5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A horror-thriller centered on a woman living with "face-blindness" after surviving a serial killer's attack. As she lives with her condition, one in which facial features change each time she loses sight of them, the killer closes in.
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Sarah Wayne Callies, Julian McMahon, Michael Shanks, Sandrine HoltThriller | 100% |
Horror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
That man could be right in front of me and I wouldn’t know it.
Faces in the Crowd. What an appropriate title for a movie that one would think would whisk on by just like that, another in a seemingly
endless stream of movies
that come and go, many of which appear and disappear with little more than small footprint left behind, a title on a resume or a case on a dusty
home video shelf, lost somewhere between Face/Off and Facing the Giants. But Faces in the Crowd isn't the most
invisible or inconsequential little movie ever made. In fact, it has a few things going for it that will help it stand apart from other mid-tier pictures,
notably Milla Jovovich's face adorning an eye-catching and rather unique cover/poster art. And for viewers who actually give it a try, Faces in the
Crowd proves to be a well-made, thought-provoking, and technically proficient little Thriller that's not going to set the world on fire, win any
awards, or yes, be all that memorable amongst the moviegoing public, but chances are it'll at least some day recall a hazy picture of a movie shelved
away in the furthest corners of what little bit of the human brain the average person uses (not a dis but scientific fact!), but that will come back into
focus with an "oh yeah! That one! It wasn't bad." declaration. And at the end of the day, and with a relatively little movie like this (come on, it's
not Star Wars, and it's not even Redident Evil), that's about the best case scenario, so job well done all
around.
The Facebook never lies.
Millennium Media might not be the biggest Blu-ray releasing studio on the block, but there are few big boys who could learn a thing or two from them. Faces in the Crowd is an excellent Blu-ray, visually. From the beginning, the superiority of the transfer is evident. The opening title sequence shows close-ups of faces that reveal in great detail pores, facial hair, and bumps. General detail is stable and strong throughout, aided by magnificent clarity, no softness, and a light grain field that accentuates the positives and yields a handsome film-like appearance. Colors are wonderful, too. They're very well balanced, whether in the bright daytime shots in a few colorful playgrounds or in the bland white and gray hospital where Anna recovers following her run-in with the killer. Flesh tones appear accurate, and black levels are fantastic, whether "little black dresses" or shadowy corners where no detail is lost and blacks never go gray. The print is pristine with no visible flaws, and there's no evidence of banding, edge haloing, blocking, or the like. This is a demo-worthy transfer from start to finish.
Faces in the Crowd's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is nearly as impressive as its video transfer. The track has plenty to offer in a wide spectrum of audio delights. Music ranges from low instrumental score tracks to heavy-hitting club beats. Both are handled very well, with the former airy, spacious, and crisp, and the latter nicely enveloping, thumping, and reflective of the atmosphere. Ambience is impressive, too; there seems to always be something going on to create a richer, more lifelike atmosphere, whether light buzzing traffic in the background, chirping birds, the sounds of children at play, a rattly subway car, and the like. Directional effects are used to good effect on occasion, notably in two scenes featuring rollerbladers zipping right through the soundstage. Bass can be a little ungainly in a few instances, but the low end is used to good, positive effect throughout. Dialogue is balanced, center-focused, and never lost or muffled, even in the club scenes. This is an effective and nicely engineered track.
Faces in the Crowd contains a trio of short featurettes.
Faces in the Crowd yields a good, positive movie watching experience. A solid performance by Milla Jovovich, steady direction, and a good sense of necessary confusion and chaos bring the audience into the main character's world with ease, and more importantly, effectiveness. Faces in the Crowd isn't the next great movie, and it's not going to get a lot of play, but it's definitely a little movie that's worth checking out. Millenium's Blu-ray release of Faces in the Crowd offers up exceptionally strong video, a great lossless soundtrack, and a couple of extras, all coming in at a relatively affordable price. Recommended.
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