7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Mike is a law student who has once been burned playing poker, and has turned his back on gambling in order to settle in with his girlfriend Jo, and his studies. When his former partner in crime Worm is released from prison, though, he is tempted back to the card tables and realises how much he enjoys the thrill of gambling. Jo leaves him, and he goes on a poker spree with Worm, in an attempt to recoup a debt that Worm has carried over from before prison. The men to whom Worm owes the money get heavy, and Mike is forced into a showdown with Teddy KGB, the hood to whom he lost his life savings a year before.
Starring: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Gretchen Mol, Famke JanssenCrime | 100% |
Drama | 26% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Nominated for Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, John Dahl's "Rounders" (1998) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Alliance. Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray disc. In English, without optional subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Tough bets
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Dahl's Rounders arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Alliance.
This is a decent but somewhat inconsistent high-definition transfer. During the daylight scenes fine object detail is rather good, and clarity quite pleasing. Many of the indoor scenes, however, occasionally look soft. Contrast levels are not always consistent either. There are some fluctuations with the color-scheme - occasionally the reds, blues and blacks are quite overwhelming; the greens and yellows, however, look lovely. I noticed traces of mild edge-enhancement, mostly during the daylight scenes, and right before the finale, during Teddy KGB and Mike's decisive clash. Macroblocking, however, is not an issue of concern. There are traces of various mild noise corrections but none of them are overly distracting. Finally, occasionally tiny flecks pop up here and there, but large scratches, damage marks, or stains are nowhere to be seen. All in all, this Blu-ray disc certainly represents a decent upgrade over the SE DVD Miramax released in North America, but there is some room for improvement. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content. Please note that the disc does not have a standard menu).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1 and French Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Alliance have not provided optional English or French subtitles for the main feature.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is rather good. The bass rarely comes alive but when it does it is quite effective, there is very little surround activity, and the high-frequencies are unproblematic. The dynamic amplitude is somewhat limited, but Christopher Young's score gets a serious boost - there is depth and clarity to it that are not present on the SDVD release of Rounders. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. I also did not detect any annoying pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.
Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray disc.
Considering that in the U.S. the rights for Rounders are controlled by Miramax, I believe that it is rather easy to recommend this Canadian Blu-ray release courtesy of local distributors Alliance. The presentation is decent. The price tag is also quite attractive. RECOMMENDED.
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