Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Grace Blu-ray Movie Review

Amazing 'Grace' breathes new life into the Horror genre.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 26, 2009

I don't need to understand a miracle.

"This movie's messed up." "I think I'm going to be sick." "I can't believe what I'm seeing." Forget the usual critical blurbs; it's real-life audience reactions that really drives the direction a film ultimately takes as it steers into history, and for a Horror movie, quotes like those above are music to the filmmaker's ears. What higher praise could there be for a Horror movie than total audience repulsion? Grace is one of the most unnerving Horror pictures ever made, a completely repugnant experience that takes on an innocent air and slowly builds towards a horrific climax, completing a moviegoing experience that's sure to simmer in the gut long after the lights come up. Taking the absolute opposite approach than that of the mainstream genre pictures that infest theaters every month, Grace throws convention out the window and comes up with an original twist that serves as the film's primary draw and source of strength. Never all that gory and never hedging its bets on loud musical cues as some deranged figure scampers eerily across the screen or jumps out of a shadow, Grace instead thrives on its implied terror, its abhorrent nature, and the total depravity that slowly but surely infests every frame and, by extension, every member of its audience that won't soon forget the experience.

Welcome to the world.

Madeline (Jordan Ladd) and her husband Michael (Stephen Park) are trying for the third time to have a baby. The previous two pregnancies have resulted in miscarriages, and Madeline isn't taking anymore chances, placing her delivery in the hands of a midwife named Patricia (Samantha Ferris). After an emergency trip to the hospital that almost costs the baby's life, Madeline and Michael are on their way back home when Michael loses control of the vehicle. The accident kills him instantly and while Madeline survives, it seems her baby has been lost. Nevertheless, and with Patricia's help, Madeline carries the baby to term and delivers the corpse. To everyone's surprise, however, the baby comes to life after being stillborn. At first, Madeline accepts the miracle and joyously nurses the baby. However, it soon becomes apparent that little Grace craves not mother's milk but instead has an insatiable thirst for blood. With flies buzzing about the nursery and the baby in desperate need of something that her mother can't possibly feed her, Madeline begins a slow descent into madness as she must figure out how to properly care for her little miracle -- no matter the cost.

Grace isn't a film for the faint-of-heart. Such a warning is generally reserved for the most grotesque and gruesome pictures, for example Hellraiser, but Grace is in a class by itself, a completely unnerving experience that's difficult to watch but impossible to resist. Most viewers will find themselves squirming in their seats throughout; an uncomfortable air hangs over the entire experience, from the chilling first frame to the disturbing and grotesque final shot. The uncomfortableness of the experience stems not from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style gore but rather through the slowly developing story that gets slightly more eerie with every passing minute, culminating in a final act that doesn't bring the story full-circle but instead plays out almost as a release for all of the thick tension, the nerve-racking atmosphere, and the downward spiral of events that define the movie's very existence. Even the dénouement raises more questions than it answers, but it does hint at what the future holds for several characters central to the story line, and it isn't pretty.

Truth be told, nothing about Grace is pretty. The film takes on a tone that seems perhaps the opposite of what one might expect of a film such as this. Whereas most Horror pictures would take the material and place it in a dark, drab, moldy, foul, or otherwise inhospitable atmosphere, Grace instead seems to go out of its way to showcase a more cheerful, brighter atmosphere during the first two-thirds of the film that is but a holding cell of sorts for the horror that lives within its walls and awaits in the final act. The birth of a baby is a joyous occasion; rearing it perhaps even more so, and despite the depravity of the situation, the juxtaposition between light and dark and happy and sad makes for a fascinating dichotomy that defines the incredibly uncomfortable tone the film employs. Grace also finds success in its ability to develop its characters without artificially assigning to them absolute titles. Who are the heroes? Who are the villains? Are there heroes and villains? Does one's depraved actions make them evil, at least in this case? The answers aren't necessarily important; instead, the mere fact that the movie is able to create a world with no absolutes and with no certainties save for the guaranteed elevation of the level of discomfort with every passing frame is what makes Grace a Horror movie success.

Grace Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Grace emerges on Blu-ray with a fair 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. This transfer's most noticeable trait is the incredible amount of noise seen throughout. Solid-colored and dark backgrounds in particular are wholly abuzz; a red wall inside the independent clinic as seen early in the movie is a perfect example. There's also the appearance of a somewhat unnatural artificial brightness that runs throughout much of the film, resulting in plenty of fine detail appearing washed out. On the whole, the image looks mostly flat and lifeless. Fine detail is moderately high, but doesn't necessarily impress when considered alongside some of the better Blu-ray discs. One of the film's opening scenes, taking place around a dinner table, appears completely flat and devoid of life; this is a trend that remains throughout the film. Also visible, but not too terribly distracting, is minor blocking and banding in a few shots. Grace's transfer isn't a flat-out terrible one, but it's far from pretty, though it seems to reflect the filmmaker-intended appearance well enough.

Grace Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Blu-ray breathes life into Grace with a solid PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. Though the film begins with a soundtrack that comes across as fairly basic, it jumps to life later in the film. The independent clinic featured in the opening minutes contains some light mood music heard off in the background, the faint but realistic presentation doing well to place the listener into the room. The first truly attention-grabbing moment comes during Grace's birth in chapter five; a drum beat dominates the track and increases dramatically in intensity as the baby is born, building to a crescendo with a nearly deafening thunder of bass. A buzzing fly in chapter seven, and at several other points throughout the movie, seems to literally fly around the soundstage, moving effortlessly from one corner to the other and side to side with superb results. The track is never a fully-engaging one; this isn't an Action or even big-budget Horror extravaganza. It's generally reserved but picks up when it needs to, offers up a fair atmosphere, employs the back channels to fine use when required. Along with sound dialogue reproduction, Grace's uncompressed soundtrack impresses.

Grace Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Grace provides viewers with several special features worth feeding on, this package headlined by two commentary tracks. Writer/Director Paul Solet and Actor Jordan Ladd appear on the first, a Blu-ray exclusive track. A rather lighthearted affair, the participants share a good chemistry together and play off each other's comments with a natural flow, beginning by speaking of their dogs and continuing on with a track that's at once both easygoing and informative. Discussions include the usual array of comments, including the weather during the shoot, products created for the film, the pace of the shoot, and other assorted tidbits. Track two once again features Solet, this time accompanied by Producer Adam Green and Director of Photography Zoran Popovic, who doesn't appear until later in the track. This commentary proves to be a bit more substantive than the previous, focusing a good bit on the technical aspects of the production but also featuring discussions on some of the inside details of how Hollywood works, among other interesting nuggets of information.

'Grace' at Sundance (480p, 13:11) begins by providing a brief history of the festival and moves on to look at the film's premiere and reception and follows Director Paul Solet as he recalls the event. The piece also showcases a question and answer session with audience, several interview sessions with the director, his personal advertising campaign to promote the film, and his reactions to critical reviews. This is a fantastic little piece that's a must-watch. 'Grace:' Conception (480p, 6:46) features Director Solet recalling the slow process of writing the script and why the film works so well. 'Grace:' Delivered (480p, 37:03) is another great piece that takes viewers through some of the rigors of the shoot and presents plenty of candid behind-the-scenes footage. 'Grace:' Family (480p, 11:58) looks at what sets Grace apart from other Horror pictures. Next up is Her Mother's Eyes: The Look of 'Grace' (480p, 7:03), a piece that examines the visual tone of the film, paying particular attention to set design and photographic style. Lullaby: Scoring 'Grace' (480p, 8:55) features Composer Austin Wintory speaking on his work for the film. Rounding out this impressive collection of extras is the film's theatrical trailer (480p, 2:26).

Grace Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Though not quite as raw as something like Plague Town but worlds better than much of the mass-market, widely consumed, major studio-backed Horror pictures of the past few decades, Grace succeeds not because of shock value or gore, but because of its ability to create one of the most disturbing atmospheres ever committed to film, and its uncanny ability to work to near perfection as a thinking man's movie that will churn the stomach, distress the soul, and occupy the mind long after the credits roll. That's the very essence of "Horror," and by that definition, Grace is a true Horror film. Starz's Blu-ray presentation of Grace makes the grade. Although the transfer isn't the prettiest on the market, the disc does sport a quality PCM uncompressed soundtrack and offers viewers a fantastic array of high quality bonus features. Grace is absolutely not recommended for pregnant women or mothers of young children, but does come highly recommended for Horror aficionados yearning for something new.