Puncture Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Puncture Blu-ray Movie Review

The Lawyer with a Bunch of Tattoos.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 28, 2012

I have the courage to lose for what's right.

Puncture fictionalizes an intriguing true story of big business versus a small personal injury law firm fighting for the betterment of humanity, and it concludes rather anticlimactically with text blurbs rather than a courtroom showdown. But Puncture is more about its people -- its lead character in particular -- than it is the nitty-gritty legal mumbo jumbo that's admittedly fascinating but that plays second fiddle to the larger story of a personal crusade crossed with personal downfall. Indeed, Puncture proves to be a solid and weighty Character Drama, an underdog story where the underdog finds himself at the bottom of the pile through his own doing, not by the manipulation of others or the unfairness of the system. It has a hint of The Lincoln Lawyer, that same "nobody" attorney landing the case of his life pretext, but the beautiful merging of legal action and personal failures shape Puncture into something of a unique Drama/Thriller that's not quite perfect, but that is certainly a cut above the generic stories of either the legal world or of a life in crisis.

There may be a case here.

Michael Weiss' (Chris Evans) life is crumbling. He's a promiscuous, heavily tattooed, boozing, and drug abusing personal injury lawyer who shows up in court late, disheveled, and in attire that's barely appropriate for the venue. His wife has left him, and his firm isn't exactly landing all the big cases. He's partnered with the clean-cut family man Paul Danziger (Mark Kassen), and the two catch a break when they learn of the case of a former nurse and sickly mother named Vicky (Vinessa Shaw) who, three years ago, was accidentally stuck by a needle used on a patient with HIV. She's dying but hoping to convince the medical industry to adopt a safer one-use needle that will all but eliminate the estimated 800,000 annual cases of accidental medical punctures that occur in the United States alone. As they dig deeper into the case, they learn from the safety needle's inventor, Jeffrey Dancort (Marshall Bell), that politics and multi-million dollar interests are keeping the safety needle out of circulation, even if the invention is fast becoming the favorite of hospital staff all over the country. As the lawyers fight to get the needle in circulation, they must confront both the industry's devious and plugged-in high-dollar attorney, Nathaniel Price (Brett Cullen), and Weiss' own personal vices on their way to making the case for safer needle use in hospitals.

Puncture expertly and, most of the time, seamlessly weaves together two distinct but interconnecting stories. The movie is focused, both tales products of and advancing by the other, Weiss' personal trials often intersecting with the case and vice-versa. Both tales are interesting, not necessarily engrossing, but it's the merging of the two where the movie distinguishes itself from other one-shot Dramas or Courtroom Thrillers. The film's allure -- and the plot's irony -- stems from Weiss' in-too-deep involvement in the world of illicit substance abuse, needle sharing, drug abuse, and the like, even as he works on a case that might forever alter the landscape of the medical world, where he sees and deals in daily throughout the case the end results of the very activities in which he participates and that have already all but ruined his life. It's only a matter of time before either the case or his personal habits get the best of him, but watching as the inward and outward effects of the drugs and the weight of the trial both take their respective but also cumulative tolls on Weiss' physical body and emotional state is where the movie truly excels. It's a tragedy to be sure, one with a fascinating contrast of a man fighting for the betterment of others even as he destroys himself of his own choosing.

The critical cog in a movie like Puncture comes from the quality of the lead performance. Chris Evans -- coming off work in films like The Fantastic Four and The Losers -- turns in a rather complex role that paints the character with both the repulsive and praiseworthy brushes. The drug abuse and personal downfall are played openly but also somewhat subtly. It's never quite clear just how deep his problems lead, even as his marriage crumbles, he beds other women, drinks, snorts narcotics, and allows his vices to interfere with his professional appearance and demeanor. Yet there's something admirable about the character, too, his decision to fight the good fight and stand up for what he believes even as he allows his own world to disintegrate with every line he snorts, every needle he sticks into his arm. Evans juggles the unusual dichotomy of hero to a subgroup of the working class and villain to his own life with an admirable effortlessness. Though he works on the fringes of his profession and lives on the edge, he dedicates himself with passion and even some professionalism to the task in which he believes, making him something of a selfless anti-hero who's only out to hurt himself and by his own choosing even as he battles for the well-being of others.

Puncture Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Millenium Entertainment sticks Puncture with a nice-looking 1080p transfer. The image sports the usual digital qualities, appearing a little flat and a touch lifeless. However, clarity is strong, yielding good, crisp images, allowing the viewer to make out the fine print on a can of pop or the bumpy texture of an old car's dashboard. Fine detailing is equally good on more immediately- and consistently-evident images, such as facial textures and the fine lines and creases in starched and/or pressed dress shirts. Colors are steady and accurate, vibrant and appealing, whether outdoor greenery or the warm interiors of the courtroom or Price's house. Flesh tones remain even throughout, and black levels are accurate and deep. The image does go soft in a few spots, and slight banding is unobtrusively evident in a few shots. Overall, however, this is a quality, nice-looking Blu-ray release from the steady Millennium Entertainment.

Puncture Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Puncture arrives on Blu-ray with a fair-quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening title music isn't particularly aggressive, but it plays with acceptable quality and spacing. Deliberately muddled Rap music heard outside of a hotel room or the steady, deep bass emanating from a nearby bar in another scene both prove nicely realistic. A gunshot heard early in the film and fired indoors enjoys good energy, volume, and accuracy. Ambience is effective, whether in busy city exteriors or within office buildings where light background elements nicely set the stage for the environment. The film is primarily built around dialogue, however. It plays efficiently from the center channel, and even enjoys a nice, natural sense of light reverberation in the courtroom scenes. This isn't a track meant to wake the neighbors, but it's steady and suits the movie well.

Puncture Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Puncture contains only previews for other Millennium Entertainment titles.

Puncture Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Puncture isn't a breathless Legal Thriller like The Firm, nor is it a heavy Drama of great personal downfall like Requiem for a Dream, but it produces a nicely alluring, if not somewhat odd, combination of the two. It's well-paced, thematically intriguing, and nicely acted. Chris Evans shows a range unexpected of an actor coming off lighter roles, and it's his performance that nicely ties the whole thing together. Adam and Mark Kassen's direction is steady and makes use of just enough artistic flair to keep the movie flowing and as visually well-structured as it is thematically enveloping. Overall, it's a solid movie that's not to be missed! Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Puncture features no film-specific extras, but the technical presentation is fine. This is definitely worth a rental, and probably a purchase when the price drops to the sub-$10 or $12 range.