5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
A couple buy a desert motel where they find that strange, mysterious events occur.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Robin Tunney, Marc Blucas, Ernie Lively, Jacque GrayThriller | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Looking Glass positions itself as a Psychological Thriller in which a man must decide how to respond when he learns the sleazy roadside motel he operates hides a pathway that allows an individual to peer into each room by way of a two-way mirror. The idea certainly flashes potential, and anything with Nicholas Cage draws some attention, but the film, directed by Tim Hunter, never capitalizes on the idea in any satisfying way. It dabbles in what is an interesting social experiment but turns into a murder mystery with a bland cast of characters and, worse, no real sense of tension, no pull, no ability to do something of interest with an interesting premise. It's scattershot at best, structurally and narratively alike, putting out feelers that turn into empty vessels and telling a story that never moves beyond its interesting peripherals to find value in the center.
Viewers can peer into Looking Glass by way of Momentum's uninspiring 1080p transfer. Its most distinguishing characteristic out of the gate is its excess noise, visible even in a bright desert daytime stretch as the couple drives to the beginning of a new life. From there, a fair bit of noise remains, regardless of lighting conditions, whether bright daytime scenes or dense and dark nighttime exteriors or low-light interiors. The image is unremarkable on the whole. The digitally sourced picture lacks any kind of serious vitality, favoring flat details and bland, often vomit-like colors, save for a few intense bursts from neon signs or slot machines in chapter eight. Details are not at all exciting. Faces, clothes, walls and object detail within the apartment complex lack more than rudimentary high definition detail. There is some significant banding at the 1:03:00 mark and again at 1:11:15. Fortunately to that level of severity it's limited largely to those two shots.
Looking Glass' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is unremarkable. Rudimentarily effective, but unremarkable. Music struggles to play with good clarity. It's muddled, absent more than essential detail, and lacks serious, intensive width or depth. Some minor effects, like dripping water in the motel's basement, offer sufficient sonic pronouncement and positioning. The track opens up a little for a casino scene in chapter eight, where music intensifies and the din of the gambling floor springs to life, but the total effect is hardly more than "adequate." A bar fight in chapter 12 fails to find any depth, or even much distinction or spacing, to crashes and punches, and is probably the most disappointing moment in the entire track. Lastly, dialogue has a mildly shallow tenor about it, though essential, basic intelligibility, placement, and prioritization are mostly fine.
Looking Glass contains two parts of the same extra. Behind the Scenes with the Cast and Crew (1080i) begins with Part 1 (6:09), a look at the script, characters and actors, and shooting locations, intercut with several clips from the film. Part 2 (6:12) explores the story and actors in greater detail. No DVD or digital copies are included.
Looking Glass is a film of great narrative promise and character potential. Neither are fully or satisfactorily realized. It's too busy and unfocused, jumping ship to another angle every time it starts to grow interesting. The movie is at its best when Cage can explore his character's growing psychosis but it stumbles along the cruder surrounding plot details that never amount to much. Momentum's Blu-ray is as uneven as the movie, featuring middling video and audio and just a coupe of brief extras. Worth a rental, no more.
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