7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Bob is the bartender at a drop bar, a location at which the city's criminals store their dirty money. His life is upended and the people he cares for endangered after thieves rob the bar.
Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, John OrtizCrime | 100% |
Drama | 69% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: DTS 5.1
Japanese only available on Japanese menu settings; an optional English Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 (48 kHz/224 kbps) track is also available.
English SDH, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Dutch, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Turkish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The short story upon which The Drop is based is called “Animal Rescue,” and while the title is probably intentionally ironic, referring as much to a character’s unexpected feral tendencies as it does to a battered Pit Bull pup he finds abandoned in a garbage can, there’s little doubt that the dog, ultimately given the name Rocco, provides (again, somewhat ironically) a humanizing element for a character virtually neck deep in a morass of mobsters, distrust and unease. Dennis Lehane, author of the short story and also of the screenplay for this film, is used to trafficking in blue collar angst, as Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone attest. (Shutter Island would seem to be the odd man out in this regard, but even writers need a break from working class woes.) Lehane’s approach in The Drop is a sometimes odd feeling combination of so-called “kitchen sink drama” with a more traditional if rather discursive thriller element which sucks up a handful of characters in a tale of duplicity, back stabbing (and/or other bodily mayhem) and, ultimately, perhaps a hint of redemption. The film is notable for providing James Gandolfini with his last feature film role, that of Cousin Marv, a brusque, no nonsense manager of an eponymous bar where seemingly dim witted Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) works as a bartender. The film opens with a bit of narration by Bob, which in and of itself seems to suggest that the film is going to be told resolutely from Bob’s point of view. While that may be more or less how things pan out, it’s instructive to note that Bob is not all he seems at first glance, and that this supposed narrated window into his soul masks at least one (literal?) skeleton in his closet.
The Drop is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Shot digitally with various Arri Alexa cameras, The Drop has a surprising amount of shadow detail in the many (many) dark scenes throughout the film. Even in the half light in Cousin Marv's bar there's often commendable amounts of detail in things like weaves on outfits and even pores on skin. The color space hasn't really been toyed with all that much here, and though often dim and therefore lacking traditional pop, the palette is accurate looking and does perk up noticeably in more brightly lit outdoor scenes. Due to what looks more like lighting choices rather than color grading, some interior scenes have a slightly effulgent golden hue to them, especially in a couple of sequences where Gandolfini is filmed against a blind in front of window. Even in these scenes, there's good information in the darkest corners of the frame. There are no stability issues and no compression artifacts to cause concern.
The Drop's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is a little restrained at times, but does offer good immersion with an array of ambient environmental effects that help to establish the kind of seedy neighborhood around Cousin Marv's bar. There's good directionality even within closed quarters, as in many of the scenes within the bar itself. Dialogue comes through just fine, and Marco Beltrami's almost ambient score is nicely splayed throughout the surrounds.
- Keeping it Real (1080p; 3:54) focuses on Lehane's desire to depict "damaged people" trying to make changes in their lives.
- Making of "The Drop" (1080p; 3:45) is more of an EPK, with some behind the scenes footage and interviews.
- Making Brooklyn Your Own (1080p; 4:00) looks at the film's locale.
- Rocco the Dog (1080p; 2:21) profiles the film's apparently very sweet canine(s).
- Character Profile: James Gandolfini (1080p; 2:11) is a way too short piece on Cousin Marv.
Maybe the biggest issue with The Drop is that it seems to want to stuff a message into a tale of corruption and duplicity, but about the best it can come up with is "cold blooded killers have a softer side, too, y'know." The film is full of great little character moments, but that doesn't necessarily mean they all add up into a completely integrated whole. The film offers another great showcase for Hardy, and Gandolfini is fine in a kind of limited but enjoyable final film role. There's a palpable claustrophobia to The Drop that strangely helps the film get through some of its less credible moments. Technical merits are strong, there are some good supplements, and The Drop comes Recommended.
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The Dirty Harry Collection
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