6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
Four lost souls, divided by two parallel worlds--one contemporary London the other a future metropolis ruled by religious fervor--on course for an explosive collision when a single bullet will decide all their fates.
Starring: Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley, Bernard Hill, James FaulknerThriller | 100% |
Supernatural | 62% |
Mystery | 49% |
Sci-Fi | 9% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Maybe it’s an authoritarian, Big Brother-style government, or a dehumanized populace turned into mindless, emotionless automatons. Maybe, as in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, it’s credit-obsessed consumerism, Rube Goldberg technology, and red tape bureaucracy gone mental. Or perhaps, to use an example from Michael Bay’s The Island, one of the genre’s lesser entries, it’s the promise of heaven, when you’re really just being sent up to get your organs harvested. Dystopian films nearly always have some central conceit, some element of humanity that has been either stripped away or grotesquely inflated. In Franklyn, a U.K. production directed by first-time filmmaker Gerald McMorrow, the dystopian society is called Meanwhile City, and religion is strictly enforced. No one religion, mind you, as any cobbled together belief-system will do, from the Seventh Day Manicurists—who gossip their Gospel with nail files at the ready—to the street corner cult dedicated to finding esoteric wisdom in the washing instruction tags on clothing.
Who watches the Watchmen? It might be this guy.
Franklyn has been given an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that handles each of the film's stylistic changes with aplomb. You'll notice that each character's storyline is shot in a slightly different fashion: Emelia's world is darker, with strong contrast. Milo's story is told almost realistically, but with slightly dismal and desaturated tones. Esser is glassed with wide lenses and frequently shown in silhouette. And, of course, Jonathan Preest's Meanwhile City is a location unto itself, with colorful costumes set amid a bleak metropolis lit with strong directional lighting. In all four cases, the transfer aptly honors the director's intentions. While Franklyn isn't the sharpest or most dimensional film I've seen lately, overall clarity is great. You'll notice fine facial detail and clothing textures, and background objects are rendered nicely when intentionally in focus. Black levels are adequately inky—aside from a few grayish shots—and contrast varies between the storylines but generally sides toward an ultra-real, slightly heated look. The transfer is just about pristine, and the thin stratum of cinematic grain never becomes a distraction. Overall, while the film doesn't quite reach the big-budget look to which it aspires, it certainly comes close.
While not as immediately impressive as the film's visual look, Franklyn's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track adequately fleshes out the presentation, even if there are few moments of out and out sonic ear candy. Less than an hour after viewing the film, I don't remember a thing about the score, but my notes tell me that the music was "subtle" and "subdued" but "appropriate." The track's range isn't quite as broad as what you'd hear in a bigger-budgeted production—LFE response is minimal and bass, in general, sounds somewhat flat—but all of the audio elements of the film are clear and detailed. I never had any issues making out dialogue, and I didn't reach once for the remote to adjust the volume of my receiver. Foley sounds are implemented well, especially punches, which land with a satisfying crunch. The rear speakers are used modestly throughout— mostly for ambience, like heavy rain, slight wind, and city sounds—and there are a small handful of convincing but unremarkable panning effects. All in all, the soundfield isn't exactly engaging or immersive, but this track suits the film's needs without drawing too much attention toward itself.
Featurette (SD, 4:01)
This is an average EPK promo piece with clips of the film and brief interviews with the director and
stars. What else do you expect from something simply entitled "featurette?"
Interviews (SD, 32:22)
These cast and crew interviews are much more informative, delving into the motivations behind
the project, the actors' perspective on their characters, and the film's visual aesthetic. Features
interviews with Director Gerald McMorrow, Producer Jeremy Thomas, Costume Designer Leonie
Hartard, Production Designer Laurence Dorman, and Actors Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green, Sam Riley,
and Bernard Hill.
Deleted Scenes (SD, 3:53)
Includes three deleted scenes: Emilia and the Medic, The Bearded Suits, and Milo and the
Library.
Trailer (SD, 1:53)
Franklyn may not be action-packed or thematically cohesive, but nonetheless it marks an impressive debut for director Gerald McMorrow, and I look forward to seeing whatever project he tackles next. Whatever Franklyn is, you certainly can't call it formulaic, and for that I'm appreciative. Fans of moody thrillers and dystopian parables will certainly find the film worth watching, but this one falls squarely in the "rent first, buy if you like it" camp.
2008-2014
Limited Edition
2015
2009
Alternate Cut
2011
Special Edition
1990
25th Anniversary Edition
1992
2005
2001
Extended Director's Cut
2018
2018
1987
2007
2001
1971
2009
1970
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1943
2014
1970
Theatrical + Unrated Alternate Cut
2007