Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Taffin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 4, 2021

Francis Megahy's "Taffin" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the disc is a remastered vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The debt collector

At some point I am going to have to mention the obvious, so I might as well do it at the very top of this article. After all, it is one of the main reasons Taffin is worth seeing.

Pierce Brosnan looks incredible in this film. He has that casual, slightly edgy but very, very sexy appearance that was once considered mandatory for all kinds of different commercials. Taffin most likely put Brosnan on the radar of some very important people, and I would not be shocked to learn that it was then that some of them started speculating that he could be the next James Bond. Yes, the spy appearance is different, but smart industry people would have recognized the enormous potential. Guaranteed. There is a sequence in Taffin where Brosnan is seen reading a book at his bohemian place that actually oozes the classic Bond-esque vibe. If you replace his casual attire with a sharp $10,000 suit, and trim the hair a bit, you are looking at a slightly younger version of the heartthrob from GoldenEye. Also, it is not a coincidence that Brosnan was paired with Alison Doody. The two make a fantastic couple and sell Taffin as a much more ambitious project. It just makes perfect sense. (A year later, Doody popped up next to Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, so the smart industry people that I mentioned above were in fact paying attention).

Brosnan is Mark Taffin, a loner who make ends meet as a debt collector in a small town somewhere in Ireland. Everyone knows what he does as well as his fee -- it is twenty percent of the amount that is recovered. There are no exceptions. If the party seeking Taffin’s help isn’t comfortable with the fee, then the party isn’t desperate enough to be reaching out to him. When he does not work, Taffin likes to read at his secluded place.

While recovering an old debt from a stubborn pub owner, Taffin meets Charlotte (Doody) and then goes home with her. They make love, talk, then begin seeing each other, and soon after Charlotte moves to his place. While the two are trying to figure out if they have a future together, Taffin is secretly approached by a couple of public leaders who oppose the construction of a new chemical plant that could make the town unlivable. Even though the same leaders have previously condemned Taffin’s work he agrees to help, but it quickly becomes obvious that this time the job could be too big for him to handle alone.

Francis Megahy directs Taffin with the clear understanding that its budget limitations are such that it cannot possibly be a blockbuster, and as odd as it may sound this is why so much of this film still looks fresh today. Indeed, viewing the film for the first time feels a bit like being out on a date with a person that is as straightforward as possible but without ever becoming rude. There is some material that is meant to impress, all of it of course featuring Brosnan looking like a young model on the loose, but Megahey knows exactly where the stop before the whole thing begins to look like a farce. Also, there is plenty of violence throughout the film, but it is of the unflashy kind that feels entirely appropriate for the drama that is at heart of its story.

Does the film have any flaws, and if it does, how serious are they? Well, you don’t have to look too hard to realize that Megahy and screenwriter David Ambrose borrow a lot from the same blueprint that many big westerns have used in the past. Naturally, the finale is quite predictable, but I don’t see a problem there. Taffin has a unique personality and style and this is why the film looks different. What else? He gets help from a trusted assistant (Gerard McSorley), but their relationship is underdeveloped in a way that makes it look like Megahy does not have enough confidence in the latter. Patrick Bergen does not seem like the right choice for Taffin’s brother either, but his time in front of the camera is limited.

The film has a small but very chic soundtrack that was put together by Stanley Myers and Hans Zimmer. A decade earlier, the former scored Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. Also, the film could have benefited from a stronger soundtrack, possibly incorporating some great synth-rock tunes, but this is only a suggestion, not a flaw that should have been addressed.

Taffin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Taffin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The film looks fresh and very healthy, so my guess is that the master that was used to prepare this release is fairly recent. (The initial press information that was supplied by Kino Lorber indicated that it was a new 2K master). There are only two areas where I think that some meaningful improvements can be made. First, density levels can be slightly better, and if they are, I assume that some of the darker footage will look even stronger. The overall delineation and depth of the visuals, however, are still very good. Second, again in darker areas shadow definition can be a bit more convincing. But I already like what I see a lot, and on a larger screen it is actually very easy to see and appreciate wide ranges of nuances. The rest looks really, really good. There is room for some minor encoding optimizations, but you don't have to worry about distracting anomalies. The grading job is convincing. There are solid and healthy ranges of primaries as well as equally pleasing nuances. The overall balance is excellent. Image stability is very good. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, marks, warped or torn frames to report. (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).

Taffin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dialog is stable and easy to follow. There are no balance issues. From time to time the audio becomes a tad 'thin', but my guess is that this is likely a limitation of the original studio mix. Perhaps an elaborate remix can sightly open up some bits here and there, but I don't think that you will hear a substantial difference. There are no age-relate imperfections to report in our review.

Taffin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - remastered vintage U.S. trailer for Taffin. In English, no subtitled. (2 min).

Taffin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I don't think any of the films Pierce Brosnan appeared in prior to Taffin had anyone convinced that one day he could play James Bond. But I am willing to bet that Taffin changed some minds because he looks really, really good in it. I enjoyed Taffin a lot. It is a small but very nicely done action thriller with a solid '80s atmosphere. So, if you need a nostalgia fix, pick up a copy for your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.