Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Mindfield Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 15, 2022

Project MKUltra provides the inspiration for 1989’s “Mindfield,” which explores secret government efforts to control test subjects with “induced amnesia,” with plans to utilize such chemical experimentation to best strengthen interrogations and inspire violence. The screenplay by Tom Berry, George Mihalka, and William Deverell (who adapts his own novel) is careful not to get too close to the source of such corruption, creating a dramatic path for the picture, which follows a Montreal cop struggling with his past as he hunts for killers across the city. It’s chilly work from director Jean- Claude Lord, who’s not committed to making a procedural thriller or explore the scientific manipulation in full, ending up somewhere in the middle, trying to make sense of character connections and motivations. “Mindfield” is well-acted and select scenes of hostility work as intended, but the overall endeavor is a bit scattered, with many ideas and characters competing for screen time, coming up short as a conspiracy thriller.

Kellen (Michael Ironside) is a cop in Montreal going through a difficult time. He’s newly divorced and dealing with a police force about to go on strike, butting heads with lawyer Sarah (Lisa Langlois). During a visit to a local drug store, Kellen manages to interrupt a violent robbery where a shady lawyer is killed, putting him in the middle of something major involving a special key and connections to the mafia. Sarah also has her hands full, trying to prosecute Dr. Satorius (Christopher Plummer), who runs the Coldhaven Institute, where frightening experiments with LSD were conducted, counting Kellen as a patient. The cop fights through his hazy memory of the situation and the death of his father, also engaging with Sarah, trying to make sense of everything as he works to solve the secret of the key and the evidence it leads to.

Kellen is a bruised man, trying to maintain composure while his world crumbles around him. He’s lost his wife to divorce, father to suicide, and he’s looking at the breakdown of law and order with a possible strike. That’s enough character woes for one film, but “Mindfield” also deals with his history as a patient at Coldhaven and the saga of Satorius, which involves outside aggressors who aren’t clearly identified until far too late in the story to make any difference. There’s also a question of motivation, as Sarah immediately jumps into bed with Kellen, despite their clear dislike of each other, with the writing trying to add some sex to an otherwise chilly story of paranoia and suspicion. It’s absurd, but “Mindfield” gets past it quickly, finding some focus with the discovery of a key that unlocks a container holding evidence of horrible events. A touch of detective work is presented, including multiple visits to a sex shop (which is about as lively as Montreal looks in the movie), and Kellen goes into intimidation mode at times, using Ironside’s natural steeliness to help the endeavor get going when it’s time for cop mode.

Mindfield Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of the 35mm interpositive. "Mindfield" dares to show off Montreal hues, favoring the browns and beiges of the community, along with its colder sense of concrete and street life. Yellows are amplified. More varied hues emerge with period costuming and the brighter reds of a sex shop, and lighting choices also communicate Christmas colors. Skin tones are natural. It's a softer looking feature, but facial surfaces retain some detail, along with heavier costuming. Tours of city streets and a stadium retain depth, and decorative additions aren't completely lost. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy but film-like. Source is in good condition.

Mindfield Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides clear dialogue exchanges. Performance choices and emotional moments register as intended. Scoring supports with clear emphasis and instrumentation. Sound effects are appreciable, handling gunshots and explosions.

Mindfield Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (14 pages) features an essay by Marc Lamothe.

• Commentary features film historians Paul Corupe and Jason Pichonsky.

• "Mind Games" (10:11, HD) is a video conference interview with actress Lisa Langlois, who discusses her career position at the time of "Mindfield," where she was "too young to play moms, but too old to play ingenue." Character prep and analysis are explored, with Langlois working to better understand emotional space, and she was put in a difficult position by director Jean-Claude Lord, who needed her to best gauge Michael Ironside's performance. Adding to the Ironside experience, the interviewee shares a lack a chemistry with her co-star, who was icy to her, possibly working to sabotage her contribution to the feature. Langlois learned in later years that Ironside actually was looking to get rid of her and Lord, hoping to work with his girlfriend instead. Career paths are noted, and the Montreal shoot is highlighted, with the production fighting extreme cold.

• "Lisa's Directors" (17:47, HD) is a video conference interview with actress Lisa Langlois, who details her previous collaborations with celebrated/complicated helmers. The list includes Claude Chabrol, Peter Carter, John Huston, Nicolas Gessner, J. Lee Thompson, Daryl Duke, Mark L. Lester, Robert Clouse, Bruce Malmuth, Martha Coolidge, Hal Ashby, and Terence K. Winkless.

• "Mild Meld" (12:08, HD) is a video conference interview with co-writer George Mihalka, who shares his career path at the time, interested in doing something different with "Mindfield," drawn to the true story of C.I.A. mind experiments. Mihalka was soon joined by co- writer Tom Berry, determined to explore a little-known story which also included history in Montreal, lining up with production interests. The interviewee helped to put pieces of the story together with hopes to eventually direct the project, but the timeline shortened quickly, squeezing him out of the gig. Director Jean-Claude Lord is celebrated, and stars such as Christopher Plummer and Michael Ironside are inspected, with the latter proving to be a handful for anyone who doesn't satisfy his needs.

• "Open Mind" (12:14, HD) is a video conference interview with co-writer Tom Berry, who details his initial contact with the source material and co-writer George Mihalka. Work commenced in Costa Rica, allowing the screenwriters to best deal with author William Deverell. Time with director Jean-Claude Lord is recalled, who worked on a very strict schedule, and locations are celebrated, with the production offered access to Olympic Stadium. Actors are detailed, with Christopher Plummer a huge fan of Montreal bars, making sure Berry paid the tabs as they crossed the city. The release of "Mindfield" is recalled, with the endeavor finding its audience on home video.

• And a Trailer (2:01, HD) is included.

Mindfield Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mindfield" isn't a difficult sit, but it doesn't live up to its potential as a gripping study of confusion and manipulation. There are sporadic scenes of antagonism, with plenty of shootouts, and the ending brings the action to Olympic Stadium, which is a neat setting for dramatic resolution. Ironside does fine in the lead role as well, working to locate the vulnerabilities in this hard man, while Langlois also searches for extra character business to manage. "Mindfield" contains a few inspired moments, perhaps enough to pass, but the writing is easily distracted, never coming together as an epic understanding of government horrors, union power, and brain melt.