Minding the Gap Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Minding the Gap Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 24, 2021

Bing Liu's "Minding the Gap" (2018) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include multiple audio commentaries; video interview with professional skateboarder Tony Hawk; outtakes with introduction by the director; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Zack is the first and only one of the three kids to openly admit that his path in life is already predetermined. Then he confesses that it is why he drinks -- to numb the pain that has emerged with the realization that he is permanently screwed up. Whenever the camera catches him still and looks into his eyes, it is awfully easy to see that he is telling the truth. He is hurting, really bad. For the time being the fix seems to be working, but it probably won’t be too long before he gets fed up with the pain and then replaces the booze with a deadly dose of fentanyl. It is hard not to feel sorry for him.

But it is even harder not to be angry with him. Later on, Zack also admits that he is a rebel and hates everything that gave his father’s life a structure -- from his supposedly dated principles to his politics, even the manner in which he viewed and handled himself as an adult. Whoever this man was he wasn’t perfect and Zack hated him with a passion, which gave him the conviction and strength to live his life as a rebel. He liked it, too. In the beginning being a rebel was as simple as being a skateboarder, drinking and doing some cheap recreational drugs too. As a rebel, Zack even met a girl who often told him she loved him. But when he unexpectedly became a father, he had to cut her loose because his responsibilities began interfering with his chosen lifestyle. The whole family thing simply wasn’t for him because he did not want to be contained in the same way his father once insisted was the right way.

The second kid, Keire, spent a lot of time skateboarding with Zack. They shared plenty, did some dangerous stunts and became good friends. When asked, Keire identifies as a rebel too, but casually explains that he was forced to become one. It happened when his father unexpectedly died of a heart attack and he realized that even though he still had his mother, he was on his own. While looking for his father’s grave, Keire then recalls how one time he beat him up because he had stolen something and explains why it was a lesson he deserved. Skateboarding quickly filled up the void that had opened up in his life and made him feel calm and free again. It had an important therapeutic effect on him, like booze had on Zack.

The third kid, Bing, is the one who operates the camera. He has a similar story about broken dreams and pain, but instead of telling it before his camera, he asks his mother to explain what went wrong. It is a simple story about an overworked woman who allowed the wrong man to abruptly enter her life and then become Bing’s abusive stepfather. It was a doomed relationship from the get-go, but for some odd reason the woman hoped that it could work. Bing endured it, and like Zack and Keire learned to suppress the pain.

There are a few segments with the girl who hoped that Zack would be her rock and together they could have a family, and how one day they had to part ways because they started abusing each other. Her story and Zack’s story about how it all happened are very different, but it does not matter. There was a moment when both said and did things they shouldn’t have, badly hurt each other, and then gave up on whatever it was they had promised each other while she was pregnant. More than once they say that they wanted to make their relationship work, but couldn’t because both thought that the other wasn’t fully committed to it.

The entire film is essentially one incredibly simplistic but extremely accurate summation of why so many urban areas across the country are falling apart -- the American family is broken. Without a father next to them, kids are left to make decisions that irreversibly damage their lives and eventually most of them surrender, with many often concluding that they are in fact not worth living. This is the brutal truth.

The rest is political spin, like the one that is meant to convince that kids like Zack are privileged and benefiting in ways that allow them to be ahead of everyone else. The three stories that are shared in this film tell it as it is -- without a father figure in their lives all kids are equally disadvantaged. (For what it’s worth, Zack is the most badly hurt of the three kids that share their stories, and the one that is most likely to give up on life).

The cinematography blends raw visuals with a lot of erratic camera movement and some very carefully planned and executed pans and zooms. Whether intentional or not, the vibe that emerges from it instantly reminds of genre films like Wassup Rockers and Paranoid Park.

Minding the Gap Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Minding the Gap arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"The film was shot primarily between 2012 and 2017 on the following digital video cameras: Sony DCR-HC21, Sony DCR-VX 2000, Panasonic AG-DVX100, Canon Rebel T2i, Canon 5D Mark II. The film was completed in a fully digital workflow, and this high-definition digital master was approved by director Bing Liu. The original 5.1 surround soundtrack was remastered from the digital master audio files using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

Colorist: Tyler Roth/Company 3, Chicago."

As the technical credits above clarify, there is content that was shot with multiple cameras which is why there are some notable fluctuations in all key areas we address in our reviews. The roughest content has some pretty basic video-esque quality (see screencapture #8) while the best content looks exceptionally sharp and clean (see screencapture #22). Colors can vary for the exact same reason, though the fluctuations are minimal at best. There is just some minor deterioration in the content that was done with the cheapest camera. Image stability is excellent. Ultimately, the digital master that was created for this release reproduces all of the native limitations of the original content that was shot over the years. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Minding the Gap Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The use of music throughout the film is very effective. It links different segments with unique ambience and basically makes the film appear coherent. The lossless track handles these transitions very well primarily through the use of a wide range of nuanced dynamics, so if you can turn up the volume of your system to get the full power of the soundtrack. (The electronic music is very gentle). There are no technical anomalies to report in our review.

Minding the Gap Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - an original trailer for Minding the Gap. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• A Very Tricky Balance - in this program, director Bing Liu, executive producer Gordon Quinn, and producer Diane Quon discuss the conception of Minding the Gap and its evolution. The program features separated interviews that were conducted in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (34 min, 1080p).

• Nina and Bing - in his video piece, Bing Liu reunites with Nina Bowgren (Zack's former girlfriend) who explains how her life has changed since the completion of Minding the Gap. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p).

• Tony Hawk - in this video interview, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk shares his appreciation of Minding the Gap. The interview was recorded in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Outtakes - presented here are four deleted scenes with introductions by Bing Liu. In English, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080p).
  
  1. Nina and Zack go to the Hospital
  2. Rick and His Son, Max
  3. Keire Leaves Rockford
  4. Keire in Denver

• Nuoc - a short film about two Vietnamese immigrants directed by Bing Liu in 2010. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Commentary One - Keire Johnson, Bing Liu, and Zack Mulligan discuss their collaboration on Minding the Gap, the various location in Rockford where the film was shot, how their lives changed, etc.

• Commentary Two - second audio commentary recorded by Bing Liu. There is a lot of technical information here about the different cameras that were used to shoot different content and how Minding the Gap was put together.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by Jay Caspian Kang and technical credits.

Minding the Gap Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not a secret that urban areas everywhere are failing because the American family is broken. There are just too many kids growing up without a male role model at home, which is the crucial inequality that breeds crime, poverty, and social unrest throughout America. Bing Liu's film Minding the Gap is an interesting mosaic of personal stories which offers more evidence that it is so, though sadly it appears that already there have been some quite predictable attempts to interpret it in an entirely different way. RECOMMENDED.