Video:

Dopamine is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture is anamorphic. The film was shot in high-definition video and looks fantastic on this DVD. The picture is sharp, with a very even black level and no noticeable artifacts.

Sound:

With the exceptions of moments in Eric Holland's score, the sound in this Dolby 5.1 mix is exclusively run through the front speakers. It's a dialogue-driven film (no explosions and the only violence is Sarah slapping a guy once), though, so the lack of surround usage is not a major detriment.

Extras:

This is a loaded disc. There's a feature length commentary with Decena, Breitbach and Lloyd. There's a palpable sense of affection for the film between the three of them. It's scene-specific, but there's a lot of interesting talk about how the film got made, as well; Dopamine was the first film to go through all levels of the Sundance Institute support system.

The first level of that support is getting a short film, a filmmaker's calling card, into the festival. Decena did that in 1996, with "One of Those Days" – another extra included on this DVD.

There are three deleted scenes included as well, with explanations as to why they were removed from the final cut. A behind-the-scenes featurette, a director's introduction and trailers for Dopamine and the Sundance Film Series.

Final Thoughts:

Dopamine does not reinvent the romantic drama. But it is the pinnacle of what the genre can be: Moving, affectionate, funny at times and painfully truthful in its portrayal of modern-day relationships. Throw in fantastic performances from Livingston, Lloyd and Campos and Dopamine becomes a criminally overlooked gem.