Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Business Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 20, 2009

Yet to be released in North America, British director Nick Love's "The Business" (2005) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Pathe-Fox. The only supplemental features on this disc are an audio commentary with the director of the film and actor Danny Dyer, making of, gallery with deleted scenes, and an alternate ending. Region-B "locked".

I've made up my mind

There has got to be a good reason why British critics dislike Nick Love. I have been trying hard to figure out what it is but have not been able to come up with one. I’ve seen all four of his films - Goodbye Charlie Bright (2001), The Football Factory (2004), The Business (2005) and Outlaw (2007) – and find them to be far better than, say, Guy Ritchie’s films. They are raw, offensive and at times shockingly brutal. I also find them to be real. You know why? Director Love does not cast American superstars with fake British accents.

The Business, director Love’s third feature film, is about a young kid from South London, Frankie (Danny Dyer, Outlaws), who figures that the easiest way to become somebody is to become a gangster. So, he ends up in Malaga, Spain with a bag full of cash for Charlie (Tamer Hassan, City Rats), a playboy dreaming to make it big. Charlie has a partner, Sammy (Geoff Bell, The Heavy), who likes guns.

Charlie offers Frankie a job. The two become good friends and soon start making plenty of money importing marijuana from Morocco. Sammy does not like his partner’s new friend. He also does not like how Frankie looks at his wife, Carly (Georgina Chapman, Zemanovaload). Charlie warns Frankie to stay as far away from Carly as possible. Frankie immediately assures him that he has no interest in Carly. Then, he sleeps with her.

Charlie and Frankie decide that it is time to up their game. Instead of marijuana, they begin importing cocaine. This leads to a confrontation with Sammy, who decides to go solo. Meanwhile, the local mayor (Arturo Venegas, Under The Sun) warns Charlie and Frankie that they could continue their operations only if they stay away from hard drugs. Instead of following the mayor’s advice, however, the two friends expand their business. Things get out of control quickly.

There is something about Tamer Hassan that makes him an incredible gangster. I’ve followed his career for quite some time now and even though he does not always end up with great roles, he always makes the most out of them. The character he plays in The Business is not an exception. Hassan is truly the life and soul of this film.

Danny Dyer, who has a much longer resume than Hassan, is also terrific. His transformation from a total loser to a cocky gangster willing to confront his own demons is very convincing. I hope he continues to work primarily with British directors who seem to understand why he is special.

Geoff Bell is a tough looking actor who has contributed to some of the most violent British films from the last ten years. He seems comfortable playing mostly secondary characters. Some of you may recall seeing him in Woody Allen’s Scoop.

Model-turned-actress Georgina Chapman is someone I am not familiar with. I must say, however, that she is an incredibly attractive woman who could make any man feel extremely uncomfortable. Or lucky.

Aside from the terrific cast, The Business also benefits from an outstanding retro soundtrack. Great tunes by Duran Duran, David Bowie, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Blondie, Rick James, The Cult, Loose Ends, Simple Minds, Roxy Music, Talk Talk, and Adam Ant, amongst others, further enhance the film's stylish look.

Technically, The Business looks as slick as it should. Cinematographer Damian Bromley, who also worked on The Football Factory, has captured the natural beauty of the Grenadian coastline perfectly. On the other hand, Stuart Gazzard’s top-notch editing is one of the key reasons why The Business never feels derivative and corny .

The Business Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Nick Love's The Business arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Pathe-Fox.

This is a strong transfer, one with plenty of depth. Contrast is excellent, clarity very impressive and detail terrific. The color-scheme is also very good. Blues, yellows, greens, browns, blacks and whites are rich and well saturated (the daylight scenes, for example, look very strong). Furthermore, the transfer looks notably healthy – there are no scratches, flecks, or dirt that I spotted. During a few scenes, I noticed a bit of mild edge-enhancement, but this isn't something that would affect your viewing experience. Macroblocking is not a serious issue of concern. Neither is digital noise. Generally speaking, the transfer is also pleasingly stable. To sum it all up, this is a very strong transfer without any serious flaws. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you will not be able to access the disc's content).

The Business Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.

The Business boasts an incredible soundtrack. Some classic tunes by Duran Duran, David Bowie, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Blondie, Rick James, The Cult, Loose Ends, Simple Minds, Roxy Music, Talk Talk, and Adam Ant, amongst others, enhance this gangster flick. For the most part, they sound terrific – the bass is rich and potent, the high frequencies not overdone and the rear channels intelligently used. The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow (granted, of course, one isn't bothered by the heavy British accents). This being said, there isn't much in The Business that will test your audio system. The few shootouts produce a bit of extra movement in the rear channels, but nothing that would impress you. For the record, there are absolutely no pops, cracks, hissings, or dropouts to report in this review. Pathe-Fox have provided optional English HOH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear outside of the image frame.

The Business Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio commentary – director Nick Love and Danny Dyer deliver a fantastic commentary where they discuss the film, how it came to exist, specific parts from it, the jokes, etc.

Making of – a standard featurette, courtesy of Vertigo Films, where director Nick Long talks about the film, its retro vibes, message, etc. There is plenty of raw footage as well.(PAL, 27 min).

Deleted Scenes- a gallery of deleted scenes, none of which add anything of substance to the narrative. (PAL, 14 min).

Alternate Ending - an ending I like a lot more. (PAL, 2 min).

The Business Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Business is a stylish and very well executed British gangster flick. Most unfortunately, at the moment it is available on Blu-ray only in the United Kingdom. It is also Region-B "locked," so unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you won't be able to view it in North America. Recommended.