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Transsiberian
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - America - First Look Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Rob Fields & Noor Razzak (3rd December 2008). |
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The Film
 When it comes to this particular title, the only thing that I remember about it is if I wanted to go see it, I would have to drive about 60 miles since it only played in arthouses mostly. Far from that, I had no real desire to view the film. But, isn’t it amazing what titles find their way to you when you write reviews? So, I guess the lesson to be learned here is that when you write reviews: You may avoid the arthouse at your end, but it has a way of coming and finding you later on. So, let’s see if this title was something I should have driven the 60 miles to see. “Transsiberian” follows a Transsiberian train from Beijing to Moscow and turns into a thrilling chase of deception, drug trafficking and murder when Americans Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) and a pair of fellow travelers, Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (Kate Mara), are targeted by ex-KGB detective Grinko (Ben Kingsley). The cinematography is already noticeable in the opening scene, which takes place in Russia. You can see that it has that kind of drab-looking atmosphere. That, and everybody’s speaking Russian. When that scene’s finishes, it cuts to Beijing where the colors are more vibrant and everybody’s a little more on the up-and-up. Of course, you have to admire the acting ability of Ben Kingsley. This guy never ceases to amaze me. When I had first seen him in “Species” (1995), I didn’t think too much of him. But as I started to see him in other movies, it became evident that he constantly shows viewers that he is in the acting business. I’ve also seen Mortimer in many film festival and arthouse movies. While not as impressive as Kingsley, she can definitely hold her own. She does so here with the guilt she brings upon herself almost halfway through the movie. The downsides? Woody Harrelson always seems to sound the same in every movie I’ve seen him in. It surprises me that he even gets Oscar nominations. Don’t get me wrong, he can definitely show emotions by the looks on his face. But when it comes to his accent, he’s basically monotone. I don’t know about you, who are reading this, but for me this is a big distraction. Also, the story is slow in building up before anything exciting happens. I suppose to a point, this is good for character development. Still, I didn’t really find myself caring too much for these characters. In the past, I have come very close to walking out of movies because of this. My final word: To answer my question of whether or not I would have driven the 60 miles to see this movie should be pretty much self-explanatory here. When it comes to the Cedar Lee Theatre (the arthouse), it would have been worth going to visit that district and enjoy the theater’s vintage-looking atmosphere and popcorn. As for the movie itself, I can only recommend it for people who enjoy long, boring thrillers. Sorry to say that, but even the kicker at the end doesn’t pay off. To sum it up, I’m definitely going to say pass on it.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 2.35:1 this high-definition image is in 1080p 24/fps and has been created using VC-1 compression. The film's dreary color palette is accurately reproduced here, maintaining the white and blue hues well. I was not able to spot any noise amid the white levels. There does not appear to be any compression related flaws, noise is nil, there's no edge-enhancement or digital noise reduction applied to this film. The grain is present but light and adds texture, blacks appear bold and solid. The film's sharpness is razor-like and detail holds up extremely well. Overall it's a terrific transfer.
Audio
The film features two English soundtracks. The first is a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack. The second soundtrack is a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. There are optional English and Spanish subtitles available. Flipping between both soundtracks, they sound virtually the same. In fact, I can’t really tell the difference between the two. The film mostly has dramatic elements anyway, so it’s not like you’re in this movie for things like listening to dinosaurs stomping or big explosions taking place.
Extras
First Look has included only a small collection of extras featuring a series of start-up bonus trailers and a featurette. Below is a closer look at these supplements. First up is the only major extra on this disc a "Making Of" featurette that runs for 33 minutes 56 seconds. In this clip the film's director talks about his own experiences on the transsiberian journey and also looks at the film's production. We are treated to some fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes footage of the filming as the cast comment on the film, their involvement, the characters they play and on working with the director. It provides a brief analysis on the motivations and plot but mainly focuses on the shooting and this also include the look of the film among other things. Rounding out the disc are a collection of bonus trailers that play before the menu, but are also accessible from the menu itself, they include: - "War, Inc." which runs for 1 minute 55 seconds. - "Sukyaki Western Django" which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - "Priceless" which runs for 1 minute 14 seconds. - "Birds of America" which runs for 1 minute 16 seconds.
Overall
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