HTF DVD Review: Bridge To Nowhere

Bridge To Nowhere

• Studio: Image Entertainment

• Theatrical Release Year: 2009

• US DVD Release Date: August 18, 2009

• Rated: R (for drug use, pervasive language, sexual content, and violence)

• Running Time: 105 minutes

• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen

• Audio: English (Dolby Digital Surround 5.1)

• Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish

Movie: 2 out of 5

Four twenty-something losers, working in dead-end jobs with a string of unsuccessful get rich quick schemes, hatch a plan to become pimps and begin a high-priced escort service after meeting two prostitutes on the streets of Pittsburgh. Ben Crowley plays the leader, Brian, who comes up with the idea, and sweet talks the two prostitutes (Bijou Phillips, Alexandra Breckenridge) into working for them by agreeing to supply them with clothes and drugs, along with a cut of the action. They then broker a deal with Nate (Ving Rhames) for the crack cocaine in exchange for supplying him with prostitutes. Things start out successful, until the four begin living beyond their means, Nate raises his rate for drugs, and Brian becomes paranoid from his drug habit. What goes up must come down, and the four friends are in for a very hard fall.

Watching Bridge To Nowhere is about as pleasant as having a heart attack. This is a depressing and predictable story, and I often wondered what drew director Blair Underwood to choose this as his debut project. The performances are good, especially Ben Crowley, Ving Rhames, Bijou Phillips, and Danny Masterson, but I could not really connect to any of the characters or the storyline.

Video: 3.5 out of 5

The 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer is quite good, and the photography relays the darkness of the story, with muted colors, inky blacks, and fine detail. Compression artifacts are minimal.

Audio: 3.5 out of 5

The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, encoded at 448kbps, is about average. This is a dialogue-driven story, so surround use is minimal. Dialogue is centered and intelligible, and the rap and hip-hop score use the LFE to great effect.

Special Features: 1 out of 5

The only extra provided on this disc is the film’s trailer, presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo surround.

Overall: 2.5 out of 5

Bridge To Nowhere is a depressing film, presented on DVD with an above average video and audio transfer, but with minimal extras.