5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Sam Ellis is a man on the rise - a federal prosecutor on the cusp of a bright political future. But what was meant to be a one-time experience with a high-end escort instead turns into a growing addiction. His moral compass unraveling, his new demon threatens to destroy his life, family and career.
Starring: Lena Headey, Richard Dreyfuss, Ray Winstone, John Cho, Dianna AgronThriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Zipper's second shot depicts Sam Ellis' (Patrick Wilson) wedding ring clanking nervously off a glass, immediately establishing two critical identities, one overtly physical and more covertly emotional that comes to light as the film develops. The shot says he's married and, more subtly but still quite clearly, that it's not a perfect marriage. Indeed, Zipper explores the physical, mental, and emotional state of a man who isn't merely unfaithful but whose psychological addiction to extramarital sex leads him down a darkened path from which neither he nor his family may ever be able to escape. Zipper, written and directed by Mora Stephens (Conventioneers), uses external drama to amplify an intimate, and often fascinating -- even as it's rather dramatically stale -- study of a secret side of the human condition in which addiction not only to life's darkest carnal pleasures but also the drug-like highs and emotional lows that follow in an ebb and flow of right and wrong signals rushing through the brain are explored to surprising satisfaction both on the surface and deeper within.
No turning back.
Zipper arrives on Blu-ray with a high-end, but routine, 1080p transfer, meaning it looks great but doesn't really stand apart in any distinguishable way. The digital photography source leaves the picture looking a hair smooth and glossy, but it's never much of an issue. The transfer is clean as a whistle and as sharp as the medium allows, revealing intimate facial features -- pores, pock marks, wrinkles, lines, and stubble -- with remarkable clarity and definition up close. Clothing textures, appointments around a fancy hotel, and other secondary elements are consistently well defined and sharp, too. Colors are steady and pleasing, with the palette never appearing in any way showy or dull; there's a pleasant evenness to the various hues that are so effortlessly realistic that viewers really won't notice one way or another, which is a good thing. Black levels are suitably deep and yield positive shadow detailing. Flesh tones are likewise fine. Aside from minor bouts of source noise there's no evidence of any other unwanted intrusions such as banding, aliasing, or macroblocking. All in all, this is a perfectly good -- great -- presentation from Alchemy.
Zipper's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is likewise unremarkable, but not with a minor flaw. The primary issue is dialogue that's not quite as loud as expected, playing a bit shallow in spots, particularly early on but never feeling as naturally aggressive as it should. Prioritization is never a problem -- background sounds always give way to favor the spoken word -- but there's a lightness to it, a minor reservation, that keeps it from commanding the stage, a shame considering that dialogue is the dominant sonic factor throughout the movie. Otherwise, the track is pleasant enough, with suitably stable and spacious music and minor support ambience, including light applause in chapter four.
Zipper contains a commentary and deleted scenes with commentary.
Zipper has all the makings of a throwaway Thriller, but it's instead a surprisingly rich and intimate character study made fairly intense and absorbing thanks to Patrick Wilson's strong lead performance. The film's peripherals aren't particularly exciting or novel, but Wilson brings a tangible depth to the part that sells the story's emotional core very well. The result is a rock-solid film that, even considering its pedestrian edges, will keep audiences engaged for the duration. Alchemy's Blu-ray is fairly standard (in a good way), offering strong video, decent enough audio, and a few extras. Recommended.
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