6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Colin Diamond discovers that his wife of twenty years is having an affair with a good-looking younger man. When his motley group of friends decide to kidnap the young man, Colin must wrestle with his conscience.
Starring: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Joanne WhalleyDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
44 Inch Chest is not the film I expected to see when I first laid eyes on this Blu-ray release’s cover art. Here we have “From the Writers of Sexy Beast,” a tagline that reads “The Measure of Revenge,” and a cast that includes Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Ian McShane, and Stephen Dillane—a veritable who’s who of the pulpy British gangster genre. But Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels this ain’t. There will be viewers, blind buyers perhaps, who will feel seriously misled. No guns are fired, there are no hold-ups or heists, the closest we get to a car chase is a minivan speeding down an alleyway, and the revenge mentioned in the tagline turns out to be a dud bottlerocket (figuratively, not literally). What we have, instead, is an East End ditty on masculinity, jealousy, and morality, theatrically staged—the action, if you can call it that, largely takes place in a single dingy room—and driven by coarse-as-sandpaper dialogue that’s more David Mamet than Guy Ritchie. Think psychological stage play rather than balls-out British crime caper. The change of pace is refreshing—initially, at least—but 44 Inch Chest eventually gets bogged down by talking heads and bleeding hearts.
"I can't l-i-i-i-i-i-ve, if living is without you..."
Image Entertainment brings 44 Inch Chest stateside to Blu-ray with an impressive-for- what-it-is 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, framed in the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The image is intentionally bleak and dingy—the whole movie is cast in a dismal grayish brown—but the lack of color belies an otherwise decently appointed picture. Clarity is quite strong throughout, with the frequent close-ups of Colin displaying minute, facial feature details, from the tiniest beads of sweat on his brow to the definition of each hair in his scraggly beard. 1080p doesn't really do the art direction any favors—the set really looks like a set—but it's tight and crisp all the same. Given the restrained color scheme and somewhat weak contrast, there's little "pop" or presence to the image, even though black levels are deep and very rarely crush any detail. I popped in a DVD screener for comparison, and the Blu-ray handily beats it, but this is by no means a wowing high definition experience. The cinematography is restrained and non-showy, making sure the dialogue remains the focus. Grain is fine, only spiking a handful of times, and though the movie was shot on film, it has a certain video-esque quality that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it has to do with lighting, mostly. I didn't notice any compression-related distractions or other mishaps or mishandlings.
Like the cinematography, the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is extremely reserved, enhancing the story's this could easily be a stage play vibe. Obviously, the dialogue is the most important element here, and it's handled flawlessly, broadcast up front and center with clarity and strength. Angelo Badalamenti and Massive Attack's score is quiet and complementary, never overpowering the proceedings but hanging back to subtly underscore Colin's emotions. The music is bled into the rear channels quite often, but otherwise there's little use of the surrounds, except for some understated ambience and two, maybe three cross-channel effects, like passing cars and the spin of a 2-pence coin on a hardwood floor. The track never gets a chance to outright roar, but bass does creep in to accentuate the tension at times, and the music has plenty of depth and detail. English SDH and Spanish subtitles are available in easy-to-read white lettering.
Commentary with Director Malcolm Venville
First-time feature helmer Malcolm Venville—who cut his teeth on commercials, which he
considers the most practical form of film school—dishes about his experience working on 44
Inch Chest, covering all the usual topics of conversation.
Featurette (SD, 15:20)
Complementing Venville's commentary is a solid making-of documentary/promo piece, which
features all of the principal actors discussing their characters, the thoughts of the director and
producers, and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage.
Epilogues (SD, 4:40)
An interesting inclusion. All of the principal male actors—with the exception of Ray Winstone—
deliver short monologues about the fates of their characters. Unsurprisingly, John Hurt's is the
best, as Old Man Peanut speaks from beyond the grave Spoon River Anthology-style and tells us
how he faced down death.
Interview with Malcom Venville (SD, 22:56)
Director Malcolm Venville talks about his career in commercials, his main influences—Rear
Window and The Singing Detective—and gives his thoughts about 44 Inch Chest's story
and script.
Trailer (SD, 1:51)
44 Inch Chest is not at all what I expected, and while it's occasionally intense as an experiment in psychological storytelling—and snake-tongued language—the results of the experiment are unfulfilling and inconclusive. Those interested in seeing the five lead actors play off of one another may want to give this one a rental, but viewers looking for the latest, greatest British gangland caper should turn their attentions elsewhere.
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Director's Cut
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Collector's Edition
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Director's Cut
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25th Anniversary Edition
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Extended Director's Cut
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