6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.7 |
In this indie drama, Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, and Ashley Springer stars as three teens finishing up their last semester at a prep school. Alexa has spent her school years studying and she can't wait to let loose, Ben is lost in teenage angst, and Johnny lives a picture perfect life that may have some cracks upon closer inspection.
Starring: Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan CummingRomance | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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 (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The tendency in Hollywood is to sanitize adolescence. Let’s face it, the awkward pangs of puberty don’t exactly put people in theater seats. If the average coming-of-age film were a commercial for acne medication, we’d only see the “after” photos, the clean skin and pearly smiles. But of course we all remember the often-ugly truth—the confusing quest for identity, the social anxiety, the nascent sexuality. And that’s what Dare is all about; it explores the seamier conflicts of body and mind that inevitably arise in high school, though it often takes these themes to a credulity-stretching extreme. Originally a 16-minute student film—which is also included with this release—Dare has been expanded to feature length by writer David Brind and director Adam Salky, who are both adept at avoiding most of the usual teen-movie pitfalls. Stereotypes are studiously inverted, real problems are addressed, and the R-rated film takes dramatic turns that would be impossible to imagine in squeaky clean teen fare like the recent Fame remake. While the filmmakers’ intentions are admirable—even brave, some might say—the execution doesn’t quite match the ambitions of the story.
Three's company...
Dare makes a relatively weak appearance on Blu-ray, though the film's 1080p/AVC- encoded transfer seems to be true to its source material. Judging by the chunkiness of the grain, the noticeable softness, and the film's low budget, I'm assuming Dare was shot on 16mm, most likely using less-than-expensive lenses. If you open up the full-sized screenshots, you'll notice that fine detail is almost entirely absent. Textures are softened, edges are blunt, and faces seem smooth and soapy, with no evidence of pores, creases, or wrinkles to be seen. DNR isn't the culprit, though—the thick grain field makes its presence known throughout—it's just that the image simply isn't sharp. Thankfully, color saturation proves better, with the red stage curtains, the intense blues of Johnny's pool room, and the pinks that almost constantly surround Alexa all looking quite nice. Black levels are problematic, though, with detail frequently crushed in the shadows, and contrast seems flat most of the time. On a technical level, there are a few small issues—minor color pixilation and a split-second glitch at the 44:58 mark—but nothing that's any more distracting than the rampant softness. I really can't imagine this Blu-ray release being much better than the film's DVD.
On the sonic side of things, Dare's spartan DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track leaves little to discuss. This is a talky teen drama, and as such, the front channels dominate, leaving naught for the surround speakers to do but pump out the occasional piece of music. There's really nothing here that you could call "sound design," as even environmental ambience is kept to a minimum. (A series of wasted opportunities, it seems, as the track could've given us water lapping during the pool scene, school cafeteria chatter, party chaos, etc.) It's a wonder that this is a 5.1 mix at all, actually. That said, the dialogue is crisp and clear, with no muffled moments or dropouts, and the music is fairly hefty, with plenty of low-end kick and high-end punch. You'd never call this track engaging or immersive, but it does what it sets out to do.
Commentary by Director Adam Salky and Writer David Brind
It's clear that Salky and Brind are friends—they finished the short film version of Dare
while studying together at Columbia—and so this track is filled with the kind of insight and
camaraderie that you only hear when two people have spent long hours working together on a
project. Expect a commentary heavy on thematic content and less on "making of"
aspects.
"Dare" Short (SD, 16:25)
Comprised of the pivotal scene between Ben and Johnny in the poolroom, this short film was the
basis for Dare. It's worth watching if only to see the source material, but it's much less
resonant without the lead-up and inevitable consequences that the feature film
provides.
Deleted Scenes (SD)
Includes two deleted scenes, "Alexa Relaxes" (1:42) and "A Tense Threesome" (00:59), with
optional commentary by director Adam Salky and writer David Brind.
Emmy Rossum's Audition (SD, 9:52)
It's kind of awkward to watch 10 minutes of Emmy Rossum staring directly into a casting
director's camcorder at close range. That's not to say that she's not impressive—she does work
up some genuine tears—but this isn't exactly something you're going to watch more than
once.
Trailer (SD, 2:22)
I've got conflicted feelings about Dare. It is unusual to see a film about teenagers that deals so matter-of-factly with issues of sexuality and identity, but at the same time, the production as a whole is a little rough around the edges. The script could use some polishing, the performances could be honed, and the characters would require a lengthier runtime to be developed to their full potential. The film isn't quite a sparkling high-definition experience either—the image is muddy and the soundscape is deserted—so I doubt anyone will be swayed by its technical merits. I'd say this is rental material only.
Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho
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