The Fighter: More drama outside the ring than in

The Fighter (biography, drama, sport)

Directed by David O. Russell

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams

Paramount Pictures | 2010 | 116 min | Rated R | 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

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital copy (on disc)

DVD copy

The Film 4/5

It’s not easy to make a movie about boxing. The fights have to look realistic and there’s the problem of the plot.

Rocky won three Oscars and tells the story of an underdog who overcomes the odds. That’s the obvious feel-good storyline that will suck in most viewers. Then there’s Scorsese’s Raging Bull, with two Oscars, which some regard as the best movie of the 80s. Clint Eastwood bravely showed the dangers of boxing in Million Dollar Baby and the movie scooped four Oscars.

So there’s clearly plenty of interest in boxing among moviegoers. Is The Fighter in the same league as the three boxing movies mentioned above? What could it possibly do that hadn’t been done before? The Academy liked it, nominating it in seven categories and awarding Oscars to supporting actors Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, but why should you watch it?

Like Raging Bull, The Fighter portrays real events, showing the lives of brothers Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Bale). The movie also has strong characterization. This is not a story focusing on boxing; it’s a story about how the dynamic in Micky’s family influences his career.

Early in the movie, we get a feel for how things will develop. Dicky is the focus of attention and completely overshadows Micky in every situation. Alice (Leo), their mother, clearly favors Dicky. She barely acknowledges anything that Micky says. The family group is completed by Micky’s sisters who always seem to be shouting and trying to attract attention. The result is utter chaos when the whole family appears together on-screen. Instead of shouting even louder to make himself heard above the din, Micky tends to keep quiet. I adopt the same strategy when I’m in a room full of people that don’t have any interest in what I’m thinking.

Dicky is famous in Lowell, Mass. for once knocking down Sugar Ray Leonard, but at 40, his dreams of a comeback have little chance to become a reality. He spends his time smoking crack and is unreliable. He’s supposed to be training Micky, but often fails to show. Dicky and Alice arrange Micky's fights and match him with an opponent who is 20 pounds heavier. Micky takes a beating and loses his fourth fight in a row.

Micky’s fortunes improve when he dates Charlene (Adams), who works in his local bar. She’s intelligent, brutally honest, and actually seems to care about what he thinks. Micky’s family hates her, but she’s strong and stands up to their abuse. When Dicky is arrested and jailed, Charlene persuades Micky to work with a new manager. He is matched against weaker opponents and starts to win. His career quickly improves and he is given the chance to face tougher opponents for more money.

It’s here that the movie starts to show real character development. Micky’s confidence grows and he starts making more of his own decisions. Alice vows to be a better mother. The biggest change of all concerns Dicky. Prison changes him and he avoids drugs and starts to train. He wants to leave prison a better man and be a positive influence on Micky’s life. There’s a huge power struggle when he’s eventually released.

All of the main actors turn in good performances. Wahlberg trained four years for the part because the movie was continually delayed. Bale portrays Dicky well and it’s hard to argue with his Oscar win (although Geoffrey Rush gave a great performance in The King’s Speech). Leo was annoying throughout, but that’s the whole point. Her character was supposed to be the main cause of conflict. Adams did well with her limited role, but it was too small to merit serious Oscar consideration. She’ll have better roles than this.

The boxing scenes look real and were filmed using HBO crews. Although he didn’t say much, Wahlberg looked like a boxer.

What is the movie really saying? Is it showing us that it’s never too late to change? Is it asking us to question choices between career, family and romantic partners? Is it saying that you should never give up on your dreams? It touches on many themes.

Video Quality 4.5/5

The transfer is strong in every department, displaying the gritty world of The Fighter accurately. Detail is good and colors look natural. This is a drab world, but it seems full of life. Take a look at bricks or clothing and it’s easy to see intricate details.

Audio Quality 4.5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix matches the picture quality. Some of the song choices were inspired and I particularly enjoyed hearing The Breeders’ Saints included on the track. All of the songs sound strong and affect the mood. This is a noisy movie, whether it’s a family argument, a bar scene, a street brawl or action in the ring. The surrounds will get a good workout and place you right in the middle of the action.

Special Features 3/5

The extras are all presented in full high definition:

Commentary – Director David O. Russell gives his thoughts on the movie and the reason behind some of the choices.

The Warriors Code: Filming The Fighter (29:57) – A good “making of” feature.

Keeping the Faith (8:33) – The real Ward and Eklund families talk about boxing.

Deleted Scenes (16:53) – With optional commentary.

Theatrical Trailer (2:32)

DVD (with digital copy)

The Fighter isn’t an easy movie to watch. That’s not because it is bad; it’s a reflection on the subject matter. It would be hard to exist within such a chaotic family unit and it’s actually painful to experience at times. The setting is drab and gritty and it’s not a particularly pleasant journey. That’s all intentional and is a compliment, but it’s not exactly fun to experience. If you like drama, character development and boxing, you’ll love The Fighter. If you just want boxing action, there are a few better options. Russell has crafted a good film worthy of its Best Picture nomination.

Overall score 4/5

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Fargo: There's more to life than a little money

Fargo (drama, crime, thriller)

Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 1996 | 98 min | Rated R | Released May 12, 2009

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English: Dolby Digital 2.0

French, German, Italian, Spanish: DTS 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Turkish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 5/5

The first time I watched Fargo, I didn’t know what to expect. After multiple viewings, it’s still hard to pin down exactly what the film is. There’s a bizarre plot focusing on Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) who works for his father-in-law’s car dealership. Without ever learning why, we are told that Jerry needs money. His plan is to hire two men he has never met to kidnap his wife. He’ll pay them $40,000, but he’ll tell his father-in-law, Wade, that the ransom is $1,000,000. It’s a simple enough plan.

Jerry’s true nature is revealed early in the film when he openly lies to a customer. The two men he has hired are Carl Showalter (Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare). Buscemi plays the same type of character that he played in Reservoir Dogs, talking continually, whining and cracking jokes. Stormare barely speaks, but springs into action when he feels the situation demands it.

The plot unfolds with Jerry trying and failing to borrow $750,000 from Wade for a business opportunity. Carl and Gaear make their way into town and eventually get around to abducting Jerry’s wife. It’s here that Jerry’s plan starts to go wrong. A cop pulls over Carl and Gaear while they have Jerry’s wife tied up on the back seat of the car. Carl fails to recover the situation so Gaear kills the cop and a couple of witnesses.

After the triple-murder, the third main character is introduced. She’s Marge Gunderson, a pregnant Police Chief. It’s 33 minutes before her character appears, but it seems like she holds the film together. While appearing a little slow and dorky, she’s actually highly-intelligent and intuitive. She quickly reconstructs the crime scene and realizes how the triple-murder happened.

Marge’s intellect means that she’s respected by the officers she works with, but her seemingly normal demeanor isn’t threatening and the people she interviews are caught off guard. She also gives the film balance during the scenes with Norm (John Carroll Lynch), her husband. They have a wonderful relationship and each accepts the other for exactly what they are. The contrast between Marge’s life at home and the way she performs at work is startling.

Jerry receives a visit from Marge at work, but manages to deflect her questions and she leaves without suspecting him. Later, we see a crucial scene where she meets an old acquaintance from school. He blatantly lies about his life and Marge leaves with a sense of unease. It’s a reminder that people don’t always tell the truth and she decides to visit Jerry again.

One of the funniest things about the film is Jerry. He’s pretty dumb and almost every word that leaves his mouth is a lie. But Macy talks about the character in the special features and notes that Jerry never gives up. One disaster follows another, but he always revises his plan and believes that he can pull it off. It’s interesting to see what he’ll try next.

The film’s supporting cast is full of intriguing characters. Wade insists on delivering the ransom money himself and that’s exactly what someone with his personality would do. Marge interviews some hookers who spent an evening with Carl and Gaear and there’s a funny exchange: She learns that one of the men was kinda funny looking. She presses for more information and is told that he wasn’t circumcised. The film is full of this kind of dark humor.

There’s quite a bit of violence, but it is confined to short bursts. I counted seven murders in all, but the quirky humor and tongue-in-cheek presentation never make the violent scenes too jarring. This is a film that should be viewed as a dark comedy more than anything.

Marge’s closing monologue is simple and effective; it asks us to contemplate why people commit crimes and puts things into perspective somewhat. McDormand won an Oscar for her performance and thoroughly deserved it. Macy was also nominated and the film’s screenplay was given another Oscar.

Video Quality 4/5

Roger Deakins’ cinematography perfectly captures the desolate scenery and the Blu-ray presentation is pleasing to the eye. Detail is strong, and the ever-present grain is never too heavy. There are a few white speckles at the beginning of the film, but the image quickly improves. The upgrade over the DVD is easily worth the price of the Blu-ray.

Audio Quality 4.5/5

Although there’s a lot of dialogue, the supporting sound effects are an important part of the film. It’s particularly evident when the characters walk in the compacted snow and we hear a pleasing crunch. When shots are fired, they ring out clearly. Most of the track is front-heavy, but that’s where most of the action is. The violin used in the score is particularly effective.

Special Features 2.5/5

The features are all presented in standard definition.

Commentary with Director of Photography Roger Deakins

Minnesota Nice Documentary (27:47) – The Coen brothers and main cast talk about the film, likening Minnesota to Siberia with family restaurants. Learn what the actors thought of their roles and how they enjoyed working with the directors.

Photo Gallery – Stills from the shoot.

Theatrical Trailer (1:58)

TV Spot (0:31)

American Cinematography Article – A series of stills discussing the work of Roger Deakins.

Fargo is an odd film. It grabs your interest early and slowly increases the tension as the story unfolds. You’ll see a glimpse of what life might be like in small-town America, and you’ll laugh. The Coen brothers have made some very good films and a couple of great ones. This falls into the second category. The Blu-ray presentation is a good upgrade and I strongly recommend the film itself.

Overall score 5/5 

See where Fargo ranks among my Top 20 dramas by clicking here.


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My Top 20 Dramas: Part 2, #11-15

My Top 20 Dramas (continued)

Most of my favorite movies are dramas. It’s largely because important stories told in a serious way tend to be dramas. Acting is generally better and the story means something.

It’s incredibly difficult to rank films. Much depends on mood or which ones you have seen recently. The order constantly changes and new titles are added as I see titles for the first time.

With that in mind, here’s #11-15 in my favorite genre:

15. As Good as It Gets (1997)

Directed by James L. Brooks

Starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear

Nicholson and Hunt both won Oscars for their unconventional romance. It’s a good example of the type of humor I like as it is sprinkled among serious dramatic scenes. The main duo, ably supported by Kinnear, all did great work. Nicholson possesses excellent comic timing and all three characters were convincing in their roles. The story is touching, involving and very funny in places. It’s capable of making you laugh and cry and that’s a rare thing.

14. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Directed by Milos Forman

Starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif and Danny DeVito

More Nicholson and further evidence of his natural instinct for comic timing. It’s a thought-provoking film set in a mental institution, mixing humor and drama. Some scenes are uplifting, but others are extremely sad. What is freedom? What are the most important things in life? It also features good early performances from Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif (who was nominated for an Oscar). I don’t think I’ll ever forget Will Sampson’s contribution as The Chief. Ah, Juicy Fruit.

13. Juno (2007)

Directed by Jason Reitman

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

Juno is another drama with plenty of funny moments. The acting is superb across the board and the chemistry between Page and Cera works well. One of my favorite scenes involves a talk between Juno and her father (Simmons) in which his gentle wisdom leads her to a key revelation about her feelings. The Oscar-winning screenplay from Diablo Cody feels authentic and captures the mind of a teen particularly well. I laughed and I was charmed by this gem. The story never gets too serious and the whimsical mood is perfectly enhanced by the choice of songs.

See my full review here.

12. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata

Starring the voices of Tsutomu Tatsumi and Ayano Shiraishi

Here’s an animated movie that wasn’t targeted at children. Most animated fare is light-hearted and full of humor, but Grave of the Fireflies is deadly serious. I’m usually crying three minutes into the film because of a beautiful scene where a boy’s spirit is reunited with his sister’s. The remainder of the story is told through flashbacks and shows how the two siblings died. It contains so many touching moments and is based on a true story in which a young boy was unable to save his little sister. It’s set during the Second World War, but never preaches about which side was right or wrong. It’s purely an observation of how war affects people’s lives. It’s easily the best serious animation I've ever seen.

11. Three Colors Red (1994)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski

Starring Irène Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Frédérique Feder

Krzysztof Kieslowski and Irène Jacob first worked together three years earlier in The Double Life of Veronique and it’s a pleasure to see them together again in Kieslowski’s final film. She plays Valentine, a young model who inadvertently meets a retired judge (Trintignant). She disapproves of his lifestyle and slowly influences him and inspires a change. I like it so much because Valentine is such a pure spirit and a source of goodness. The judge isn’t particularly likable at the outset, but I end up pitying him and then liking him. It’s a thought-provoking piece about how people can change. It also has deeper themes and some have speculated that the judge represents God. Released in the same year as Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction, Three Colors Red is the most powerful part of Kieslowski’s excellent trilogy.

See #16-20 on my list here.

See #6-10 on my list here.
See #1-5 on my list here.

I’ll reveal the next five films on my list tomorrow.

Feel free to let me know what you think about my selections, and what would make your Top 20.

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Juno: I guess normalcy isn't really our style

Juno (drama, comedy, romance)

Directed by Jason Reitman

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

20th Century Fox | 2007 | 96 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Apr 15, 2008

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English, French, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Spanish

Disc:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital copy

The Film 5/5

Juno was nominated for four Oscars, winning for best original screenplay (Diablo Cody). It was a competitive year with No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood dividing six of the major categories between them, but Ellen Page was unlucky not to win in her category. Shot on a budget of $7.5 million, it made $143 million in the USA alone and a further $88 million worldwide.

Director Jason Reitman was also responsible for Up in the Air in 2009, which, along with Juno, dealt with subjects in which I had very little interest. But Reitman’s mix of drama and comedy works well in both movies and the witty dialogue drives both.

Juno is funny throughout, but it’s never dumb comedy and it never resorts to gross humor. The story works because we care about the characters and their one-liners fit both their personality and the situation. In short, it feels real. Many comedies assault the viewer with a stream of contrived jokes and it falls flat (for me at least).

Juno MacGuff (Page) is 16 and newly-pregnant. We are shown a flashback showing how it happened and who the father is. It turns out to be one of her best friends, Paulie Bleeker (Cera). After telling him, she decides that an abortion is the best course of action, but she changes her mind following a visit to the clinic. She’s a smart girl and feels capable of making her own decisions, eventually deciding that adoption may be the best thing for her and the baby.

She finds potential parents in an ad and then has the task of telling her father (Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) that she’s pregnant. This is where the movie first defies our expectations. Instead of anger and shock, her parents are calm and accepting. They even joke about the situation when she reveals the father. It’s so refreshing to see supportive parents rather than the usual stereotypes.

Her father wants to go with her to meet the prospective foster parents, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Bateman). Vanessa desperately wants a baby and is skeptical that Juno will honor the agreement, while Mark is more relaxed about everything. He bonds with Juno when she sees his guitar and they end up singing together.

Juno keeps in touch with the couple and forms a friendship with Mark because of their common love of music and movies. I particularly like this sequence because I’m passionate about both subjects and know the power of sharing and talking about such things. It’s the main reason that I write about movies. Mark introduces her to Sonic Youth (my favorite band) and Juno shares some of her classic rock and punk albums. It seems that the two might enter into a more serious relationship.

Her stepmother teaches her about food supplements and defends Juno when she goes to the hospital and is insulted by the ultrasound technician. It’s further evidence that she’ll be supported in her choices all the way.

Bleeker's face lights up every time he sees Juno. Cera plays the part well and doesn’t go over the top. It’s a quiet and understated performance, but he makes it clear that she’s special to him. She suggests that he date a different girl, but is angry when he does. The two have a showdown and it again becomes clear that they really feel something for each other.

There’s a touching scene in the shopping mall where Juno encounters Vanessa and sees her playing with a little girl. We see Juno forming the opinion that Vanessa will make a good mother. The scene develops with a meeting between the two in which Vanessa talks to Juno’s belly.

Her arrangement with Vanessa and Mark is threatened by one occurrence and we wonder how everything will turn out. I won’t reveal that here, but it’s a good resolution.

Another great scene involves a chat between father and daughter. It’s a potentially life-changing talk played perfectly by Page and Simmons. It sets into motion events that shape Juno’s immediate future. Simmons is so talented. If I were a writer/director, one of the first things I would do is create a starring role for Simmons. He’s made his mark with supporting roles, but has so much more to offer.

As for Page, what a remarkable talent. She carried such films as Whip It and Hard Candy, and had a major supporting role in Inception. At 24, she has most of her career ahead of her and I’m excited to see how she develops. She’s already capable of showing so much emotion and her comic timing is perfect. It will be fun to see what happens over the next decade.

One important component of the movie is the soundtrack. Kimya Dawson contributes nine of the songs in the film and they fit the mood and Juno’s character perfectly. There’s a well-placed Kinks song and bands such as Cat Power and Belle & Sebastian also fit the mood. The highlight is Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters’ Superstar, and it’s an important part of the plot.

Juno isn’t a film that will appeal to everyone. Some argue that the dialogue isn’t realistic, but I found it so. Who is it aimed at? Teens? Women? Pregnant girls? Many will write it off as falling into one of those categories. That would be a shame because it has a lot more to offer. I’m a 48-year-old man and I found it utterly charming, refreshing, intelligent and genuinely funny.

There’s a chance it may upset some people because it turns a serious situation into an amusing comedy. Is it saying that it’s acceptable to be pregnant at 16? How would you feel as a parent who faced a similar situation? How would you feel if you were a pregnant teen and didn’t receive that kind of support and understanding from your parents? I would hope that it can be taken for what it is; a fictional situation. It’s more about how the characters react to the situation than anything else.

Video Quality 4/5

For such a low-budget movie, the look is surprisingly good. The transfer is clean and free from damage, colors are well-represented and detail is good in the vast majority of scenes. I can’t quite justify a 4.5, but it’s certainly worth a 4. Don’t expect a visual feast and you should be pretty happy with the overall look.

Audio Quality 4/5

Juno is a dialogue-heavy movie that’s quiet for the majority of its running time, but the sound still plays an important part. The songs are presented well and when sound is called for, such as in amplified effects in the clinic waiting room, it comes across convincingly.

Special Features 5/5

It’s rare that I watch a movie and immediately tackle all of the special features, and even rarer to watch them again on subsequent viewings. Juno is an exception. I like this world and the quality of the extras makes it worth seeing them more than once, even though they are all in standard definition.

Commentary with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody

Deleted Scenes (20:23) – It would be great to see an extended version of the film at some point and most or all of these scenes would fit well. My favorites include Juno singing a song about Paulie in a bar and her real thoughts about Sonic Youth.

Gag Reel (5:11)

Gag Take (1:57)

Crew Music Video (3:12) – A song featuring members of the cast.

Screen Tests (22:35) – See how Page, Cera, Thirlby and Simmons earned their roles.

Way Beyond "Our" Maturity Level: Juno-Leah-Bleeker (8:59)

Diablo Cody is Totally Boss (8:35) – Showing how Cody went from blogger to writing the screenplay.

Jason Reitman for Shizz (8:08) – Showing how Reitman came to direct the movie.

Honest to Blog!: Creating Juno (13:01) – Reitman, Cody and some of the cast talking about how the movie came to be made.

Fox Movie Channel presents world premiere…Juno (5:26)

Fox Movie Channel presents Casting Session: Juno (7:51)

Watching Juno is like spending time with an old friend. It’s warm and familiar and makes me grin throughout. I would like to see Juno at 26 to find out how her experiences and decisions shaped her life. If you like quirky, intelligent humor and good acting, Juno will probably work for you too.

Overall score 5/5

Click here to find out where Juno is ranked among my Top 20 Dramas.


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The Hustler: Strong Blu-ray presentation on its 50th anniversary

The Hustler (drama, romance, sport)

Directed by Robert Rossen

Starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie and George C. Scott

20th Century Fox | 1961 | 134 min | Rated R | Released May 17, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.34:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English: Dolby Digital 2.0

French, German, Portuguese: DTS 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Mandarin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc (digibook)

The Film 4.5/5

The Hustler was nominated for nine Oscars, winning for cinematography and art direction for a black and white film. The four main actors deservedly received nominations, although George C. Scott refused his. It was the second nomination for Newman, the first of three for Piper Laurie and Jackie Gleason’s only nomination. The film deserved the recognition, but West Side Story ended up with 10 Oscars that year. Newman received an honorary Oscar in 1986 and won a best supporting actor Oscar a year later when he reprised the role of Eddie Felson in The Color of Money.

The film is quite complex. Although a sports movie on the surface, there’s a strong romantic element. The story is essentially about strength of character. What would you do to get what you want in life? What if it means hurting people close to you? Is the goal worth the sacrifices? And, most important of all, how do we define success?

Newman was an emerging force in 1961, but his popularity hadn’t reached its peak. His portrayal of Eddie Felson was convincing. He only took the role because another movie he had committed to fell through.

Felson begins the story as a pool player who is building his reputation. He wants to take on the best and prove that he’s the better player. There are definite similarities between Felson’s place in the pool world and Newman’s status in the acting world at the time. Both were looking to make a name for themselves.

We learn in the opening scenes that Felson is a hustler. While playing a game with Charlie, his manager, he deliberately misses shots he could make. He also pretends to be drunk. The people watching are fooled and he wins $105 by betting that he can make a difficult shot and pulling it off. Then he leaves with Charlie and they look for victims in another town. This is Felson’s life. He makes a living conning people who don’t know that he has real ability.

Felson isn’t satisfied and dreams of making $10,000 in one night. In order to reach his lofty goal, he plans to play the best pool player in the country, Minnesota Fats (Gleason). Fats hasn’t lost a game for 15 years and has heard of Felson. He agrees to the game.

The stakes begin at $200 and quickly build to $1,000 per game. Felson is cocky and talks a good game, but also backs it up with good play. He’s soon ahead by over $11,000 and Charlie wants him to quit, but Felson says he’ll play until Fats says the game is over. He doesn’t just want to win, he’s looking to humiliate Fats and break his spirit. After 12 hours, Felson is ahead $18,000, but still insists on continuing the game.

You can see where the story is heading. Fats freshens up, washes his hands and puts powder on them. Felson teases him on how beautiful he looks. Fats starts winning and Felson keeps drinking. He eventually loses everything apart from $200. Who was hustling whom?

The pace of the film changes after the initial meeting with Fats. Felson doesn’t have the necessary stake money for another game. He meets Sarah Packard (Laurie) and eventually moves in with her. She has a limp from having polio as a child and enjoys drinking even more than Felson. The two are a good match and each has flaws.

Charlie visits and we learn that he has $1,500 which was his cut of Felson’s previous pool winnings. Felson is angry and decides to cut Charlie out of his life. Sarah wonders if she’s next. This part of the film moves a little slowly and some viewers may lose interest, but I felt it worked and was essential to give the film depth and additional meaning.

The pace picks up when Felson meets Bert Gordon (Scott) who is Fats’ manager and witnessed the first game between the two. Bert says that Fats was on the hook for the first time in 10 years, but Felson let him off. He calls Felson a born loser, but a loser with talent. He wants to be his manager and demands 75 percent of any winnings. He also issues a warning that Felson could get hurt if he wanders into the wrong pool hall and they realize that he’s hustling.

After learning a few life lessons, Felson takes Bert up on his offer. He takes Sarah for a meal and she comments that it’s the first time she’s seen him wear a tie. It’s a sign that he is willing to change. The two go on the road with Bert and Felson plays billiards for big stakes. Billiards isn’t his game of choice; he prefers pool. Felson loses initially, but something in his demeanor convinces Bert to continue staking him. He eventually wins enough for another showdown with Fats.

The final 10 minutes of the film show the second game between the two. Felson has changed since the first meeting and life has toughened him up. He’s still brash, but won’t take a drink while he’s playing. I won’t reveal who wins, but the film reflects on how we define winning and success in life.

The film has an authentic feel. The pool rooms are dark, seedy and potentially dangerous places. They match the gritty feel of the film. The pool scenes were shot in real pool halls rather than on a set. The only thing that wasn’t convincing is the way the actors held a cue in a few shots. A professional player wouldn’t have his head so far away from the cue and certainly wouldn’t wear a jacket in case it touched another ball and caused a foul shot. But the actors did a good job and both performed most of their shots. The remainder were performed by former billiards world champion Willie Mosconi.

Video Quality 4.5/5

The Hustler looks great in this 50^th anniversary Blu-ray edition. There’s light grain throughout, but it’s never overwhelming. Much of the footage was shot in dark pool halls, but still looks good. The image is clean and free of dirt and print damage. There’s plenty of detail and the black and white image matches the mood of the film. 

Audio Quality 4/5

The lossless English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix isn’t perfect, but offers a considerable upgrade over previous releases. The balls enter the pockets with a resounding thump and the score sounds good. Where it loses a point is in the dialogue as it doesn’t sound completely natural. The original mix is also included as well as 5.1 mixes in four other languages.

Special Features 5/5

This package includes a number of features looking back on the film, as well as a couple of segments devoted to Newman's career. They are well worth a look.

Audio commentary by Paul Newman, Carol Rossen, Dede Allen, Stefan Gierasch, Ulu Grosbard, Richard Schickel and Jeff Young

Paul Newman at Fox (27:11)

Jackie Gleason: The Big Man (12:04)

The Real Hustler: Walter Tevis (18:55)

Life in the Fast Lane: Fast Eddie Felson and the Search for Greatness (11:49)

Milestones in Cinema History: The Hustler (28:04)

Swimming with Sharks: The Art of the Hustle (9:38)

The Hustler: The Inside Story (24:32)

Paul Newman: Hollywood’s Cool Hand (43:44)

Trick Shot Analysis by Mike Massey (13:51)

How to Make the Shot with Mike Massey (3:41)

US and Spanish theatrical trailers

26-page digibook

The digibook package looks beautiful and the pages contain high quality photographs. The only slight reservation I have is that the disc isn’t held in place by a spindle, it just slides into a slot.

The Hustler is a character-driven drama with a strong romantic element. It should appeal to a wide variety of people and is one of Newman’s best roles. He’s surrounded by a quality supporting cast. If you are a fan of Newman or character pieces in general, this 50^th anniversary presentation is an essential purchase. If you like the film, check out The Color of Money (1986) to find out what the future holds for Felson.

Overall score 4.5/5

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The Incredibles: Another Pixar title gets the HD treatment

The Incredibles (animation, action, adventure)

Directed by Brad Bird

Starring the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee

Disney / Buena Vista | 2004 | 115 min | Rated PG | Released Apr 12, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 ES Matrix

French, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX

English: Dolby Digital 2.0

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Four-disc set (2 BDs, 2 DVDs)

DVD copy

Digital copy

The Film 4/5

Pixar has given us lovable monsters, fish, ants, rats, toys, cars, a service robot and a floating house. None of those subjects sounded particularly interesting to me, but I ended up loving every film. It’s hard to select a favorite because every one has merit, but I would pick Ratatouille if forced to choose. That was written and directed by Brad Bird who also wrote and directed The Incredibles.

I’m not a fan of superhero movies in general. They tend to focus on the special powers of the superhero and tell us very little else. The characters are usually little more than sketches. That said, each one is highly anticipated and almost guarantees success at the box office. It’s the most popular genre. Christopher Nolan elevated the genre to a new level with Batman Begins and the hugely popular Dark Knight. They remain my favorite superhero movies by far, but why do I believe that?

Nolan gives his characters depth and we understand why they do what they do. He also makes it seem possible that they can do what they do. Quite simply, I believe that such characters could exist. 

The Incredibles uses a similar technique and puts the characters in today’s world. What happens to superheroes that grow old and fat? What do they do when they aren’t foiling crimes? What if they try to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped? Do superheroes marry and start a family? If they did, would their children also have special powers?

All of these things are addressed and more.

We learn some of the character’s motivations at the beginning of the movie when they are interviewed on TV. Each superhero is introduced. We meet Mr. Incredible (strength), Elastigirl (flexibility) and Frozone (freezes things). There’s also a boy who calls himself Incrediboy and wants to be Mr. Incredibles’ sidekick, but he’s rejected and not allowed to become part of the team.

After a series of incidents end in people suing the superheroes, the government forces them to retire, relocate and live as normal people. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl marry and have three children. Violet can become invisible and make force shields, while her brother, Dash, runs at an incredible speed. Baby Jack-Jack is still developing his powers.

They are known as the Parr family and try to remain inconspicuous. Mr. Incredible and Frozone pine for the old days and secretly fight crime by lying to their wives and claiming to go bowling. They are being monitored and Mr. Incredible is given a solo mission by an unknown agency. He succeeds, but almost dies in the process. We learn that Incrediboy has never recovered from the rejection 15 years earlier and that he’s been scheming to get his revenge under his new name, Syndrome.

The movie is full of invention. Although many of the characters seem to have been inspired by the Fantastic Four, they use their powers in unpredictable ways. The family members are particularly good at combining their skills and there’s a lot of humor in the film. Some of it is quite subtle and best appreciated by adults, but there’s plenty for the kids too. It’s an action-packed story filled with explosions and battles. Syndrome’s hideout looks like something out of a James Bond movie, as do many of the gadgets.

The conclusion is satisfying and paves the way for a sequel should Pixar ever decide to make one. This is a movie that has the potential to appeal to viewers of any age and it’s a lot of fun. If I learned one thing it’s that wearing a cape can be a dangerous business.

Video Quality 5/5

Disney consistently produces wonderful transfers. Some of the classic titles were made 70 years ago and look better than ever. Pixar hasn’t been around that long and the animation looks modern and three-dimensional. Every Pixar movie to date has been just about perfect and The Incredibles is no different.

Audio Quality 5/5

The Incredibles is a good choice to show off your home theater system. As well as a stunning transfer, the sound quality will satisfy any movie enthusiast. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 ES mix is capable of shaking the room at times, but doesn’t disappoint with the finer details. Dialogue and ambient sounds are all crystal clear.

Special Features 5/5

There are over eight hours of special features spread across two Blu-ray discs:

Audio commentary with director Brad Bird and producer John Walker.

Audio commentary with the animators.  

Bounding (short film, 4:40)

Jack-Jack Attack (short film, 4:42)

Jack-Jack Attack Exploded (the short with a commentary track, 4:43)

The Incredibles Revisited (22:06)

Paths to Pixar: Story Artists (5:53)

Studio Stories: Gary’s Birthday (1:24)

Ending with a Bang: Making the End Credits (1:35)

The New Nomanisan: A Top Secret Redevelopment Plan (3:30)

Deleted Scenes in HD (35 minutes)

Incredibles Teaser (2 minutes)

Classic Content: A 27-minute making of feature and around 70 minutes looking at the design of the movie.

Art Gallery

Trailers for The Lion King and Cars 2

Free movie ticket for Cars 2 (enter your DMR code and print the ticket – expires Aug. 7)

Disney titles look wonderful on Blu-ray. The studio pulls out all the stops once again to deliver a package that any fan of the movie will be delighted with. Perfect video and audio, a good story, eight hours of extras, a DVD copy, a digital copy and a free movie ticket. Now all we need is Finding Nemo. 

Add this to your collection if you haven’t already done so.

Overall score 4.5/5

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Black Swan: Good film, average Blu-ray presentation

Black Swan (drama, mystery, thriller)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder 

20th Century Fox | 2010 | 108 min | Rated R | 

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
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish 

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray disc

The Film 4.5/5

With five Oscar nominations (cinematography, best picture, best director, editing and best leading actress), Black Swan took home the best actress statue for Natalie Portman. The $13 million budget meant that certain sacrifices had to be made, but the result is still a film of high quality.

Aronofsky's films are always challenging and frequently show the ugly truth behind an apparently glamorous existence. The Wrestler is the most glaring example. He's also no stranger to obsession as The Fountain clearly demonstrated.

It's almost impossible to write a meaningful review without revealing some of the plot elements, so stop reading now if you want to see the film without knowing anything.

Black Swan is a psychological drama along the lines of Psycho, rather than a film about dance. Nina (Portman) is a ballet dancer who wants the leading role in a new adaptation of Swan Lake. The role consists of two elements; the white swan and the black swan. She's apparently the best candidate for the role and performs the white swan better than anyone, but is encouraged to abandon her self-control in order to access the emotions needed to dance the black swan. In order to do so, she toughens up mentally, becomes more assertive and confrontational and explores her sexuality.

Like Mulholland Dr. and Fight Club, the line between what is real and what is imagined is not obvious on first viewing. Nina is a disturbed young woman who has trouble staying grounded in reality. She imagines terrible things and obsesses about winning the role. Her duality is gradually revealed throughout the film and will frighten some people who allow themselves to become fully involved with the story.

I won't spoil things further, but Black Swan is an interesting tale of Nina's search for perfection in her art.

The technical aspects of the film are superb. The camera is frequently used to follow the dancers on stage and puts the viewer among the action. It's quite breathtaking in places. The editing and digital manipulation both convince the audience that Portman is performing all of the moves a ballet dancer might make.

Portman trained for 10 months to learn how to move like a dancer. She also dieted so that her body looked the part. She fully deserved her Oscar win for this performance. The supporting cast is strong in all areas, with her mother (Hershey), and her closest rival for the part of the swan queen, Lily (Kunis), both doing good work.

Video Quality 4/5
Shot partially in 16mm and also digitally, Black Swan lacks the level of detail normally associated with a Blu-ray presentation. Many of the scenes are dark, while others are stylistic and intentionally soft. Heavy grain is present, but the look is very similar to the theatrical presentation. This is not a poor transfer; it's an accurate reproduction of the film's original look. Many of the softer shots were probably intended to convey the dream-like quality of certain scenes. Don't expect to be blown away.

Audio Quality 4.5/5
Sound is an important part of Black Swan. Clint Mansell's score enhances the experience considerably and the ambient sounds add to the mood. The sound of rustling feathers is particularly effective and disturbing. I'm left with the impression that Aronofsky lovingly crafted every component of the film.

Special Features 4/5
The special features are not exhaustive, but what's included is excellent. There are interviews with Aronofsky, Portman, Hershey, Cassel and Ryder. There's also a 49-minute featurette on how the film was made, including the music, cinematography and special effects. Well worth a look if you're a fan.

Similar films
It's hard to talk about Black Swan without thinking about The Red Shoes (1948). Both films feature ballet dancers who are striving to perfect their art. I'm also reminded of films dealing with blurred reality and mental illness such as Psycho, Persona and Repulsion.

Black Swan draws you into its world. If you let it happen, you will be affected emotionally. It was one of the best five films of 2010.

Overall score 4.5/5 

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American Beauty: Kevin Spacey's finest role?

American Beauty (drama)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Chris Cooper, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari

Paramount Pictures | 1999 | 122m | Rated R | Sep 21, 2010

Video:

MPEG-4 AVC | 1080p | 2.35:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

English: Dolby Digital 2.0

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray disc, region free 

The Film 5/5

American Beauty won five Oscars: Actor in a leading role (Kevin Spacey), cinematography (Conrad L. Hall), best director (Sam Mendes), screenplay (Alan Ball) and best picture (Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks). It’s a weird tale told in an unusual way.

The film contains nudity, violence, bad language, drug use and smoking, so the R-rating is warranted.

We learn during the opening narration that our protagonist, Lester Burnham (Spacey), is going to die. The events leading up to his eventual death are funny, moving, sad and unpredictable. Burnham is a pathetic character entering a mid-life crisis and the film shows how his character changes, as well as the lives of the people around him. There is a significant amount of character development in this story. The choice to use Burnham as a narrator was inspired and adds to the feel of the story.

It’s not strictly a comedy, but it’s full of dark humor that is hard to predict. In short, it's the funniest kind of humor. If you found Fargo or any of Quentin Tarantino's films amusing, you’ll probably laugh at this too.

Burnham changes his life by becoming more assertive and ceasing to care what other people might think. This catalyst for this rebellion is a meeting with his new neighbor, Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley) who gets high with him before quitting his job on the spot.

One of the most important themes of the film is beauty, as you might guess from the title. What is beauty? How do different people define beauty? The contrast between how the characters view other people is startling in places. Some like what they are told to like and dress how they are told to dress. Others are true individuals and express themselves differently. It’s interesting to see. You might even find yourself changing your own opinion of what is beautiful as the events unfold.

Another theme is the dysfunctional family. The two main families – the Burnham’s and Fitts’ – couldn’t be more different. The one thing they do have in common is that they are living a lie and mostly playing the roles assigned to them by society. They gradually change throughout the movie and try to bring meaning to their lives. we all do this to some extent in our own lives. Why do you do what you do? What do you really want from life and why? Do you set goals in order to get there, or just let things happen? Burnham tries to make things happen.

I’m probably in the minority, but I consider this Spacey’s best role. American Beauty just makes my Top 10 of all time and it’s largely due to his performance. The supporting cast also does good work. His wife (Annette Bening) deals with Burnham’s change in her own way while their daughter (Thora Birch) ignores both parents and lives her own life. Chris Cooper has a small but important role as Mr. Fitts.

Mendes has taken a look beneath the surface of the American family. It seems that everyone has secrets and chooses to hide them from almost everybody else. The film has humor, sadness, an air of mystery and considerable tension, despite the revelation of Burnham's impending death in the opening narration.

Video Quality 3.5/5

The Sapphire Series is off to an inconsistent start. While Braveheart was given an exceptional transfer, Gladiator was not so lucky. There was also an audio problem on Saving Private Ryan. The good news is that Paramount offered a free upgrade to fix the problems. Unfortunately, many people will be disappointed with American Beauty on Blu-ray.

There’s no question that the picture quality is significantly better than that of the DVD. The problem is it’s inconsistent. The majority of the film is plagued by frequent white speckles on the image and occasional print damage. Detail is vastly improved, but the images still look a bit drab and subdued due to the source material. Colors look good throughout and red is boosted in some scenes as Mendes intended.

The few scenes involving Ricky’s camcorder look terrible. I know that it’s due to the source material, but the contrast between those scenes and the main movie is huge. 

Audio Quality 4.5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio track is a big improvement. Ambient sounds such as rain falling are easy to pick out. Thomas Newman’s haunting score sounds impressive and adds to the overall mood of the film. Dialogue is always easy to understand and the louder scenes, such as Burnham rocking out while driving, have considerable punch. No complaints at all about the sound presentation.

Special Features 3/5

Commentary by Sam Mendes and Alan Ball

American Beauty Look Closer (21:52)

Storyboard with Sam Mendes and Conrad L. Hall (1:01:20)

Theatrical Trailers (3:00 and 1:22)

Similar Movies

American Beauty has a unique feel so it’s hard to suggest similar movies. Revolutionary Road, also directed by Mendes, is another movie exploring dysfunctional families and people living a lie. It’s not as good though and the characters don’t have the same appeal. Strangely enough, I’m also reminded of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. While it’s stop motion, the themes and quirkiness of the story are similar. And finally, check out Magnolia. It’s a sprawling study of several different characters and the threads are drawn together expertly by director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Overall, I was pleased with the presentation, but the white speckles were too frequent to be overlooked and were a distraction. I’m not sure whether that could be fixed without a full restoration. If you’re a fan of the film, buy the Blu-ray and enjoy the enhanced presentation, but temper expectations. There’s no guarantee we’ll ever see a better version.

Overall score 4.5/5 

See where American Beauty ranks in my Top 20 dramas.


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The King's Speech: Unexpected appeal

The King's Speech (biography, drama, history)
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Derek Jacobi
Director: Tom Hooper

Starz/Anchor Bay | 2010 | 118 min | Rated R | Apr 19, 2011

Video:
M-PEG4 AVC | 1080p | 1.78:1

Audio:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Subtitles:
English SDH, Spanish

Discs:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

Film 5/5

Have you ever been involved in public speaking? Even a small audience can be enough to take you out of your comfort zone. Imagine that you stammer and you're required to speak live to more than a quarter of the Earth's population. Throw in the fact that your audience is frightened due to the impending war against Hitler's Germany. A confident, optimistic and inspirational speech is essential.

That's the situation King George VI found himself in.

Historical dramas generally bore me. I'm not particularly interested in the royal family, despite living in the UK for the first 43 years of my life, and have no love for them at all. But for some reason, this works.

Tom Hooper directed the excellent The Damned United, but this is even better. He chose to shoot most of the film in dark rooms rather than focus on the potential splendor offered by Buckingham Palace. Apart from a scene inside Westminster Abbey, most of the rooms are drab. The story is character-driven and works because of the acting rather than the setting.

Colin Firth gives a brilliant performance as King George VI, although he isn't king when the film begins; he's the Duke of York. We see him stumble over an early speech in the 1920s and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Carter), seeks a speech therapist to help him overcome his impediment.

Doesn't that sound boring?

She finds Lionel Logue (Rush), who has a practice in London's famous Harley Street, and forces her husband to see him. Rush is great as the Australian therapist and supplies much of the humor in the film. The two initially enter into a doctor/patient relationship and eventually become friends.

If I had read that premise without knowing anything else about the story, there's no way you could have convinced me I would care about the characters or the outcome. But the quality of the acting overcomes all that and I did end up caring about a historical speech delivered by a monarch in whom I had zero interest. That says something about the power of this film.

Fans of the Harry Potter movies will be familiar with Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall and Helena Bonham Carter. It's interesting to see them here in serious roles.

The driving force of the story is the friendship between Logue and the future king. Indeed, Logue insists that the two function as equals and calls the Duke Bertie. He apparently has little respect for the monarchy and makes fun of it throughout. Strangely, I'm reminded of The Shawshank Redemption. The two main characters are in a difficult situation and yet manage to form an unlikely friendship, with each sustaining the other.

We are shown early attempts by renowned physicians to cure the Duke's stammer, but no progress is made. The Duke's wife finds Logue and arranges an appointment. Logue's methods are unconventional to say the least and provide some of the film's humor. It's a big step for the Duke to trust this irreverent foreigner and relax enough to make progress.

If you allow yourself to be drawn into the story, a peculiar thing happens. Rather than focusing on Firth's technique for stammering, you will start to think about the man he's portraying. There are scenes showing how he behaves when he's alone with his wife and his two little girls, and how they accept him for who he is.

Firth's portrayal isn't over the top. He's a reserved man who isn't used to speaking up for himself. Over the course of the story, we see him grow. He finds that he has a voice.

The R-rating is for language and it absolutely has to be there for the story to work so effectively.

The technical aspects of the film are superb. The sets, costumes, casting, sound and pacing are close to perfect. It won four Oscars: best picture, best director (Hooper), actor in a leading role (Firth) and original screenplay (David Seidler). During his acceptance speech, Seidler revealed that he used to stammer. That explains why he was able to portray that fear so well.

The film won't appeal to everyone. It succeeds because of the dialogue and the strength of the story. There's no action and very little romance. If you like human interest stories, give it a try. It's among the best in that category.

Video Quality 4/5
The video presentation isn't spectacular. The color palette is faded and wintry, filled with grays and blacks. There's occasional noise, such as in the dark shots taken in Logue's elevator. Detail is inconsistent, but strong in places. Most of these appear to be the intended look of the film, but it's slightly disappointing overall.

Audio Quality 4/5
The sound does exactly what it's supposed to do. There are a few instances of crowd noise and background sounds in the streets of London, but this is a film rich in dialogue. It comes across as clear and even throughout.

Special Features 3.5/5
The features appear sparse, but what's present is certainly worth checking out. I would be interested in a more comprehensive package in the future.

Director Tom Hooper's audio commentary is extremely informative.

There's a 23-minute feature with cast and crew detailing the making of the film.

A 22-minute Q&A session with Hooper, Firth, Carter, Pearce and Claire Bloom seems to end all too quickly.

Two speeches from the real King George VI show exactly what Firth achieved. As well as the stutter, Firth had to incorporate a slight impediment when using the letter R. One of the speeches appears at the end of the film, so you can see just how accurate Firth's portrayal was.

The Real Lionel Logue is a 10-minute feature with his grandson Mark. We learn that he discovered some of Logue's diaries containing actual accounts of the meetings with the Duke. A few lines of dialogue were taken from those accounts and used in the film.

And finally, a Public service announcement from the Stuttering Foundation.

It's hard to compare this to any other movie. There's nothing quite like it. I have already mentioned that the friendship reminds me of The Shawshank Redemption, but the overall tone is very different. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is another brilliant film about a man trying to overcome his inability to communicate, although in a more extreme way.

I saw every best picture nomination last year and this was top of my list. Inception and Black Swan both impressed, but for a combination of an engaging story and the technical aspects of making a film, The King's Speech deserved its Oscar success. See it if you enjoy dramas or period paces driven by dialogue.

Overall score 4.5/5 

Click here to find out where The King's Speech ranks in My Top 20 Dramas.


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