Video:

The widescreen transfer of In This World is solid, but it can't correct some of the flaws inherent of shooting in the above-outlined conditions. There are a few times in which the colors seem overexposed and the amount of grain goes up as the amount of light in a scene goes down. The latter is especially true in the scenes shot at night, using the camera's "night vision" setting.

Sound:

Maybe the most impressive technical aspect of the film is how the sound comes across cleanly. There is no distortion to be found in the Dolby Digital mix, which is concentrated in the front speakers.

Extras:

Because of the experience shooting the film, In This World begs for a full-length, scene specific commentary. We have to settle for Winterbottom and writer Tony Grisoni talking over b-roll and behind the scenes footage. It's a full half-hour of fascinating stories about the research for the trip (Winterbottom and Grisoni both traveled the route themselves to prepare), how the "actors" turned up in the least-expected places and the process of working in hostile areas (you'll be surprised at which country was the least-pleasant towards the cast and crew).

Also included is a minute-long "Director's Introduction" to the film, with Winterbottom neatly summarizing the information given on the b-roll commentary track. US and UK trailers, DVD-ROM production notes and information about the other films in the series (The Other Side of the Bed, the melodramatic farce Die, Mommie, Die! and the sweet, affecting Dopamine).

Final Thoughts:

In This World is Winterbottom's second picture examining the human side of war. His first, Welcome to Sarajevo, used the frame story of a journalist to examine life in the city during wartime. By dropping that framework and making a full film with the protagonists being the refugees themselves, Winterbottom has made a more confident picture; he trusts that the audience will understand their plight without a narrator/"journalist." It makes for a powerful viewing experience.