Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

The Narrows Blu-ray Movie Review

“I need to see something realer, something with a point of view.”

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater November 24, 2009

Organized crime, along with its many children—racketeering, bootlegging, and extortion—has largely disappeared from the public consciousness. We’re all aware it still exists, in an ever-diminished form, but most people are more apt nowadays to see fat cat investors, crooked capitalists, and money- grubbing corporations as the real criminals. The last bastion of Old World-style Mafia-ism, the Gotti family, has been reduced to tabloid fodder, shamelessly flaunting their wealth and poor manners on reality TV. Al Capone and Lucky Luciano are probably rolling in their graves at the disgraced state of affairs. And yet, for some, the old way of life—with its strict codes of honor and punishment—is still in effect, awkwardly abutting a modern world with equally ridged notions about individuality and relativism. The Narrows, by French director François Velle, is a coming-of-age/gangster film that explores that narrow but nearly insurmountable gulf that exists for one young man between life as a low-level Mafioso in the “ass end of Brooklyn,” and the limitless possibility implied by the Manhattan skyline, just across the river.

He sees you when you're sleeping; he knows when you're awake...

Aspiring photojournalist Mike Manadoro (Transamerica’s Kevin Zegers) lives in Brooklyn with his father Vinny (Vincent D’Onofrio)—a former sanitation worker who supplements his disability checks with a side job as a bookie—and works as a driver for a car service of questionable legality. It’s a blue-collar life, and Mike wants out. Fortunately, he’s just won a partial scholarship to attend a prestigious Manhattan university, where he’ll have the opportunity to study with Prof. Reyerson (Roger Rees), his favorite photographer. To pay the remainder of his tuition, Mike unwisely takes a high-paying job ferrying “packages” for Tony (Titus Welliver), a minor crime boss who runs a territory that’s becoming increasingly smaller thanks to the encroachment of rival Albanian gangsters. On one side of the East River, Mike is a fresh-faced student, eager to engage in collegiate life. On the other side, he’s embroiled in some ultra-shady business. Complicating matters further, he’s got a girl on either shore. Gina (Monica Keena) is the sassy local girl to whom he’s engaged to be engaged, while Kathy (Sophia Bush) is educated and wealthy, a WASP if there ever was one. Balancing his two worlds becomes unmanageable when local boy-turned-war-hero Nicky Shades (Eddie Cahill) comes back from Afghanistan with a smack habit and a chip on his shoulder regarding Tony’s mismanagement of the neighborhood.

The Narrows is the kind of film that, if I stumbled upon it while channel surfing, I might watch providing there was nothing more interesting playing elsewhere. It has a mostly solid script, decent pacing, and better-than-expected acting. What it lacks is personality. Working from a script by Tatiana Blackington—itself based on Tim McLoughlin’s novel "Heart of the Old Country"—director François Velle leads us blandly through a narrative constructed on a bedrock of crime film cliché, introducing us to all-too-familiar stock characters as we go. Velle makes timid stabs at flourish—using an out-of-place camera angle here, implementing some novel cutting there—but he largely keeps things workmanlike and on target. While this means the film moves as it should, leaving no dots unconnected, it also feels risk-free and predictable, down to the final freeze frame. The overwrought machinations that make up the film’s last act include enough double crosses to build a fence, but there are no real surprises in store.

Really, the only thing that differentiates The Narrows from the crime wave of other gangster-related films is how localized and small-time the story is. The influence of the Italian mob has withered since The Godfather and Mean Streets, and here Tony can only manage to manhandle a few blocks in some out of the way part of Brooklyn. Deadwood’s Titus Welliver plays Tony with a steely demeanor that’s one part confidence to one part denial about his waning power. Equally impressive is Vincent D’Onofrio, who walks softly and carries a big stick—a cane to assist with his limp. He’s alternately frightening and pitiable as the father who denies his son an education yet chastises him when takes the job working for Tony. Kevin Zegers, however, is as unmemorable as the plot, and we never really buy him as a wanna-be photographer. Plus, this element of his character is nearly dropped as soon the film no longer requires Mike to have a motivation for getting out of Brooklyn. Likewise, Mike’s relationship with Sophia Bush’s Kathy strains credulity, as she first likes him because she’s basically scared of him, and then loves him because she realizes she’s not scared at all. While the film is at least watch-able, the difference between The Narrows and some of the great crime classics—especially of the 1970s—is like the difference between having a fresh, home- cooked Italian meal or going to The Olive Garden.

The Narrows Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shot on high definition video—to better complement the intermittent peppering of Mike's digital photography—and given a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, The Narrows doesn't look half bad (or full bad, or full good). The film works with a largely realistic and un-stylized palette that looks, to me anyway, a little too clean for this kind of story. As with a lot of digital video—the lower end stuff, anyway—colors aren't exceptionally vivid, but they are substantial enough to rarely look washed out or sun-bleached. A few hues occasionally stand out from the surrounding sameness, like the green felt of the poker table or the intense reds in the nightclub and darkroom. One directorial choice I didn't really understand, though, was the preponderancy to use a thick, mucky yellow cast during nearly all of the interior scenes. It looks like someone never reset the white balance after moving the camera from outside to indoors. Plus, it gives skin tones a dull pallor. In general, however, the outdoor scenes look fine. There are a few soft shots, but clarity is strong throughout, allowing us to make out fine facial textures and notice little details like the stitching on Vincent D'Onofrio's lapels. Black levels are adequate—though there are scattered instances of both crush and wishy-washiness—and contrast is solid, if a little on the hot side. Digital noise is kept to a minimum, and I didn't notice any distracting compression artifacts. Like the film itself, this transfer is a decent but ultimately unmemorable effort.

The Narrows Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The same goes for The Narrows' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which deals out an unremarkable mix that's nevertheless easy to understand and sufficiently solid. There may be a distinct lack of sonic thrills, but this isn't some big budget gangster movie with massive shootouts and explosions. Rather, The Narrows is an intimate, small-time crime film, where the sound of a single bullet is more important than an omni-directional spray of hot lead. As such, this track is mostly successful. The sound effects—like slamming car doors or the aforementioned bullets—are crisp and convincing, and the rear channels frequently put out some subtle but place-establishing New York City ambience, like traffic sounds and street noises. There were a few times when I felt the dialogue sounded a little muffled, but the actors' voices are almost always clean, clear, and prioritized in the mix. The soundtrack is excellent, with cuts from indie blues/rock duo The Black Keys and a dance number by Norwegian electronic outfit Röyksopp. The rock music sounds a little tinny in the mix—it could stand to growl a bit more—but the Röyksopp track shows off a weighty range, with deep, distinct bass and upper-end clarity. LFE subwoofer output is put to good use at several points throughout the film, adding some emotional density to some of the tense conflicts. There may not be much to remember about The Narrows' audio track, but few will have any reason to complain.

The Narrows Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Commentary with Director François Velle and Screenwriter Tatiana Blackington
For some reason, I just never found this track engaging. One of my pet peeves is when commentary participants spend a lot of time "pointing out" what's happening onscreen—as if we're not watching—and that happens much too often here. Velle and Blackington cover all the usual topics—story, casting, production, themes—but unless you're in love with the film or an insatiable devourer of commentary tracks, it's okay to skip this one.

Interviews
Rather than giving us the typical talking head blurbs you'd find in an electronic press kit, this disc delivers some genuinely substantial interviews, both time-wise and in quality. First up is a joint interview with director François Velle and screenwriter Tatiana Blackington (SD, 43:29). They cover a lot of the same material mentioned in the commentary, but they're slightly more listenable and engaging here. Actors Kevin Zegers (SD, 11:32), Sophia Bush (SD, 21:26) and Vincent D'Onofrio (SD, 7:16) each offer up their own thoughts about their characters and working with one another, and author Tim McLoughlin (SD, 6:23) gets to say a few words about the process of sending the novel to the screen.

Trailer (SD, 1:19)

The Narrows Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Passably entertaining but ultimately as personality-less and forgettable as that guy from that thing —you know, the guy you met at that party that one time—The Narrows never manages to stake its own territory, choosing instead to steal piecemeal from better gangster flicks. Though it's been given a decent audio/video presentation—especially considering its budget—there's nothing here to convince me that The Narrows is worth any more than a cautious rental.