(A) The first thing most people will probably notice about this DVD's picture is the varied use of color from scene to scene. Vibrant throughout most of the film, some scenes are bathed in a golden yellow (to the point of near over-saturation) while others are cooly colored in an icy bluish hue. Certainly not a disc or transfer defect, the film's director (John Dahl) obviously instituted such choices to induce different moods, but may occasionally have gone too far with the results possibly distracting the viewer.
Beyond that and some overall compression related pixelation that's slightly noticeable -- especially in the standard places (walls and blue sky shots) and seems to vary in degree from scene to scene (but which is never distracting) — the picture is quite sharp and features plenty of detail.
AUDIO:
(A) Like most dramas, this disc won't go into the audio demonstration pile, but is good for what it's trying to accomplish. The dialogue is crisp and the underplayed jazzy soundtrack is just right.
EXTRAS:
Scene selection/Jump to any scene.
Theatrical trailer.
COMMENTS:
For a film dealing with professional poker, this disc could (and should) have added some poker related supplemental material (such as how to play different hands, features on real players, etc...). As it stands (a lone theatrical trailer), the supplemental material is well below par considering what's appearing on other discs.
Nonetheless, the film comes off as a solidly constructed, but not quite spectacular drama that features good performances from all involved (especially Edward Norton and John Malkovich), with its only real drawbacks being its predictable nature and the lack of the necessary spark to make it a standout flick.
![[Logo]](/images/screenit_logo2.jpg){kind=logo}
