Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Son of a corrupt Russian general, suspected Chechen terrorist Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) illegally sneaks into Hamburg and, with the help of his lawyer (Rachel McAdams), seeks to recover his father’s ill-gotten fortune from banker Tommy Brue (Willem Dafoe). American counterterrorism spies led by Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright) plan to seize him, but German intelligence agent Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his team have other ideas, hoping to use Karpov’s inheritance to help catch a prominent Muslim who, Bachmann believes, is secretly funneling money to terrorists. Inspired acting and insightful direction flatter John le Carré’s espionage thriller.

Video quality is well suited to the subject matter. From rich, bright whites to deep blacks, gray scale is glorious. Shadow detail is outstanding, as can be seen in the folds of Hoffman’s dress shirts. Filmed largely in subdued light, contrast is at once natural and impressive. Only an occasional blast of washed-out whites during fluorescent or outdoor lighting diminishes this transfer. Colors, muted and subtle, are virtually perfect. Fleshtones are supremely natural and avoid oversaturation. Shot with a penchant for shallow focus, there is a consequent loss of sharpness and detail. Hoffman’s perpetually stubbled cheeks and the textures of coarse fabrics are accurately rendered, but the finest details are often homogenized. Edge enhancement is noticeable on location shots.

Audio suffers no such loss of detail. Dialogue articulation is almost flawless, Hoffman’s soft, gravelly voice coming through with resplendent clarity. Although the film presents little opportunity for hard surround effects, the rear channels are put to good use, as ambient detail abounds: street noise, boat horns, and generous Foley effects add real dimension to the viewing experience. Herbert Gronemeyer’s ominous musical score is masterfully mixed, never dominating the soundtrack but nonetheless omnipresent, subtly heightening the suspense and tension of the plot.

The only criticism of this disc’s extras is that there aren’t enough of them. The making-of featurette contains worthwhile insights from the stars (probably one of Hoffman’s last on-camera interviews) and director. Hoffman, in his last leading role, is mesmerizing as le Carré’s disheveled, boozy-but-brilliant spymaster. A timeless farewell performance from one of Hollywood’s immortals.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Lionsgate, 2014
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 122 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Anton Corbijn
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe