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Seduced and Abandoned
R2 - United Kingdom - Soda Pictures Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (6th February 2014). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with Oscar-nominated director James Toback (TYSON) as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. SEDUCED AND ABANDONED features fascinating insights from Ryan Gosling, Diane Kruger, Jessica Chastain, Martin Scorsese, Berenice Bejo, Roman Polanski and many others. The movie business is the worst girlfriend in the world. You are seduced and abandoned over and over again.
Video
Independent British distributor Soda Pictures have released James Toback's documentary about attempting to fund a movie whilst at the Cannes Film Festival in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 which has been anamorphically enhanced. As to be expected from a documentary with footage of movies from various eras, the quality changes throughout. When the feature first starts, the quality looks a little drab. Faces are bright red, there's a lack of sharpness, and detail is lacking. Thankfully, this isn't true for the vast majority of the feature, which features a mix of pre-planned interviews, and opportunist interviews that take place off-the-cuff. Colours are generally strong, and blacks deep, with details in faces showing good clarity. The film archival footage is what lets the picture down. We have a number of clips from films such as "Three to Tango", and "Repulsion", but unfortunately these clips appear to have come from some rather dated sources. Outside of these archive clips, there are no signs of damage to the transfer. The feature runs 94:29.
Audio
There are two audio tracks included here: - English Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo For my viewing, I opted for the English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, and I thought it was a little underwhelming. Although the documentary is very much dialogue orientated, the score rarely manages to reach the surrounds, and the rears are essentially used for a couple of subtle instances of crowds and weather. The LFE was also rarely used. Still, the track is certainly acceptable for a documentary and there are no signs of damage. Dialogue is clear at all times, and volume levels are consistent. I noticed no drop outs or scratches, and only minimal background hiss during some of the quieter moments. No subtitles have been included.
Extras
The only extras of substance, are a series of deleted scenes: - "Director's and Critics" (6:35) - "Toback Reminisces" (9:06) - "The Stars At Cannes" (9:57) These deleted scenes have been well separated and placed into the relevant categories, the most fascinating of which I found to be "Director's and Credit's", not least for when Toback asks Martin Scorsese whether or not the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio in "Shutter Island" was for financial reasons so that the feature could get made. Other noteworthy interviewees in these deleted scenes include Diane Kruger, Berenice Bejo, and Jessica Chastain. The rest of the extras are self-explanatory. Start-up Trailers: - "Woody Allen: A Documentary" (1:56) - "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" (2:04) - "The Joy of Six" (1:36) Theatrical Trailer (2:00)
Overall
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