6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
London is rocked by a shocking terrorist bombing in this dramatic thriller starring Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy, Brokeback Mountain) and Ewan McGregor, (Trainspotting, the Star Wars trilogy). Williams delivers a riveting and heart-felt performance as a young wife and mother who suffers a devastating loss in the attack...which occurs while she's meeting her secret lover (McGregor). Wracked with guilt and trying to piece her shattered life back together, she becomes embroiled in the police investigation of the attack - and discovers that the authorities will do anything to cover up the terrifying truth behind it.
Starring: Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor, Matthew Macfadyen, Sidney Johnston, Nicholas GleavesDrama | 100% |
Romance | 64% |
Thriller | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Most terrorism movies focus on politics or cat and mouse games between the good guys and bad guys, but Incendiary ignores that to showcase a more personal story. Instead of terrorists and intelligence agents, the film shows the sexuality and grief of a woman who takes her husband for granted until he and her four-year-old son are dead. While this seems like a decent idea for a film--too often, the effects of terrorist attacks on the living are ignored--critics blasted Incendiary for its writing, characters and plot. The only reason to watch the movie is Michelle Williams. Not only does she turn in a decent performance despite the embarrassingly poor script, but she's absolute magic on the screen. No matter how badly audiences want to run for the exit door, it is difficult to tear your eyes away. With the solid transfer to Blu-ray, it will be equally difficult to eject your disc. Williams' charisma is a 10, and the 1080p presentation of her glamorous looks make some frames of the movie seem like they could have been published in a magazine. Williams and Ewan McGregor early in the film can be seen shagging on a sofa in a way that doesn't leave much to the imagination. If that isn't enough to get you to buy the film, nothing will--because beyond seeing Williams' beauty, there is little reason to invest two hours in Incendiary.
The only reason to watch Incendiary is Michelle Williams.
Like several other indy studios, Image has produced some fine 1080p transfers on Blu-ray and Incendiary is no exception. With its heightened contrast ratio and stylized camera work that complements the dramatic and emotional narrative, the film consistently maintains its unique look. Colors are brilliant and definition is resolved well, with deep blacks and an overall richness that makes viewing a delight. (If only the movie was any good.) Watch the scene where blimps signifying each victim hover in the sky. The skyscape of London appears with good resolution. Each window, column and architectural element of the buildings is rendered with a definition common to strictly above-average Blu-rays. Even the cranes in the distant background appear detailed. With an overcast sky, the contrast range is perfect. Scenes featuring close-ups and characters are often more stylized with focal elements allowing much of the picture to go soft. Combined with the blacks and shadow detail, the camera use provides good depth and at times an emotional impact missing from the narrative.
The audio performance, with its 24-bit, 48-kHz DTS-HD Master Audio track, is also impressive. Light on surround elements, the mix need not apply for home theater demo material, but it performs well nevertheless. Voices are clear and crisp with a deep soundstage eminating from the center. Treble is detailed and the midrange and bass are rendered well. The rear channels are employed sparingly and LFE content is kept to a minimum. Deep bass is virtually nonexistent but midbass has a linear response with the other frequencies. And even though the 48 kHz mastering is not much better than CD quality, the voices are delivered with crispness and realism, and not much "digititis". Overall, an admirable job by an indy studio.
The bonus material included with Incendiary is minimal, like many indy studios' releases. It only consists of photo galleries of the actors as well as a theatrical trailer in high definition. Having spent two hours watching a movie that was really not worth the time, I was a bit relieved that there was no need to wade through audio commentary or other bonus content.
In the 24-hour news cycle there are frequent headlines and reports of terrorist attacks and their perpetrators. Except in rare cases, the victims are only discussed in round numbers of casualties. This reporting has numbed most of us to the incalculable human loss that comes with terrorism and the death of innocents. Incendiary had a unique opportunity to cut through the news numbers and numbness and deliver emotional impact addressing terrorism's effect on the psyche. Unfortunately, it failed by focusing on the promiscuous nature of the "young mother" played by Michelle Williams, and by lacking in realism or emotional accessibility. Sharon Maguire wrote the screenplay based on Chris Cleeve's book and directed Incendiary. She should have known her protagonist was doomed from the start, no matter how admirable Williams' effort may have been. Apparently there was no way to make the "young mother" more sympathetic. Maguire's other characters were not much better. How realistic is it to portray a young journalist as a wealthy stud who drives a Maserati? Or to show a bomb-squad cop behave in the manner of Terrance? The good news is that Image continues to deliver technically high-quality Blu-rays, with good attention to picture and sound. With a hottie like Williams showcased, Incendiary should be easy to recommend, but the movie was a letdown in almost every way. Unfortunately, I can't even advocate putting it in your rental queue.
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