7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Escaping the monotony of a loveless marriage, Raymond Yale becomes entangled in an affair with the beautiful and troubled Carla. Ray’s moral limits are tested when Carla presents him with the proceeds of her controlling husband’s latest crime. This is their chance: Take the money and run... If only it were that simple.
Starring: David Roberts (I), Claire van der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Peter Phelps, Bill Hunter (I)Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It's not like we'd be hurting anybody.
Australian stuntman-turned-director Nash Edgerton's first feature film, The Square, is a
formulaic twist-and-turn genre picture that's done exceptionally well. Gritty, well-acted, nicely
filmed, and thoroughly entertaining, The Square overcomes something of a trite "affair
turns
ugly" story line with a convoluted but precisely-defined and enthralling series of events that's like a
snowball tumbling downhill, accumulating more and more energy and mass until it meets its
inescapable demise. The Square is ugly -- both thematically and stylistically -- but it's that
ugliness that makes
the movie so effective. A Thriller with bite, passion, violence, and emotion; a story that's about
regrets, remorse, bad choices, and consequences; and a film that's hard to watch but impossible to
resist; The Square delivers on all fronts. Even through its "been there, done that" veneer,
Edgerton's picture manages to rise above others of its kind by making an old tale all too personal;
The Square drags audiences along, involves them in the story, and heaps on the negative
emotions
all the way through to the unthinkable finale.
It's not worth it.
Sony's 1080p presentation of The Square is reflective of Nash Edgerton's intended visuals; the transfer yields a bleak appearance but captures the film's essence nicely. The Square's palette is dulled and devoid of anything resembling eye-popping colors, though the primary hues -- tans and grays in particular -- are nicely resolved. The image captures something of a soft texture that lessens the finest of details; nothing's particularly sharp or eye-catching, but as with the colors, Sony's Blu-ray disc handles what's asked of it nicely and reveals everything available to it. Shadow detail is strong, however, with blacks appearing natural and intimidating but not overbearing. The image is slathered in a moderately thick layer of grain, though some speckles and debris may be seen over segments of the film. The Square isn't a prototypical good-looking Blu-ray, but this transfer is handsome in its own right and in its reflection of the film's original elements. That's high praise for another well-done transfer from Sony.
The Square surrounds listeners with a good DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track hits all the right notes, even if it is, like its video counterpart, somewhat more reserved than a typically overhyped Thriller soundtrack. This mix delivers fine imaging that allows sounds to effortlessly traverse the listening area, while also precisely situating distinctive effects and environmental nuances to create a strong atmosphere within the listening area. The surround channels are used extensively but not unnecessarily; chirping insects, light background music, driving rain, distant thunder, and other supportive elements consistently find their way into the track and seamlessly blend with the primary front-channel information. Bass is tight and potent but not overly aggressive; rumbling engines and rolling vehicles over dirt and gravel roads are nicely captured, though a few elements around the low end do come across as a bit too harsh. Music is spacious and clean, while dialogue is consistently focused and clear. The Square makes for another top-quality lossless soundtrack from Sony.
The Square boxes in a few extras for its Blu-ray release. Inside 'The Square' (480p, 29:36) is a raw but fascinating piece that takes viewers inside the production of the film. Production meetings, discussions revolving around sets and shooting locales, the picture's aspect ratio, casting sessions, and the day-to-day rigors of the shoot are all explored in this strong piece. Pre-Visualization (480p, 5:09) briefly looks at the process of preparing to film action scenes and contrasting prep footage with the final film. Scene Deconstruction (480p) takes viewers through the process of adding visual effects into several scenes: Billy Watches the Fire (1:00), House Fire (2:04), and Falling Dream (2:11). The Square also features a collection of 14 deleted scenes (480p, 24:57); the "Sand" music video by Jessica Chapnik (480p, 3:58); the excellent short film Spider (1080p, 9:34) directed by Nash Edgerton; BD-Live functionality; and 1080p trailers for Harry Brown, Fireflies in the Garden, The Pillars of the Earth, The Runaways, A Single Man, and Chloe.
Nash Edgerton's The Square tells the emotionally disheartening but visually and psychologically satisfying story of an affair gone horribly wrong. In lesser hands, the picture would suffer from its rehashed plot line and force-fed contrivances, but Edgerton manages to move The Square well beyond those negatives through his ability to absorb his audience into the story and build a tight, energetic, and visually gritty picture that masks what could very well have been deal-breaking elements. Supported by a good cast and a fine score, The Square is a picture well worth watching. Sony's Blu-ray release delivers a high quality technical presentation and a nice assortment of extras. Recommended.
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