Steel City

Jun does an admirable job in capturing the blue-collar life of Middle America. His shots of his hometown read like a photo album. He´s not the most visually stimulating director, but he´s also not preoccupied with establishing his own unique style in disservice to the scene, a common mistake from inexperienced filmmakers. Luckily, Jun doesn´t permit the camera to get in the way of his actors who are the strongest element in "Steel City." Two of the best performances come from John Heard and Raymond J. Barry, both veteran character actors. Heard may be more familiar to most film-goers for his comedic roles in "Big" and "Home Alone." Here, he does a wonderful job in a small, understated, role. Barry is excellent in his supporting role as well; bringing the most gravitas of anybody in the cast. It´s no surprise to see that he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Guiry has shown he´s done a lot of growing up since playing Scotty Smalls in "The Sandlot." "Ugly Betty" fans might be a bit disappointed that America Ferrera doesn´t have that big a part.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is clean without any noticeable grain or blemishes. The film has a cold palette of grayish-blue.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo.

EXTRAS:
This may be a small, low-budget film, but the DVD has a fair selection of bonus features.

The DVD includes two audio commentary tracks. The first is with writer/director Brian Jun and director of photography Ryan Samui. The pair digs into the technical side of filmmaking and Jun also discusses his time in film school. The second track features Jun and Samui along with actors John Heard and Clayne Crawford. This track isn´t as informative and tends to lean towards the jokey side, but there are some on-set anecdotes.

Also included is a short film by Jun called, "For Jimmy Brown." It stars the director himself as a young man on crutches who is hospitalized and befriends an elderly patient.

Rounding out the extras is a collection of deleted scenes, a photo gallery and the film´s theatrical trailer.

FILM VALUE:
"Steel City" isn´t a plot-driven piece, but a slice of life film. There are a few moments that border on tedium. There are also scenes that feel quite clunky and ham-handed. While Jun doesn´t bog down his script with unneeded exposition or on-the-nose dialogue, he does slip in scenes that feel like they´re only there to be award show clips. Still, the performances are strong enough to elevate an above average script and make this a mild recommendation.

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