7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Filipino crime thriller inspired by a real-life scandal in which prison inmates are temporarily released from prison to work as contract killers on behalf of politicians and high ranking military officials.
Starring: Gerald Anderson (IV), Piolo Pascual, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez, Leo MartinezForeign | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Filipino (Tagalog): DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
How patient are you when you watch a film? Do you need to understand everything that’s going on from the first frame, or are you willing to go with the flow until the pieces start to gel? What if that cohesion doesn’t take place until almost the halfway mark? These are all questions that may be salient in determining whether or not On the Job will appeal to you. This gritty thriller spends virtually its first hour (of a slightly less than two hour running time) slowly introducing characters and giving tidbits about them while never making it very clear what’s happening or how (or indeed if) anything is interrelated. The film begins with a viscerally exciting sequence where two guys are seen staking someone out in a crowded street festival. The handheld camera swoops and darts, never remaining on any given individual for more than a second or two, as if it were a furtive refugee looking over its shoulder at some unseen threat. When one of the two guys pretty much just marches up to a man and shoots him point blank, it’s a terrifying moment, and one aptly sets the viewer on edge. Who are these guys, and what exactly are they up to? Anyone looking for quick answers to these questions had better strap in for the long haul, for On the Job takes its own sweet time in revealing its secrets. Once things do begin to fall into place, the film, while not entirely successful (for stylistic reasons, if for nothing else), is a fantastic roller coaster ride where two convicts work as professional assassins while they’re incarcerated, at the same time that a police duo is trying to rein in some rampant killing of high profile gangland targets. On the Job plays a little like that “little engine who could”, huffing and puffing its way up a steep, hour long hill, only to then explode into action on the downhill side of things.
On the Job is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. As noted above in the main body of the review, On the Job consists of a lot of handheld camerawork, including the ever popular "jiggly cam" approach, and that in and of itself gives at least the perception of softness to many sequences, since the frame is never anchored on any given scene. What's perhaps even more problematic, though, is low contrast and Matti's tendency to shoot in very low light situations for much of the film. This was no doubt intentional, and adds immeasurably to the film's kind of spooky mood, but it makes it next to impossible to make out what's going on some of the time. Characters literally disappear into the shadows at key moments. All of this said, when the film does deign to exploit more brightly lit environments, colors are nicely suffused and the image offers very good to excellent fine detail. Several sequences are either lit or were color graded in post to a kind of sickly green-yellow tint, which tends to sap some of this fine detail out.
On the Job's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix has some fantastically immersive sequences, including the great street festival scene that ends in chaos when 'Tang assassinates his target. Later, there are a number of exciting moments, including the great showdown in the hospital, which is rife with rampant gunfire. Dialogue is very cleanly presented on this track. Perhaps surprisingly, there's not a glut of music providing extra impetus to some of the action scenes. Dynamic range is extremely wide on this track.
For those with the patience to let this film set its fairly opaque pieces on the board, On the Job ends up delivering a fantastically exciting experience. Performances are uniformly excellent, but the film is hampered somewhat by its frenetic camera style and Matti's tendency to shoot under conditions where things can't really be adequately seen. Recommended.
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