5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
One day in the lives of ten seemingly disparate women - including a porn star, a flight attendant, a psychiatrist, a masseuse, a bartender and a pair of call girls -- all with one thing in common: trouble. Elektra Luxx is a world-famous porn star whose future is thrown for a loop with the news that she's pregnant. Holly Rocket is a not-too-bright adult industry newcomer with an inconvenient aversion to girl-girl action. Their paths intersect with, among others, a hilariously suave British Rock Star, a bright neurotic with a dark past and a call girl with a tricky client.
Starring: Carla Gugino, Adrianne Palicki, Ermahn Ospina, Dan Mailley, Connie BrittonComedy | 100% |
Drama | 81% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Combining a recognizable cast with a story that seemed rather intriguing, Women in Trouble had all the makings for breakthrough indie success. After all, given the increasing popularity of director Pedro Almodovar’s body of work (often centered on strong female characters), it seemed a natural progression to find new directors willing to carry on his legacy. Unfortunately, the one element of Women in Trouble that didn’t strike me until it was too late was the realization that the writer/director of this indie feature is the same man that brought us the screenplay for Snakes on a Plane, The Eye, and Rise: Blood Hunter. Every up-and-coming writer/director has to start somewhere, so I should make it abundantly clear that I waited to look up his prior work until after Women in Trouble had concluded. However, now that I’ve witnessed the latest writing effort of Sabastian Gutierrez, I can’t genuinely say this ranked toward the bottom of his shallow body of work.
Anyone care to guess why a nun and a cowgirl are locked up together?
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 23Mbps), Women in Trouble sports a fairly dismal visual presentation. Fine object detail ranks well below the level we've grown accustomed to on Blu-ray, with a large number of shots appearing only slightly better than the quality of an up-scaled DVD. Even in extreme facial close-ups, the texturing on the surface of skin is completely lacking, as if covered by a veil of haze. Colors don't fare much better, incorporating a palette that rarely transcends the drab hues of various indoor settings. Skin tones vary from overly red to sickly yellow, affording the spectrum an unnatural palette that never appears enticing. Regarding black level depth, the transfer remains entirely inconsistent from scene to scene, leaving contrast unable to effectively differentiate between subtle shade transitions in the foreground and background.
Despite the appearance of several well-defined shots, the majority of the film is a visual disappointment in every category. Go in with low expectations, and you'll find it much easier to stomach.
Despite the upgrade to lossless compression, Women in Trouble remains incapable of transcending its low budget roots. Dialogue is the driving force behind the mix, resulting in shallow use of the rear sound stage, and planting the majority of the audio spectrum within the confines of the front channels. Given the nature of the film this wouldn't be a major problem, but inconsistent volume levels coupled with muddled line delivery present further problems. Listening to the women deliver their monologues on various issues in their tragic past becomes rather difficult when you're forced to constantly adjust the volume on your receiver. To make the situation worse, director Sabastian Gutierrez tosses in several outrageously loud flashback sequences that deliver loud noises with a blur of images. After turning up the volume to a point where I could understand 99% of the dialog, I found those sudden flashbacks shockingly loud. All of these issues where likely present in the original theatrical presentation (given the low-budget photography and cheap sound design), but they don't make for a rousing improvement in the transition to a lossless offering.
Behind the Scenes with Holly Rocket and Elektra Luxx (1080p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:48 min): This brief comedy routine is intended as a promo for the film.
Pool Teaser Trailer (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:06 min): The main actresses from the film appear in a sexy promo wearing lingerie.
Pool Teaser Trailer (720p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:06 min): The main actresses from the film appear in a sexy promo wearing lingerie.
Deleted Scenes (1080i, Dolby Digital 2.0): One segment of the film features various actors portraying outrageous characters in therapy sessions. The collection of deleted scenes included on the disc presents five extended scenes from those "Therapy Monologues".
Women in Trouble is an exercise in patience that I find impossible to recommend. All of the pieces are in place for an enticing slice of female empowerment, but the sloppy script and amateur production values quickly suck the life out of the interesting setup. From what I've heard, Gutierrez intends to make a second and third film in the series, but unless he's able to hit the notes that make Almodovar (Volver) such a talented director, I'd suggest he go back to writing mindless scripts and directing straight-to-video action films.
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