1.0

Subtitles:

English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brasil), Spanish (Castillan and Latin), Swedish

Disc:

Single 25GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4/5

Stanley Kubrick was capable of working in any genre, ranging from historical epics to futuristic science fiction. He gave us serious drama and dark comedy. Lolita certainly has its serious moments, but it’s also filled with dark humor and is arguably his most controversial film.

Vladimir Nabokov’s book was about a 12-year-old girl and would have been an even more controversial film if Kubrick had kept Lolita at that age. In the film, Lolita (Lyon) is a 14-year-old and it changes the overall tone somewhat.

Professor Humbert Humbert (Mason) is a British author looking for a home in New Hampshire. He visits Charlotte Haze (Winters) who is looking to rent a room. Humbert is on the verge of leaving and looking elsewhere, but sees her daughter, Lolita, sunbathing in the garden. He decides to stay and becomes obsessed with her. From his viewpoint, Lolita is flirting with him. She kisses him and plays with her hula hoop right in front of him. Meanwhile, Charlotte is hoping to start a relationship of her own with Humbert and doesn’t notice the attention he gives Lolita.

Humbert’s obsession grows and he keeps a secret journal about his feelings, but he’s dismayed when Charlotte sends Lolita to summer camp 200 miles away. Charlotte then writes a letter to Humbert declaring her love for him and issues an ultimatum. She tells him to leave, or stay and marry her. He finds the letter hilarious and has no interest in her, but marries her to be close to Lolita. This act shows the extent of his obsession.

After the marriage, Charlotte decides to send Lolita to boarding school. Humbert fantasizes about killing her and spending the rest of his life with Lolita. Charlotte discovers his diary and true feelings and decides that she can’t live with the knowledge, leaving Humbert to pursue his plan.

Another key character is that of Clare Quilty (Sellers). The opening scene of the film shows Humbert tracking down Quilty and shooting him. The remainder of the film shows the events leading up to Quilty’s murder. Sellers plays the part well and tries to manipulate Humbert by pretending to be several different people. In Dr. Strangelove, the characters he portrays actually are separate individuals, but that’s not the case here. Sellers writes plays and wants Lolita to appear in one, but seems to have an ulterior motive.

We see everything from Humbert’s point of view and he’s also the narrator at times. Was Kubrick trying to make us empathize with Humbert’s feelings by placing us in his position? Was he trying to get us to root for Humbert and hope that he would somehow end up with Lolita?

The film is long at 154 minutes, but never seems to drag. Although we know that Humbert shoots Quilty, we don’t know why until we see the preceding events. Kubrick makes some of Lolita’s actions deliberately ambiguous so that we’re left wondering whether she was flirting with Humbert. The overall impression is that she’s not as innocent as she may appear.

The film is mainly about obsession and its impact on people’s lives. Humbert’s thoughts are far from pure. He wants Lolita and, although he doesn’t kill Charlotte, he certainly considers doing so. The choice to make Lolita 14 helped avoid some of the controversy, but this is still a film that will be emotionally upsetting for some. Much of its impact depends on our imagination and will vary from one viewer to the next.

Mason is particularly effective as the polite Englishman, while Sellers and Winters also play their parts well. Lyon doesn’t get much time on screen considering she’s the motivation for everything that Humbert does, but she’s believable in the role.

With the release of Lolita and Barry Lyndon, and The Killing announced for August (with Killer’s Kiss among the special features), all of Kubrick’s films will be available on Blu-ray with the exception of Fear and Desire which he disowned.

Video Quality 3.5/5

Lolita looks a little disappointing on Blu-ray. The 154-minute running time is contained on a single-layered disc with a modest bitrate, making me wonder whether the quality was compromised. The black and white presentation is lacking in detail and generally looks soft. It doesn’t hold up well alongside a title such as Psycho. Grain is light and some scenes do look quite impressive, but I hoped for more. It’s still a clear upgrade over the DVD of course.

Audio Quality 4/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track is a definite upgrade. The mono presentation packs quite a punch and dialogue is clear throughout. We can also hear background effects such as water filling Charlotte’s bath. There are no disturbing pops or crackles. The sound quality couldn’t have been much better considering the limitations of the source.

Special Effects 0/5

With the exception of a 1-minute trailer in SD, there’s nothing included apart from the film.

Lolita demonstrates the variety of Kubrick’s subject matter and challenges the audience. I would recommend the Blu-ray to any Kubrick fan as I believe it’s one of his best films. It has drama, a sense of mystery and a lot of humor. It’s an easy decision for fans of the film with Amazon.com’s asking price of $14.99 at the time of writing.

For those new to the film, be aware that the presentation is merely adequate. The story won’t be for everyone and could drag if you aren’t familiar with Kubrick’s style.

I’m delighted to have it in my collection, but did hope for a release with better video quality and extensive special features.

Overall 4/5

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Upcoming Blu-ray Releases: May 30-June 4

US Blu-ray releases

May 31

Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac
American Graffiti
Barry Lyndon
Bart / Levaillant: La Petite Danseuse de Degas
Beethoven: Symphonies 4 & 7 / Coriolan Overture
Big Jake
Biutiful
The Cat O' Nine Tails
Chicago Cubs: The Heart & Soul of Chicago
A Clockwork Orange (40th Anniversary Digibook)
David Byrne: Ride, Rise, Roar
Drive Angry
Drive Angry 3D
Eddie Vedder: Water on the Road
Grand Prix
Joshua Bell: Nobel Prize Concert
Legend
Lolita
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn / Adagio From Symphony 10
A Man Called Horse
MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young
Once Upon a Time in the West
Passion Play
Primal Scream: Screamadelica, Live
Puccini, Tosca
Rio Lobo
Rookie Blue: The Complete First Season
Salmon

Stanley Kubrick Limited Edition Collection
Spartacus / Lolita / Dr. Strangelove / 2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / Barry
Lyndon / The Shining / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut

True Blood: The Complete Third Season
Verdi: La Traviata
Wagner: The Flying Dutchman
WWE Extreme Rules 2011
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season 1

June 1

Undertow

Canadian Blu-ray releases

May 30

The Fighter (Steelbook)
Appaloosa (Steelbook)

May 31

Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac
American Graffiti
Ancient Warriors
Asylum of the Damned
Barry Lyndon
Bart / Levaillant: La Petite Danseuse de Degas
Beethoven: Symphonies N° 4 & 7, Ouverture "Corolian"
Beyond Recognition
Big Jake
Biutiful
Blade
Bobby G Can't Swim
Burning Palms
The Cat O' Nine Tails
A Clockwork Orange (40th Anniversary Digibook)
David Byrne: Ride, Rise, Roar
Drive Angry
Drive Angry 3D
Eastern Promises (Steelbook)
Eddie Vedder: Water on the Road
En Terrains Connus
Handel: Theodora
Inglourious Basterds (Steelbook)
Joshua Bell: Nobel Prize Concert
Lolita
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn / Adagio From Symphony 10
A Man Called Horse
Meet Market
MusiCares Tribute to Neil Young
Once Upon a Time in the West
Passion Play
Primal Scream: Screamadelica, Live
Puccini, Tosca
Rio Lobo
Rogue
Rookie Blue: The Complete First Season
Russell Peters: The Green Card Tour

Stanley Kubrick Limited Edition Collection
Spartacus / Lolita / Dr. Strangelove / 2001: A Space Odyssey / A Clockwork Orange / Barry
Lyndon / The Shining / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut

True Blood: The Complete Third Season
Undertow
Verdi: La Traviata
Wagner: The Flying Dutchman
The Wrestler: Steelbook

June 4

Jackie Chan - Kung-Fu Master

UK Blu-ray releases

May 30

The Alps: Climb of Your Life
Beethoven: Symphonies N° 4 & 7, Ouverture "Corolian"
Berlioz: Les Troyens
The Bird With the Crystal Plumage
Bruce Lee, My Brother
David Byrne: Ride, Rise, Roar
The Dilemma
Eddie Vedder: Water on the Road
From the Ashes
Greece: Secrets of the Past 3D
Handel: Belshazzar
Hero
Joshua Bell: Nobel Prize Concert
L'Age d'Or / Un Chien Andalou
Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn / Adagio From Symphony 10
Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmélites
Primal Scream: Screamadelica, Live
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Ride Around the World
The Round Up
Seconds Apart
Treme: The Complete First Season
Verdi: Macbeth
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Bonds Beyond Time

Australian Blu-ray releases

June 1

Black Swan
Black Swan (JB Hi-Fi Exclusive)
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet 3D

June 2

Mammoth
The Next Three Days
Sanctum
Sanctum 3D

French Blu-ray releases

May 29

Robin Hood

May 31

David Byrne: Ride, Rise, Roar
La Chance De Ma Vie
Primal Scream: Screamadelica, Live

June 1

Antarctic Mission
Boathouse Detectives
Carancho
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Grave Danger
Le Maitre des sorciers
Le Mans
Legend of the Fist
Matinee
Pi
The Possession of Emma Evans
Quick Gun Murugun
Requiem for a Dream
Se7en
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Stuck
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers / Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
True Blood: The Complete Third Season
True Blood: Seasons 1-3
Two Hands
Vanishing on 7th Street
Vertige
The Wave

June 2

Mahler: Origins and Legacy

Papillon: A true story of a man's determination to be free

Papillon (drama, biography, crime)

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

Starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman

Warner Bros. | 1973 | 151 min | Rated PG | Released May 24, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc digibook

The Film 4/5

Papillon is a film I hadn’t seen for approximately 30 years, so I was eagerly awaiting this Blu-ray release. I was a different person back then and my tastes have evolved a great deal since first seeing the film. What was a masterpiece in my memory is now simply a good film.

The story is set in a prison in French Guiana and is based on the true story of Henri Charriere. He was known as Papillon because of the butterfly tattooed on his chest. Steve McQueen plays the role and does an excellent job.

The other key character is Louis Dega (Hoffman), who is a forger and not well-equipped to fend for himself in prison. He hires Papillon for protection and promises to finance Papillon’s escape attempt. It proves to be a wise decision.

On reaching the prison, the new inmates are given a welcome speech. They are told that their first escape attempt would result in two years of solitary confinement being added to their sentence. A second attempt would mean five more years in solitary. Extreme cases would result in death by guillotine.

Nearby islands contain prison work camps and Dega and Papillon are sent there. The swampy conditions are full of natural dangers such as crocodiles and snakes. Any escapees are hunted by former prisoners for a reward. Papillon makes an early attempt and is quickly recaptured, resulting in the promised two years in solitary confinement.

The rations in solitary are barely enough to support human life and Dega bribes guards to smuggle Papillon extra food. When this is discovered, the warden wants the name of the person sending him food. Papillon refuses and is put on half rations. This is equivalent to a death sentence, but Papillon eats whatever creatures stray into his cell and manages to survive the two-year ordeal.

When he recovers his strength, Papillon makes another escape attempt. Dega and another prisoner join him and they arrange to leave the swamp by boat. The three set sail for Honduras. On reaching land they eventually become separated and Papillon is forced to fend for himself. This leads to an extended sequence, largely without dialogue, where Papillon lives with some of the indigenous population. It’s a happy time for him and is a stark contrast to his life in prison.

I won’t reveal any more of the story, but there are a few more twists and turns before it ends.

The story is essentially about the strength of the human spirit and the desire to be free. Papillon has to endure harsh conditions, but something inside him makes him go on. It also shows that some criminals are not all bad. The friendship between Papillon and Dega is powerful and lasting. The final sequence shows both the friendship and Papillon’s determination to live as a free man.

Video Quality 3.5/5

The opening scene contains heavy grain and looks terrible, but isn’t representative of the remainder of the film. It soon settles down and delivers a fairly pleasing transfer. The film is nearly 40 years old and doesn’t look like a recent release, but the Blu-ray offers a big upgrade over previous releases. Just take a look at the trailer to see how the original film must have looked. Although the detail isn’t as strong as I would have liked, it’s adequate. Brighter outdoor scenes benefit the most. Colors are strong and accurate and the print looks fairly clean.

Audio Quality 4/5

An early conversation between Papillon and Dega aboard the prison ship is problematic. The dialogue appears rather distant and there are minor synchronization issues. This is an isolated incident and the quality quickly improves. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix does a good job of adding to the brooding atmosphere of the film. Heavy rain sounds like it’s supposed to and jungle sounds come across in the rear speakers. The Oscar-nominated score sounds impressive and it’s a good presentation overall.

Special Features 2/5

Aside from a trailer, there’s only one additional feature:

The Magnificent Rebel (12:19) is brief and shot in SD, but explains some of the problems involved in shooting the film. Some of the locations were hard to reach and had never been seen on camera before. There’s also a sequence showing the reaction of the real Papillon, Henri Charriere, visiting the set and talking about how authentic it was.

34-page digibook

Papillon is a long film at 151 minutes, and some of it isn’t pleasant to watch. It’s not supposed to be. If you have seen Midnight Express, you’ll have some idea of what to expect. The story takes its time to develop, but the payoff is worth it. McQueen may have been chosen because of his character in The Great Escape, but he has to show more range here and pulls it off well. Hoffman is familiar as the nervous Dega and the friendship is believable. While imperfect, the Blu-ray presentation offers a considerable upgrade and the digibook looks great. Fans of the film shouldn’t hesitate to pick it up.

Overall score 4/5

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Unstoppable: Dumb action, or characters with substance?

Unstoppable (action, drama, thriller)

Directed by Tony Scott

Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson

20th Century Fox | 2010 | 98 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Feb 15, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Cantonese, French, Mandarin (Traditional), Portuguese, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital copy

The Film 4/5 

After directing movies about planes, cars and a submarine, Tony Scott’s last two efforts have involved trains. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 used a train as a setting, but Scott goes a step further in Unstoppable, making a train one of the movies’ stars. Trains are big. Scott has Washington walk in front of a few at the start of the movie to show us just how big they are.

An irresponsible worker makes two mistakes that set events in motion, deciding to move a train without connecting the air brakes and then leaving the cabin to pull a lever at the side of the track. The train is moving too fast for him to get back on and pulls away under full power.

Will Colson (Pine) has been a conductor for four months. He reports to work and faces resentment from the older workers. They assume he’s inexperienced and think that younger, cheaper workers may be a threat to their own job security. He’s assigned to work with Frank Barnes (Washington), who has similar feelings. Colson makes a couple of mistakes and Barnes thinks his fears are justified.

The runaway train is initially thought to be a “coaster,” but it soon becomes clear that it’s under power and capable of traveling at approximately 70 mph. An early effort to board it fails, so a decision has to be made. Yard Master Connie Hooper (Dawson) suggests derailing it before it reaches populated areas. Her bosses disagree because they are worried about the financial cost.

Various other attempts fail to stop the train and it’s left to our heroes, Barnes and Colson, to try their own solution. They give chase in their train and plan to link up with the runaway and use their own brakes to stop it.

Other factors are also thrown into the mix. A group of children on a school trip are on a train on the same line as the runaway and the threat of a collision is high. The runaway is pulling half a mile of freight cars and several contain volatile chemicals. The track leads to a curve which has a speed limit of 15 mph and it’s close to a heavily populated town.

Just enough time is given to establishing the back stories of Barnes and Colson and it explains their motivations for chasing down the runaway. The tension builds throughout the second half of the movie and the action rarely allows us to take a breather. Failed attempts early in the story show us that our heroes are in danger if they continue the pursuit, but the alternative is a potentially huge disaster should the train derail.

The story doesn’t sound very complicated and it isn’t. The action takes center stage, but what did you expect? I found myself engaged throughout and the three main actors put in good performances. I’m rarely disappointed by Washington and I also liked Pine and Dawson here.

Video Quality 4.5/5

Unstoppable looks good on Blu-ray. Scott seems to have made some of the colors unnaturally bright, making everything stand out. The train in particular looks imposing with its red and yellow paintwork. Detail is excellent throughout and the print is clean. It felt like most of the action was taking place right in front of me.

Audio Quality 5/5

Nominated for a sound editing Oscar, Unstoppable sounds great too. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix places us in the middle of the action. Trains aren’t just big, they’re heavy. The track makes us aware of that with a pounding rumble that will give your sub a good workout. It’s backed up by the squeal of brakes and metal-on-metal. Dialogue comes across clearly and there’s plenty of supporting effects from the rears.

Special Features 3.5/5

The special features focus heavily on the technical aspects of making the movie. Scott goes into detail about how he likes shots to be real rather than CGI. They include:

Audio Commentary with Tony Scott.

Tracking the Story: Unstoppable Script Development with Scott and writer Mark Bomback.

The Fastest Track: Unleashing Unstoppable (30 minutes)

Derailed: Anatomy of a Scene (10 minutes)

Hanging Off the Train: Stunt Work (14 minutes)

On the Rails with the Director and Cast (13 minutes)

Trailer

Sneak Peaks

BD Live: Feeling the Heat – Unstoppable Pyrotechnics (3 minutes)

IMDb Live Lookup

Digital Copy

Overall score 4/5

Action movies can be dumb and full of clumsy exposition, but Unstoppable isn’t one of those movies. Scott has made a largely believable story which includes characters with a little depth. It has plenty of replay value because I have already watched it three times and it’s still an enjoyable ride. If you like movies such as Speed, you’ll probably get something out of this.

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Megamind: Can a villain become a hero?

Megamind (animation, action, comedy)

Directed by Tom McGrath

Starring the voices of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill

DreamWorks | 2010 | 96 min | Rated PG | Feb 25, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Audio:

English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

DVD copy

The Film 4/5

Hollywood has made more than its fair share of superhero movies since Superman (1978) was released, but the genre remains one of the most popular. Viewers, especially in North America, enjoy recapturing childhood memories and seeing their heroes on the big screen. Most of the plots are predictable, but that doesn’t detract from the fun.

Megamind deviates from the traditional plot in the same way that Despicable Me did. We are asked to sympathize with the villain.

The movie begins with Megamind (Ferrell) leaving his parents in a ship when his planet is on the verge of destruction. Does that sound familiar? References are made to Superman throughout the film. While this is happening, a child is sent to safety from another world close to destruction. The two children fall to Earth and experience very different childhoods. Megamind lands in a prison yard, while the other child falls to wealthy parents and grows up to be Metro Man (Pitt).

Metro Man is squeaky clean and spends his time doing good deeds. He can fly and he’s invulnerable. The city worships him. Megamind leaves jail and decides that he can’t compete on those terms, so he decides to be bad. Metro Man is loved by the media and Roxanne Ritchi (Fey) is the reporter who plays the equivalent of Lois Lane in the story. Megamind decides to capture her to lure Metro Man into a trap. It works and Megamind discovers an apparent vulnerability in his rival, resulting in Metro man’s death just 20 minutes into the movie.

The city mourns the loss of its hero and Megamind begins his reign as an evil overlord with the help of his sidekick, Minion. It’s hard to hear the name Minion without thinking of Despicable Me. This Minion looks like a happy piranha balanced on the body of a robot. Some of the humor is left to our imagination. For instance, what kind of reaction would Minion get when he buys coffee and donuts to take home to Megamind?

Both movies ask us to focus on the villain and see that they are not all bad. Megamind regrets the death of Metro Man and finds that he can’t adjust to life without him. He functioned better when he had a natural enemy. To remedy the situation, he develops a gun designed to infuse its victim with special powers. He inadvertently shoots Roxanne’s cameraman, Hal (Hill), and decides to groom him to replace Metro Man.

Megamind has the ability to change shape for limited periods of time and that’s the source of much of the humor. Hal is renamed Titan. Megamind gives him a costume and begins to school him while appearing as Jor-El and sounding like Marlon Brando. Titan isn’t cut out to be a hero and struggles to learn. He eventually finds that he prefers using his powers for criminal purposes rather than for good. Megamind has created a monster.

This is where the movie deviates from the expected path somewhat. Megamind is the only one who can stand up to Titan and so he starts to become the good guy. We root for him when he’s battling Titan in scenes similar to those in The Incredible Hulk when Bruce Banner fights Emil Blonsky.

There are a few more plot twists and I won’t reveal them here, but the movie works. It’s funny, fast-paced, and the action scenes are frequent. Megamind is a character with many frailties and we’re allowed to see them. That’s why we are drawn in and made to care about the outcome. Ferrell is particularly good as the voice of Megamind, but none of the actors disappoint. 

Video Quality 4/5

Modern animation is well-suited to Blu-ray and usually results in flawless transfers, but Megamind falls short of a perfect rating. It looks good for the most part; colors are bright and detail is strong. However, on closer inspection, you’ll find frequent aliasing. Whether it’s in hair, buildings, escalators or fire escapes, you’ll see it often. This causes a slight flickering which can be distracting at times. The other problem is not a fault of the transfer, but the source material. Compare Megamind to a Pixar title and you’ll see what I mean. The image, particularly in the background, appears flatter and lacking in detail. It looks less realistic than something like Up. These quibbles aside, it’s still a good-looking title.

Audio Quality 5/5

The English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track does not disappoint. This is one of the better titles for showing off your sound system. There’s a lot going on at all times and you’ll find yourself completely immersed in the action. Ambient sounds are strong and well separated throughout. The soundtrack includes a number of driving rock songs and they sound great on this track.

Special Features 4/5

Audio Commentary with the director, producers and writers

The Animator’s Corner with a PiP track

Comic Creator

Behind the Mind

Deleted Scene (1 minute)

Meet the Cast of Megamind (9 minutes)

Inside Megamind’s Lair (7 minutes)

AnimatorMan (2 minutes)

You Can Draw Megamind (13 minutes)

Mega Rap (1 minute)

The Reign of Megamind: Video Comic Book

Spot the Difference game

Megamind: The Button of Doom – animated short (15 minutes)

World of Dreamworks Animation

Trivia Track

Previews

Megamind is an enjoyable romp with plenty of laughs. The package is good overall despite the imperfect picture quality and I would recommend it to fans of animated movies. It should hold the interest of the whole family.

Overall score 4/5 

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US Blu-ray releases

May 24

Almighty Thor
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Hereafter (review)

Hereafter: Is the criticism justified?

Hereafter (drama)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Starring Matt Damon, Cécile De France, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jay Mohr

Warner Bros. | 2010 | 129 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Mar 15, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc
Digital copy
DVD copy

The Film 4.5/5

I’m a fan of Clint Eastwood, whether he’s acting or directing. Hereafter almost tempted me to see it in the theater, but generally negative reviews made me wait for the Blu-ray release. After finally seeing it, I think I know what caused the negativity. That said, it worked on a number of levels for me and met the expectations I had when it was originally announced.

So why do some people dislike it?

The first reason is the trailer. The use of the tsunami scene and the train accident suggest that the movie will contain plenty of action. It also hints at a fantasy aspect and that viewers will see the afterlife depicted. In reality, these incidents merely set the scene for what the characters are dealing with.

Another potential problem is the story structure. Similar to movies such as Babel and Magnolia, Peter Morgan’s screenplay introduces strands of a plot which eventually meet. One of these threads frequently uses subtitles as the people involved are French. The pacing is fairly slow and we are allowed to see things gradually develop.

The final reason is the resolution of the individual stories. Eastwood allows room for us to speculate what will happen to the characters as they move on with their lives. It’s not a traditional Hollywood ending where every loose end is neatly tied up.

There are three main stories:

Marie (De France), a French news anchor, has a near-death experience in the first six minutes of the movie, but ultimately survives a tsunami. It changes the way she thinks about her life and she can’t focus on her job and normal activities. She wants to write a book about the experience.

George (Damon), who lives in San Francisco, has psychic ability and used to perform readings. He wants to forget that part of his life and have a normal job. Unfortunately, that’s not easy to accomplish. His ability hinders his chances at normal relationships and his brother, Billy (Mohr), encourages him to reconsider his decision to stop giving readings.

Marcus and Jason are identical twins who live with their alcoholic mother in London. When Jason is killed after being struck by a car, Marcus has to deal with the loss. His world is crumbling around him and he looks to various psychics to help, but all are shown to be fakes.

As the story progresses, it switches more and more rapidly between the three threads. We suspect that the three main characters will eventually meet and interact, but it’s not clear how and to what degree. I won’t ruin that for you.

Death is a complex and thought-provoking subject. What happens when we die? Is there something more? What would you say if you could talk to loved ones you have lost? How much stronger might the feeling of loss be for someone losing an identical twin?

Eastwood makes some good choices in this movie. After the opening tsunami sequence, the story is the focus rather than special effects. The casting worked well and the main actors did a terrific job. Damon seemed completely natural in his role and De France also gave a strong performance.

Rather than trying to show viewers what the afterlife might look like, Eastwood shows us very little. It’s left to our imagination. All that is made clear is that George is having psychic visions and those are handled in brief flashes similar to Christopher Walken’s character in The Dead Zone. The story explains what happens to the three characters at a point in their lives and nothing more. Again, the right choice. Any resolution to the three story threads would have felt tacked on and superfluous.

Video Quality 4.5/5

While the tsunami sequence doesn’t look totally convincing - despite the film receiving an Oscar nomination for visual effects - it isn’t a fault in the transfer. Some of the cinematography is beautiful and colors appear bright and natural. Detail is strong and this is one of Warner’s stronger transfers.

Audio Quality 4.5/5

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix doesn’t disappoint either. It’s at its loudest during the opening tsunami, but background effects all come through clearly and dialogue is perfect. I had to turn the volume up a few decibels more than for most films, but the presentation is even throughout once the appropriate level is selected.

Special Features 4/5

Step Into the Hereafter: Focus Points (42 minutes, 1080p) – Eastwood and Damon go into more depth about some of the choices made for the film.

The Eastwood Factor – Extended Version (128 minutes, 1080p) – A look at Eastwood’s career, available in HD for the first time.

I completely understand why some reviews were negative. If you’re the type of person who enjoys art house films and contemplating your existence, there’s a chance you will get something from Hereafter. If you have a problem with slow-pacing, subtitles and unresolved plot threads, pass on this title.

It was a pleasant surprise for me and something that I will definitely revisit before too long.

Overall score 4.5/5

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