If imitation is the highest form of praise, this facsimile not only pays tribute to some of the best of its kind but darned near tops them!
Then, there are Maury Chaykin as a corrupt politician named Matthew Terrell, Mel Winkler as a bar owner named Joppy, Lisa Nicole Carson as Coretta James, and Terry Kinny as millionaire Todd Carter. Lastly, let me mention the two goon policemen and the two good hoodlums who are practically interchangeable (like Hemingway´s "The Killers" or the hit men in "Bullitt"); and Easy´s friend Deacon Odell (complete with "The Life of Riley" playing on the radio, or don´t you remember that show´s undertaker, Digger O´Dell?).
Screenwriter and director Carl Franklin oversees matters with an eye for period authenticity, shooting in and about the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. It all adds up to one terrific private-eye film.
Video:
Side one of the disc contains a widescreen edition of the film, about 1.74:1 in ratio, and side two contains a full-screen, 1.33:1, edition. Comparisons are always interesting. The widescreen version conveys about 20-25% more image left to right than the full-screen version, but the latter conveys about 10% more information at the bottom of the screen. Each has been matted from the original film stock in different ways, with the original, theatrical widescreen format ultimately conveying the most picture. The quality of that picture is quite good, too, although not always as vivid or well defined as it might be. I wonder if it wasn´t the director´s intention to communicate some of the film´s mood through the use of soft color tones and delicate contrasts. Not having had the time to sit through the film a second time to listen to the director´s commentary, I can´t tell you if Franklin explains the question somewhere.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital sound is adequate but in no way remarkable. It does what it has to do with a minimum of bother. Tires screech in the left and right channels, gunfire is heard from all directions and overhead, and drink glasses tinkle convincingly behind us in the nightclub settings.
Extras:
The major bonus items are the aforementioned director´s commentary, a screen test with actor Don Cheadle, plus an animated scene selections menu. And the language choices include not only the accustomed English and Spanish, but Portuguese. Portuguese? I can understand having French and Spanish on most DVDs, what with Hollywood´s neighbors to the north and south, but Portuguese? Well, it´s a first.
Parting Thoughts:
As though you hadn´t deduced it by now, "Devil in a Blue Dress" is basically a reworking of "The Big Sleep." If imitation is the highest form of praise, this facsimile not only pays tribute to some of the best of its kind but darned near tops them! The plot isn´t much to brag about, but the characters and mood are. The film fared only middling well at the box office; maybe it didn´t contain enough asteroids or space aliens. This new DVD, with its enhanced qualities for home viewing, gives audiences a chance to redeem themselves. It´s one of the year´s best releases.
Screenwriter and director Carl Franklin oversees matters with an eye for period authenticity, shooting in and about the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. It all adds up to one terrific private-eye film.
Video:
Side one of the disc contains a widescreen edition of the film, about 1.74:1 in ratio, and side two contains a full-screen, 1.33:1, edition. Comparisons are always interesting. The widescreen version conveys about 20-25% more image left to right than the full-screen version, but the latter conveys about 10% more information at the bottom of the screen. Each has been matted from the original film stock in different ways, with the original, theatrical widescreen format ultimately conveying the most picture. The quality of that picture is quite good, too, although not always as vivid or well defined as it might be. I wonder if it wasn´t the director´s intention to communicate some of the film´s mood through the use of soft color tones and delicate contrasts. Not having had the time to sit through the film a second time to listen to the director´s commentary, I can´t tell you if Franklin explains the question somewhere.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital sound is adequate but in no way remarkable. It does what it has to do with a minimum of bother. Tires screech in the left and right channels, gunfire is heard from all directions and overhead, and drink glasses tinkle convincingly behind us in the nightclub settings.
Extras:
The major bonus items are the aforementioned director´s commentary, a screen test with actor Don Cheadle, plus an animated scene selections menu. And the language choices include not only the accustomed English and Spanish, but Portuguese. Portuguese? I can understand having French and Spanish on most DVDs, what with Hollywood´s neighbors to the north and south, but Portuguese? Well, it´s a first.
Parting Thoughts:
As though you hadn´t deduced it by now, "Devil in a Blue Dress" is basically a reworking of "The Big Sleep." If imitation is the highest form of praise, this facsimile not only pays tribute to some of the best of its kind but darned near tops them! The plot isn´t much to brag about, but the characters and mood are. The film fared only middling well at the box office; maybe it didn´t contain enough asteroids or space aliens. This new DVD, with its enhanced qualities for home viewing, gives audiences a chance to redeem themselves. It´s one of the year´s best releases.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]1505[/release]