Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke star as friends who grew up like brothers on the gritty streets of south Boston. They do whatever it takes to survive, living by the code of their dog-eat-dog neighborhood. Petty crimes and misdemeanors grow into more serious offenses and eventually, they fall under sway to organized crime boss Pat Kelly. As Brian becomes increasingly lost in a haze of drugs and 'jobs,' even the love he has for his wife and his children does not seem like it will be enough to redeem him. Meanwhile, Paulie plans "one last heist" but knows it will take both of them to pull it off. How can they escape the only life they know?

I had never heard of this film before receiving it for review. The film paints a rather bleek portrait of two criminals in Boston that have devoted their life to being errand boys for a local gangster. But when their boss gets arrested and sent to prison they decide to start trying to earn for themselves. The story doesn’t really bring anything real new to the table but it does show the struggle of trying to make a life in the game and the affect it takes on everything in your life. Ruffalo and Hawke give outstanding performances and despite a somewhat slow pace at times this is a pretty solid crime drama.

Sony delivers a beautifully shot HD presentation. There really isn’t anything to fault here at all. Detail is impeccable and fine object detail is breathtaking at times. The film has a very contrasty look with a stark bluish color palette that conveys the cold streets of Boston beautifully. Black levels are outstanding with great shadow details that really add to the sense of dimension and depth the transfer provides. Sony continues to be one of the best Blu-ray studios out there and this transfer is just another example of how good Blu-ray can look.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is about what I expected from this type of film. The film doesn’t have a lot of action in it so don’t expect too much in terms of extension but the track has a very natural soundstage with plenty of ambiance and spatial resolution. Surrounds do a great job of conveying atmosphere and the imaging across the mains is seamless. There is plenty of punch in the low end when needed and the score does a great job of keeping you locked in the mood of the film. Dialogue is devoid of strain and timbre is very natural. All in all a very solid showing from Sony with this one.

Extras include a feature commentary with the writer and director along with some deleted scenes. You also get the typical promo style making of feature complete with onset footage and interviews.

A solid crime drama with outstanding performances across the board. Sony once again delivers an incredible A/V presentation making this an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.