Though Cronicas isn't as suspenseful as it could have been, the performances are strong and the mob scenes are unforgettable. When all is said and done, it's TV journalism that takes a beating.
Video: The video quality is superb, with good clarity and color definition, despite the drab squalor of daily life in these small Ecuadorian towns. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, which well suits Chediak's more panoramic shots, which were filmed using 35mm stock.
Audio: Soundtrack options are Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Stereo 2.0, and an English 2.0 commentary track with Cordero providing an insightful scene-by-scene narration. What's nice for English speakers is to be able to listen to the commentary while still getting the English subtitles for the film's dialogue, so that nothing is missed. Everything is enhanced. And the soundtrack has some "pop" to it, with guitars on the musical backdrop clear as a concert.
Extras: For a small-studio and Spanish-language release, "Cronicas" is surprisingly loaded with extras. Cordero's commentary is intelligent and full of insights and background information. He's not shy about sharing his influences, both cinematic and literary, or giving details about the filming that expose the low-budget nature of the production. We learn that the character of Vinicio was based on three real-life people whom Cordero read about, including a mass murderer in Columbia who lived a double life apart from the woman and her children he lived with, and a real Bible salesman in Ecuador who used his occupation as a ploy to get people to trust him. Whether Cordero talks about a female psychiatrist he spoke to during his research who told him about the distinctive "smell" that sociopaths had, or the restrictions on filming that Ecuador's blazing sun caused and the "rain" provided by local firemen, the commentary moves forward with the same level of interest as the film itself.
Other extras include a "Making of" feature that's in Spanish with English subtitles, alternate and deleted scenes, trailers, a photo gallery, and a long feature on the collaboration between Brazilian composer Antonio Pinto and Mexican musicians Los Shajatos. While there's some overlapping in content on the "making of" feature, the format is interesting because it falls somewhere between the highly staged and summary-oriented commercial productions and the let-the-cameras-roll Indy idea of behind-the-scenes chronicles. One interesting segment shows Watling trying to get over her fear of heights and performing scenes on the "bypass" mazes of aerial sidewalks connecting those stilt houses. It's a vertigo-producing nightmare, and behind-the-scenes shots of the filming are almost more fascinating than the sequences in the film. The music feature is also quite good, if overly long for people who are merely curious and not students of musical collaboration. But watching how methodically the music was developed to augment the film's tension and moments of release, we can appreciate the attention to details that goes into a film such as this.
Bottom Line: Though "Cronicas" isn't as suspenseful as it could have been, the performances are strong and the mob scenes are unforgettable. When all is said and done, it's TV journalism that takes a beating.
Audio: Soundtrack options are Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Stereo 2.0, and an English 2.0 commentary track with Cordero providing an insightful scene-by-scene narration. What's nice for English speakers is to be able to listen to the commentary while still getting the English subtitles for the film's dialogue, so that nothing is missed. Everything is enhanced. And the soundtrack has some "pop" to it, with guitars on the musical backdrop clear as a concert.
Extras: For a small-studio and Spanish-language release, "Cronicas" is surprisingly loaded with extras. Cordero's commentary is intelligent and full of insights and background information. He's not shy about sharing his influences, both cinematic and literary, or giving details about the filming that expose the low-budget nature of the production. We learn that the character of Vinicio was based on three real-life people whom Cordero read about, including a mass murderer in Columbia who lived a double life apart from the woman and her children he lived with, and a real Bible salesman in Ecuador who used his occupation as a ploy to get people to trust him. Whether Cordero talks about a female psychiatrist he spoke to during his research who told him about the distinctive "smell" that sociopaths had, or the restrictions on filming that Ecuador's blazing sun caused and the "rain" provided by local firemen, the commentary moves forward with the same level of interest as the film itself.
Other extras include a "Making of" feature that's in Spanish with English subtitles, alternate and deleted scenes, trailers, a photo gallery, and a long feature on the collaboration between Brazilian composer Antonio Pinto and Mexican musicians Los Shajatos. While there's some overlapping in content on the "making of" feature, the format is interesting because it falls somewhere between the highly staged and summary-oriented commercial productions and the let-the-cameras-roll Indy idea of behind-the-scenes chronicles. One interesting segment shows Watling trying to get over her fear of heights and performing scenes on the "bypass" mazes of aerial sidewalks connecting those stilt houses. It's a vertigo-producing nightmare, and behind-the-scenes shots of the filming are almost more fascinating than the sequences in the film. The music feature is also quite good, if overly long for people who are merely curious and not students of musical collaboration. But watching how methodically the music was developed to augment the film's tension and moments of release, we can appreciate the attention to details that goes into a film such as this.
Bottom Line: Though "Cronicas" isn't as suspenseful as it could have been, the performances are strong and the mob scenes are unforgettable. When all is said and done, it's TV journalism that takes a beating.
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[release]17570[/release]