6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Based on the novel by Chris Millis, when clumsy deadbeat Franklin Franklin accidentally kills his landlord, he must do everything in his power to hide the body, only to find the distractions of lust, the death of his beloved brother and a crew of misfit characters, force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him.
Starring: Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, Juno Temple, James Marsden, Dolph LundgrenCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Pain. Love. Fear. Happiness. You choose to feel each of them, so choose to be happy.
If an Oscar were awarded every year for the most unique film, the most eccentric film, and the most unlikely-to-succeed-from-a-creative-perspective
film,
then Director Jonas Åkerlund's (Horsemen) Small Apartments would be a shoe-in for all three. If all the categories were rolled into
one, the year's "strangest" film would also be Åkerlund's prize to lose. Small Apartments is one of the most idiosyncratic pictures from
recent
years, a picture that's equal parts visually and dramatically repulsive but at the same time oddly charming, captivating, even heartwarming in a
classic
train wreck sort
of way, in this case a train wreck that's been deliberately and safely staged in which nobody has been hurt and in which the end result is the
same: one
simply cannot help
but to gaze in wonderment at what unfolds in the film. It begins oddly, to say the least, and ends much the same, but the journey is really quite
remarkable, simpleminded in many ways and deeply complex in others. It's a film that really must be seen to be believed; it requires a wide-open
mind
and a little bit of faith that it will get better, but improve it does and without losing the rare combination of repulsion and charm that make
Small Apartments arguably the most unique movie of 2012.
Who you talkin' to?
Small Apartments arrives on Blu-ray with a very glossy and flat but otherwise spiffy and generally nicely detailed and brilliantly colored high definition transfer. The HD video source material rarely leaves any detail left obscured in any way, but it also shows an almost absurdly clean and shiny overlay with noise only creeping into the darkest corners. Details and stability are often quite striking. Facial lines, the wooden accents on the Alphorn, the odds and ends around the apartments, the run-down textures outside the building, all of it sparkles in high definition. The image is ridiculously bright and lively, too. Colors are many and very vibrant, sometimes even downright harsh when the palette goes over-the-top garish, notably in the scene in which Dolph Lundgren's character is introduced at the book store signing. There's no end to the diversity of the color palette, from cool blues to Simone's neon green jacket, from blinding whites to dull earthen shades. Black levels sometimes stray towards a dark purple shade, but flesh tones seem generally spot-on. Like the movie it supports, this transfer is quite unique. It looks very good for what it is, but those with an aversion to the excessively glossy HD video presentations might be taken aback by just how shiny and smooth this one often is.
Small Apartments features a technically sound but largely nondescript DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is at its best when Franklin blows his Alphorn. The effect is nicely presented, with a positive, smooth low end throughout the film and particularly evident at the end when the effect explodes out of the speakers with a deep, rich, and infinitely satisfying feel. The smooth, heavy, steady pulse practically places the listener right there with him and the instrument. Otherwise, the track feels rather bland. Music plays without much muscle but does offer a positive sense of front-side balance with only the barest minimum of surround support. Various sound effects and ambient environmental support elements aren't commonplace, but the track inserts just enough to keep things from going too sonically dull. The movie seems comfortable with its basic dialogue pieces, punctuated by those horn blows. The spoken word does come through without hitch from the center. This isn't a demo-worthy piece save for that end horn scene, but it gets listeners through the rest of the film with no major technical glitches.
Small Apartments contains a couple of supplements. (Note: This Blu-ray is reportedly several minutes shorter than its DVD counterpart; no
DVD copy was immediately available to independently verify the information or assess which scene(s) have been removed.)
Small Apartments may appear overly crude, pointless, maybe experimental, and certainly just really, really weird from the outside looking in, but for as deliberately messy and outwardly inhospitable the film may be, it's actually really quite good and worth a look. It's one of the more unique pictures to come along in quite a while, and it's the juxtaposition of oddity that morphs into a calming goodness by the end that makes it a real treat. The cast is great, the characters unique, and the art direction strong. Jonas Åkerlund's work behind the camera feels fresh and involved in every scene, and he makes even a slovenly Matt Lucas look good because, once the movie settles in and the audience moves past the shock factor of watching a chubby grown man parade around the screen in his dirty undies, the focus shifts completely to story, drama, and heart rather than the exterior pieces of the puzzle. This is a winner that's not to be missed. Sony's Blu-ray release of Small Apartments features strong video and good audio. Unfortunately, supplements are few. Nevertheless, Small Apartments comes largely recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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