5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In Manhattan, Frannie Avery, an English teacher studying colloquial urban language, witnesses by chance a sexual situation involving a suspected murderer. When a charismatic detective comes to her apartment to interview her regarding a recent neighborhood murder, she finds herself drawn toward him. Although they are not sure if they can trust one another, she and the detective become lovers. Meanwhile, the mysterious murderer remains on the loose.
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Gardner, Nick DamiciErotic | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 53% |
Mystery | 25% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.86:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, French
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In the Cut pushes boundaries so far that audiences might understandably lose track of the plot details in favor of the abundance of sexual heat and steamy eroticism that darkly -- not at all deliciously -- seep through every celluloid pore. That'll both lose some viewers and gain others, pushing away those who don't want borderline hardcore pornography in their cinema and attracting those who aren't so much titillated by the visuals but rather spellbound by the rawness of the encounters and the daring of the film to display them in such detail. To be sure, the sex in the film lacks intimacy. It's all about the moment, the pleasure, the outward feeling, the inner need, the animalism that's revealed when two attracting people allow their instincts to lead them. Through the prism of sex, In the Cut crafts a movie about dark impulses, fear, and murder, comparing and contrasting love and lust, want and need, and controlled and uncontrollable instincts and desires that, when acted upon, can yield both incredible pleasure and unbearable pain. This isn't a movie for some -- maybe even many -- but those willing to journey down a terribly dark and uneasy road paved with blood and raw carnal pleasures will find much to love in In the Cut.
In the Cut's high definition transfer isn't the easiest to assess. The film is largely defined by a unique appearance that plays with excess warmth, soft-to-smeary edges, low light, shaky handheld, and other off-the-beaten-path stylistic choices. It's not the most immediately attractive picture, but the dark, diverse appearance suits the film's dramatic tone quite well. That said, there's a variance in overreaching quality; brighter exteriors offer some well-defined details -- skin, clothes, and raw city textures -- but the more drab, light-deprived interiors take on a softer, more intimate, and very warm veneer. Colors follow suit. Bright reds, oranges, and greens are handled rather nicely (despite a little bleeding) while there's a heavy golden/red push in lower light scenes. Flesh tones usually carry that warmer appearance throughout the film. Blacks often succumb to crush; darker objects and shadowy corners often melt together with no distinction. The picture struggles with some low-light color shifts. It's also rather smooth, drab, and flat overall. It's not the most impressive transfer, but given the eccentricities it seems to suit the movie rather well.
In the Cut's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack flows effortlessly and sounds quite good. Musical delivery is handled well, with solid clarity and good positioning around the stage, dominated up front but also gently flowing out of the back. The track often springs to life with well defined ambient effects. There's a broad range of supportive sounds, from city din to woodland serene. Passing vehicles, honking horns, rustling leaves, buzzing insects, and all sorts of diverse environmental elements are almost perfectly integrated into a number of scenes. Heavier effects, such as booming thunder and deliberately muddled and diffused strip club dance music, nicely help to define several scenes. Dialogue plays evenly and with natural clarity from the center channel. This is a good all-around soundtrack from Mill Creek.
This Blu-ray release of In the Cut contains no supplemental content.
Take a moment and reflect on all the adjectives in this review. Raw. Disturbing. Unforgiving. Difficult. And so on. Those all perfectly define In the Cut. It's an unsettling experience, not at all titillating but rather terribly disturbing and endlessly gritty. It's detailed and unafraid to depict various acts of violence and sex in some detail. More timid audiences definitely need to stay away, but bolder viewers will want to explore Campion's dark, nefarious, and very intimate world. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of In the Cut features decent video and strong audio. No extras are included. Recommended to the appropriate audience.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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