| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Event, The
ThinkFilm // R // April 13, 2004
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
THE MOVIE
The Event begins with New York City police arriving on the scene to remove the body of Michael Shapiro (Don McKellar), who has apparently just died of the AIDS virus. But there seems to be some question of how Michael really died, so Assistant D.A. Nicole DeVito (Parker Posey) is assigned to the case.
What follows is a film that addresses both the issue of AIDS and assisted suicide, that is lifted by some good performances – but ultimately still feels very much like a Lifetime movie made for the big screen. We've seen much of this before in many other films, and The Event, while never totally uninteresting, doesn't really emotionally affect the viewer as much as it should.
Michael's story is told in a series of flashbacks, as Nicole interviews the people closest to him. There are some nice performances by Olympia Dukakis as Michael's mother, and by Sarah Polley (yes, the same Sarah Polley from the recent Dawn of the Dead remake) – but the material ultimately tries to be too much of a "message movie"…leading to many long-winded speeches about the quality of life, that seem more scripted than realistic.
All in all, though, this isn't a bad little movie and worth a look if you're interested in the subject matter or a fan of one or more of the actors in the film.
THE DVD
Video:
The film is letterboxed, but not anamorphic – which is almost inexcusable for a 2004 DVD release. The quality of the picture itself is also so-so, with a very "soft" look to the picture, which lacks sharpness and has a faded look to the color tones (although the latter may be intentional by the director). There's also a slight hint of grain evident in the picture, although not to the point where it becomes a distraction.
Audio:
The audio is presented in 2.0 Dolby, and has a real distant sound to it…meaning you'll have to crank up your volume a few notches above where you normally do in order to hear what is going on. Other than that, the audio is basically what you'd expect from a 2.0 track.
Extras:
Other than a chapter selection, the only extra on this disc is the Theatrical Trailer, which – like the movie itself – is letterboxed, but not anamorphic. The trailer is actually quite deceptive, painting the movie as a comedy by showing all the lighthearted moments in the film. So assuming you've caught the trailer somewhere and haven't seen the movie yet, be forewarned that this is definitely a heavy drama with some lighthearted moments, rather than the laugh-fest that the trailer tries to make it out to be.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I'm going to give this one a rental recommendation – not so much for the story (which I felt was overly manipulative), but for the actors involve, who really help elevate the subject matter. Unfortunately, even if you wind up enjoying the film more than I did, I don't think the replay value of the movie is very high – so definitely rent before purchasing.
The Event begins with New York City police arriving on the scene to remove the body of Michael Shapiro (Don McKellar), who has apparently just died of the AIDS virus. But there seems to be some question of how Michael really died, so Assistant D.A. Nicole DeVito (Parker Posey) is assigned to the case.
What follows is a film that addresses both the issue of AIDS and assisted suicide, that is lifted by some good performances – but ultimately still feels very much like a Lifetime movie made for the big screen. We've seen much of this before in many other films, and The Event, while never totally uninteresting, doesn't really emotionally affect the viewer as much as it should.
Michael's story is told in a series of flashbacks, as Nicole interviews the people closest to him. There are some nice performances by Olympia Dukakis as Michael's mother, and by Sarah Polley (yes, the same Sarah Polley from the recent Dawn of the Dead remake) – but the material ultimately tries to be too much of a "message movie"…leading to many long-winded speeches about the quality of life, that seem more scripted than realistic.
All in all, though, this isn't a bad little movie and worth a look if you're interested in the subject matter or a fan of one or more of the actors in the film.
THE DVD
Video:
The film is letterboxed, but not anamorphic – which is almost inexcusable for a 2004 DVD release. The quality of the picture itself is also so-so, with a very "soft" look to the picture, which lacks sharpness and has a faded look to the color tones (although the latter may be intentional by the director). There's also a slight hint of grain evident in the picture, although not to the point where it becomes a distraction.
Audio:
The audio is presented in 2.0 Dolby, and has a real distant sound to it…meaning you'll have to crank up your volume a few notches above where you normally do in order to hear what is going on. Other than that, the audio is basically what you'd expect from a 2.0 track.
Extras:
Other than a chapter selection, the only extra on this disc is the Theatrical Trailer, which – like the movie itself – is letterboxed, but not anamorphic. The trailer is actually quite deceptive, painting the movie as a comedy by showing all the lighthearted moments in the film. So assuming you've caught the trailer somewhere and haven't seen the movie yet, be forewarned that this is definitely a heavy drama with some lighthearted moments, rather than the laugh-fest that the trailer tries to make it out to be.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I'm going to give this one a rental recommendation – not so much for the story (which I felt was overly manipulative), but for the actors involve, who really help elevate the subject matter. Unfortunately, even if you wind up enjoying the film more than I did, I don't think the replay value of the movie is very high – so definitely rent before purchasing.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||