Nirvana (DVD)
APPROX. 96 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1997 - MPA RATING: R
" ...in addition to clichéd ideas, there is no genuine sense of danger or suspense in the movie.
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About halfway through all of this, I had the feeling that any semblance of sense and continuity had disappeared, as Jimi's game and Jimi's reality began to merge ("organ hunters" are a facet of Jimi's game and Jimi's reality; Jimi wears a device on his face that looks like a metal version of the facehugger in "Alien"; and so on). The characters in "Nirvana" are similar to the ones in "Pleasantville"; they all think they're real, but their lives are pre-programmed. Salvatores tries to make highfalutin inferences about topics like destiny and free will and ultimate serenity, but the results come out so scrambled and so vague as to be practically useless.
Two of the best parts of the movie are its photography and its sets. But even here, the movie echoes many, far-better films. The camera angles, colors, and props remind one of any number of previous sci-fi/fantasy releases from "Planet of the Apes" to "Logan's Run" to "Tron"; and the dark tone of the sets, especially the crowded, outdoor street scenes, are straight out of "Blade Runner." Still, it all looks pretty good. Plus, I liked several of the supporting players, Solo in particular, the befuddled video-game character, and Joystick, with his grotesque eye implants.
The least effective parts of the film are its derivative themes; its muddled pseudo-spiritual meandering; its impassive acting from star Christopher Lambert, who smiles faintly on a couple of occasions; and the fact that by the time it ends, the film has simply degenerated into a long, tired chase sequence.
Worse, in addition to clichéd ideas, there is no genuine sense of danger or suspense in the movie. If "Nirvana" is not going to satisfy a viewer on the level of an action thriller or a philosophical quest, then what is its purpose? The movie concludes with the notion that each of us, perhaps all of existence, is merely "a crystal of snow in the firmament." That's actually an impressive idea, but it isn't developed enough here to generate a very engrossing motion picture.
Video:
Except for a little more grain than I would have liked and perhaps a slightly too darkish overall appearance, the picture quality is pretty good. It's transferred to disc in an anamorphic widescreen scope that measures a ratio approximately 1.75:1 across my standard-screen Sony HD television, and a reasonably high bit rate delivers deep, solid colors. There are times when the image looks a little rough, but most of the time it is quite sharp and vivid.
Audio:
At first I wasn't too impressed by the Dolby Digital 5.1 sonics. It appeared to me that all of the sound was coming from up front and almost nothing from the surrounds. But as the movie progressed, I noticed the sound opening up, producing small ambient noises in the rear and sides of the room, street noises, crowd noises, and then a barking dog that I swore was outside my window. Later, a restaurant scene comes off so realistically you can hear every plate clattering in the kitchen. The bass could be stronger, as well as the dynamics, but otherwise we have good, clean audio here.
What isn't so easy to take is the fact that the film has been dubbed in English, with most everyone saying things that don't quite match their lip movements. I suppose you could count this a plus for contributing a touch of added surrealism to the story, but I found it distracting.
Extras:
Nothing here. Maybe Buena Vista pushed the "Delete" button and erased all the bonus materials or something. What we do have are a measly thirteen scene selections; English as the only spoken language; French and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired. Nevertheless, you can understand BV's reluctance to spend a lot of money on this release.
Parting Shots:
"Nirvana" has a lot going for it in terms of its basic premise and its look. But as I've said, not enough is done with its subject matter that isn't highly derivative and easily anticipated. Throw in some fairly uninteresting, blasé characters and a few bits and pieces of a half dozen other sci-fi movies we've all seen, and the results are less than what they could have been. Still, for fans of the genre, the film might be fun for a single run-through.
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