The DVD

Video:
The Intended is presented in a 1.33:1 full frame format that has its fair share of problems. The digital video transfer is often a bit on the dark side and lacking in detail. The film's stylized color palette does manage to come across nicely, but there is a large amount of graininess present in the image throughout the film. Edge enhancement also makes its presence known and, while there are no signs of any other digital artifacts, there is a noticeable layer change. Shadows and lighting are fairly well delineated, but the overall murkiness of the transfer takes away from what is, otherwise, a very nice looking film.

Sound:
The audio on this disc is presented in a Dolby 2.0 stereo format that, like the video transfer, has a few issues. Dialogue is almost always clear, crisp, and distinct, but does tend to drop in volume from time to time. Despite this somewhat annoying occurrence, the dialogue is, however, always discernable. The track is fairly well balanced throughout, although there is some occasional level fluctuation and even a few high-pitched peaks. The Intended is mostly dialogue-driven, so there aren't exactly many chances for the sound effects to shine, but when the rain begins to fall near the conclusion of the film, the track does manage to provide a little thrill. Pumped through Dolby Pro Logic II encoding even allowed the track to show off a few surround effects during this sequence. The track, nonetheless, is adequate enough for this type of film.

Extras:
The main extra feature included on this disc is approximately 27-minutes worth of cast and crew interviews. The eight separate interviews feature Olympia Dukakis, Janet McTeer, Kristian Levring, J.J. Field, Brenda Fricker, Tony Maudsley, Philip Jackson, and Robert Pugh. Each interview must be accessed separately and, although they are often pretty engaging and insightful, the editing of the interviews really makes for a distracting experience. Instead of allowing the subjects to speak all the way through, the editors choose to show title cards before each tiny segment of each interview. This method, unfortunately, never allows the interviews to gain any momentum or flow, and ultimately acts only to take the viewer out of the segment. It is distracting and really takes away from what are, otherwise, some pretty decent interviews.

Also included on this disc are the film's theatrical trailer, and a text biography for Co-Writer/Director Kristian Levring.

Final Thoughts:
I might have been a bit rough when I called The Intended a longer, more elaborate version of Indecent Proposal. While that obvious plot manipulation is there near the conclusion of the film, the character that makes the proposal is somewhat unexpected. Ultimately, the film is a bit too long, meanders a little too much at times, and misses the mark when it could have provided something really interesting. Fans of Levring's work, nevertheless, will want to give the disc a spin. Much different from his Dogme 95 project, The King is Alive, this film still shows the promise of a director with a lot of potential. While the audio-visual presentation isn't exactly top notch, and the extra material is only adequate, I'd still recommended at least a rental, if for nothing more than to watch Janet McTeer at her best.