Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Blunt Force Trauma Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 22, 2015

Blunt Force Trauma comes achingly close to brilliance but falls a few measures of character depth short. The film follows a man who participates in an underground gunslinging tournament that's more than Fight Club but less than classic high-noon showdowns because the participants protect themselves with bullet proof vests. That's some trust in the other player, no? That's also some trust in one's own skill, but more on that later. Director Ken Sanzel's (writer, The Replacement Killers) film pushes so close to impressive dramatic depth and characterization that the audience can practically taste it, but, sadly, it never reaches the same dramatic highs it achieves during the actual showdowns in the rest of the movie, particularly in a sluggish middle stretch that focuses so deeply on relatively flat characters that the film become burdened by its inactivity. There's some brilliant filmmaking here but not enough intimate depth to keep the audience going beyond the standout moments that define it, but don't quite carry it.

Showtime.

A secret underground location. One arena. Two circles. Two men. Two guns. Two bullet-proof vests. They square off in the style of the old west, drawing and firing at the drop of an object in the middle of the ring. The first to fall from his or her circle, and stay out, loses. Any shot that misses the vest results in a disqualification. The best of the best is a man named John (Ryan Kwanten), a confident, unassuming sort who has never taken a hit. He catches the interest of a female participant named Colt (Freida Pinto). The two hit the road together, he hoping to face off against the legendary Zorringer (Mickey Rourke) and she out for personal revenge.

Blunt Force Trauma is at its best when its full attention is on the match, when things slow down, the music fades away, and the camera captures the very essence of the participants and the greater tension of the moment, that combination of excitement, fear, intrigue, and uncertainty, all combined with a relative novelty that makes for some terrific moments of high drama. The movie doesn't overextend such scenes, making them key highlights rather than casual occurrences that would lessen the impact. That keeps the tension high and the momentum going, but more than anything it's the natural filmmaking grace with which they're handled that makes them special. The movie's open is brilliant, leaving behind music and dialogue -- actions do speak louder than words in this case -- in favor of that overreaching sense of panicked intensity that seems to build more in the audience and less on the characters, particularly the calm, stone-cold John. Sanzel's ability to instantly create tension seems to come easy, and he doesn't lose the touch for the rest of the movie, whether in a match that puts John against his most brutally difficult opponent or, at the end, in his climactic showdown. Sanzel simply allows the weight of the moment to carry it, photographing it and capturing its essence rather than artificially "heightening" it with needless cinematic fireworks. The open, and every similar scene, grabs the audience and doesn't let go, but is that enough to carry the entire movie?

Even through the spectacle of the moment and the graceful tension the movie engenders, one cannot help but mentally drift, just a bit, and wonder what it is that drives someone to participate in something like this. How desperate must one be for that money, how hooked on the adrenaline, how delusional the belief of being bulletproof, or how steely self-assured one must be to strap on that gun and step into that ring. For most of the participants, it's the high and the desperation, and that crazed look is plastered all over their faces. For John, it's that full composure and control of a power he wields that's as much mental confidence as it is physical skill. One of the movie's most interesting scenes comes when John and Colt play the game, alone, in what is, essentially, an erotic sex scene played with guns and bullets rather than the typical intimacy. That happens, too, but their relationships seems only solidified by the absolute trust they place in one another to achieve the unachievable high by placing their lives in the others hands. But the character depth stops there. The movie trusts John and Colt to carry it through a middle stretch in which he recovers from a particularly painful match and physically prepares himself for what's to come. Unfortunately, there's not enough depth to shape it to satisfaction, to keep that same level of pure, unadulterated high the movie finds with the matches. It's too sluggish and the characters too shallow -- despite the insane amount of depth that seems only a fingertip away -- to keep the audience interested for a stretch that remains for a painfully long time.

Blunt Force Trauma Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Blunt Force Trauma features a solid 1080p transfer that satisfies in every area of concern. Image clarity impresses and details are a high point. Basics like complex skin features and clothing lines are tight and well defined, but the image is just as impressive looking at old rusted metal, rough concrete textures, and leafy greens, all of which yield a fine level of practically tactile, intimate detailing. Colors are pleasing across the board; the movie tends to fluctuate between bleak and bright, with many of the shooting matches rather dark and that long middle stretch significantly brighter. Whether urban grays or bright greens, color depth and definition impress. Black levels are deep and reveal positive shadow detailing. Flesh tones appear accurate. Minor noise interferes at times, as does a hint of aliasing, but the transfer is otherwise stable and free of excess eyesores. This is a fine release from Alchemy.

Blunt Force Trauma Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Blunt Force Trauma's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack proves rather routine, but routinely effective. General definition is fine across the board, whether music or effects. Surround details are sporadically inserted. The film's open features some light crowd ambience and a hollow, loud thud as the bolt that will signal the match's start rolls around on a dented metal table. Gunshots fall somewhere in the middle of the scale. They're not puny but they're not ear-shattering, either, a shame considering that they're the most important element in the movie. Light city and countryside ambiance helps to gently pull the listener into a few scenes. Dialogue delivery is firm, center-focused, and clear.

Blunt Force Trauma Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included are trailers for Blunt Force Trauma (1080p, 0:30), Survivor (1080p, 2:11), and SWAT: Unit 887 (1080p, 2:08).

Blunt Force Trauma Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Blunt Force Trauma oozes greatness and it oozes disappointment. The movie's "events" are brilliantly presented and thrive on cinematic subtlety and the effortless capture of human complexities, but the characters, as they exist away from that arena, are too dull to carry an overlong middle stretch. That doesn't destroy the movie, but it does lessen it considerably. Nevertheless, Blunt Force Trauma is well worth a watch, even considering the agonizing low that interferes with an otherwise amazing high. Alchemy's Blu-ray release contains solid video and dependable audio. Extras are limited to a trio of trailers. Recommended.