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Blu-ray Review The Drop Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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Matt Hough
The Drop Blu-ray Review

Michael R. Roskam's The Drop is a slowly bubbling cauldron of a crime drama, a film which builds in interest and excitement as it gains momentum toward its explosive climax. Featuring James Gandolfini's last film performance and Tom Hardy doing an indelible star turn in the leading role, The Drop is among the more quietly memorable of 2014's mob-oriented character movies.



Studio: Fox

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DTS, Other

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Other

Rating: R

Run Time: 1 Hr. 46 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray, UltraViolet

keep case in a slipcover

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: A

Release Date: 01/20/2014

MSRP: $39.99




The Production Rating: 4/5

Loner Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) and once-connected Cousin Marv (James Gandolfini) now run Marv’s self-named bar for a Chechnya-born gang of hoods, a watering hole which is sometimes used as a drop-off point for gangland collections. Bob’s solitary existence is upended when he finds a pit bull puppy near death in the garbage can of neighborhood waitress Nadia (Noomi Rapace). With her help, he begins to nurse the dog back to health, the dog’s reviving mirroring his own reentry into the human race. But Bob and Marv have problems. The bar is robbed by two young toughs (James Frecheville, Tobias Segal) which doesn’t make Chechen gangster Chovka (Michael Aronov) very happy, and Bob begins being menaced by demented neighborhood thug Eric Deeds (Matthias Schoenaerts) who is revealed to have been the one that beat the dog and left it in his former girl friend’s trash can. Bob wants to stay on the right side of the law, but pressures are building inside him with the many conflicts which are swirling around him.

Dennis Lehane based his screenplay on the first chapter of a novel he didn’t finish, and it’s a beautiful piece of character exploration with both Marv and Bob among the more memorable tough guys to appear during the past year. What’s fascinating about them is that they’re both failed mobsters, but each has handled his failure in a totally different way: Marv dreams of regaining his former glory or at least getting some of his own back; Bob is content to be law abiding and thus hopefully staying out of harm’s way. Of course, with the assortment of gangland toughs occupying their world, staying clean is almost impossible, but each man’s story (often told alternately going back and forth between the two and with each operating separately from the other) makes for fascinating viewing. Marv’s calculated crimes are shoddily conceived and poorly manned, evidence of his ineptitude which is what likely led to his losing his crew ten years previously. On the other hand, Bob’s finding his way back to the world of the living is often quite moving: he’s not the brightest bulb in the pack, but his slowness and the methodology of his existence is actually what saves the day for him. Director Michael R. Roskam does such a wonderful job capturing the ambiance of present day Brooklyn, and he stages events like the early robbery or the insanely busy bar during Super Bowl Sunday distinctly and meticulously. He presents unexpected moments with appropriate flair (something as simple as an umbrella takes on a Hitchcockian sense of menace), but the three major murders that happen on-screen aren’t done with any operatic flourishes. Like so much in this world Roskam has created, they’re done matter-of-factly, simply part of doing business with the criminal element of their world.

Tom Hardy’s performance is so wonderfully conceived and performed that it’s a master class in underacting. Clearly letting the pit bull puppy symbolize his character’s own outward gentility with the potential for vitriolic wildness within, Hardy’s Bob is an ingratiating figure: slow of mind and speech but earnest, well-meaning, and with a great capacity to love. Because he’s not a showy kind of thug, his work in the film hasn’t gotten the notice it deserves, but this is a sensational performance. James Gandolfini’s final film appearance is a terrific one as well. One can see the regret and disappointment not only in his eyes but in his body language, and his fury against the world for cheating him out of his claim to greatness is palpably sad. Noomi Rapace playing her own damaged individual is likewise first-rate as she slowly eases open the door toward trusting a man again. Matthias Schoenaerts as the demented Eric Deeds and Michael Aronov as the neighborhood Chechen representative both walk away with their scenes, the former with a craziness in his eyes and quirky body language and the latter with a smoldering menace lying just below the surface that no one in his right mind would want to unleash. John Ortiz as the detective investigating the robbery and a series of neighborhood murders has some outstanding scenes with Tom Hardy which the two actors play off each other to perfection. In smaller roles, Ann Dowd as Marv’s forlorn sister Dottie and James Frecheville as Fitz (one of the initial robbers) make firm impressions.



Video Rating: 4.5/5  3D Rating: NA

The film’s 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio is faithfully rendered in a 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Sharpness is generally quite excellent with a good sense of detail offered throughout. Color values are solid and impressive with most believable skin tones. Contrast has been consistently maintained. The film has been divided into 32 chapters.



Audio Rating: 4.5/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix offers an outstanding aural experience on an obviously limited budget. While the Brooklyn ambiance is occasionally missing in split surrounds for the fronts and rears, Marco Beltrami’s driving music can have a very positive effect in building tension at the film’s most explosive moments. Dialogue has been well recorded, quite a feat since Hardy’s soft-spoken character is prone to mumbling at moments of uncertainty or embarrassment. The dialogue has been placed in the center channel.



Special Features Rating: 3.5/5

Audio Commentary: director Michael R. Roskam and screenwriter Dennis Lehane sit together and seem to be having a marvelous time sharing the track commenting on their admiration for the actors and the chemistry that got established early and quickly and sustained throughout the shoot. It’s an entertaining listen.

Deleted Scenes (6:22, HD): four scenes may be watched separately or in montage and with optional commentary from Roskam and Lehane.

Promotional Featurettes (HD): five brief vignettes featuring director Michael Roskam, writer Dennis Lehane, producers Jenno Topping and Mike LaRocca, director of photography Nicolas Karakatsanis, and actors Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Aronov, and John Ortiz offering brief sound bites about the production:
  • Keeping It Real (3:54): cast and crew discuss the themes of the piece.
  • The Making of The Drop (3:45): writer and director rave about their cast as behind-the-scenes looks at filming are shown
  • Making Brooklyn Your Own (4:00): shooting on location, several actual bartenders in Brooklyn give pointers about the portrayal of the film’s central bar set and its patrons.
  • Rocco the Dog (2:21): a glimpse at the three puppies who portray Rocco during his approximate five weeks of cinematic life.
  • Character Profile: James Gandolfini (2:11): brief words of praise for the late actor from Tom Hardy, director Michael Roskam, writer Dennis Lehane, and producers Jenno Topping and Mike LaRocca.

Stills Gallery (HD): a step through gallery of two dozen color film stills and behind-the-scenes shots.

Theatrical Trailer (2:23, HD)

Promo Trailers (HD): Wild, Birdman, Calvary.

Ultraviolet: code sheet enclosed in the case.



Overall Rating: 4/5

While it may not have the power and overpowering sense of melancholy of writer Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River or Gone Baby Gone, The Drop is still a memorable and most entertaining criminal character study with award-winning actor James Gandolfini’s final screen performance. The disc offers outstanding video and audio quality and comes highly recommended.


Reviewed By: Matt Hough


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bujaki

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Jose Ortiz-Marrero
Excellent review of an exceptional film. I saw it in the theater and was very impressed by it, and most particularly by Tom Hardy's masterly performance. After LOCKE, BRONSON, and this, how can Hardy be under all awards' radars?

I concur with Matt and strongly recommend this film.

And we'll miss Gandolfini all the more after viewing his subtle, final performance.
 

davidHartzog

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John smith
Fine review of an exceptionally well-done film, great characterizations, atmosphere.
 

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