The Narrows Blu-ray Review

"The Narrows" Blu-ray presents a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that is notably decent yet not exceptional, capturing the film’s realistic and largely un-stylized palette. The high-definition video works to complement the narrative's digital photography elements. Colors maintain a substantial, if not exceptionally vivid, presence with notable highlights including the green felt poker table and intense nightclub reds. However, the preponderance of a thick yellow cast in interior scenes detracts from naturalism, giving skin tones a dull pallor and suggesting an issue with white balance settings.

Daylight scenes appear sharpest, delivering good dimensionality and finer detailing. Contrast is solidly maintained here, although colors can appear slightly washed out. Facial features reveal moderate detail and texture in close-ups, though they can be somewhat soft overall. Outdoor scenes benefit from strong clarity, allowing easy identification of detailed elements such as stitching on clothing.

In contrast, darker scenes, particularly interiors, show enhanced grain and lack depth, with occasional black level crushing evident in shadows. Crackling greenish-yellow lighting further complicates the visual presentation, while minor posterization and blocking hiccups slightly affect the overall experience. Despite these issues, digital noise is kept minimal and no frequent artifacting, DNR, or edge enhancement is noticeable. In summary, the video transfer for "The Narrows" is competent but falls short of leaving a lasting impression.

The audio presentation of The Narrows on Blu-ray is delivered via a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/16-bit) surround track that, while not groundbreaking, is fitting for the film's intimate, low-budget nature. The track focuses primarily on the front channels with occasional neighborhood ambience and subdued score bleed gracing the rears. Notable sound effects, such as slamming car doors and piercing gunshots, are rendered with crispness and conviction. Additionally, while the dialogue occasionally comes across as slightly muffled, the actors' voices generally remain clean, clear, and well-prioritized within the mix.

The soundtrack is largely solid, featuring songs from indie blues/rock duo The Black Keys and Norwegian electronic outfit Röyksopp, though it does have its imperfections. The Black Keys' rock numbers sometimes verge on sounding tinny and could benefit from a more pronounced growl. Conversely, the Röyksopp track boasts exemplary bass depth and upper-end clarity that enriches the overall listening experience. The LFE subwoofer output punctuates key moments with emotional heft, adding a layer of tension to the film's conflicts. The included optional English and Spanish subtitles are an added convenience for accessibility. While this audio track may not be memorable for its sonic thrills, it remains sufficiently robust for the storyline it complements.

The Blu-ray release of "The Narrows" includes a selection of extras that offer a deeper look into the film's production. Unfortunately, the audio commentary with director François Velle and screenwriter Tatiana Blackington is quite dry and often redundant, making it less engaging. The interviews, while providing substantial content, also suffer from a lack of excitement and technical sound issues. Nonetheless, these segments do offer valuable insights into the film’s adaptation process and the actors' perspectives on their characters. A trailer rounds out the extras, giving a brief glimpse into the film's promotional approach.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary with Director François Velle and Screenwriter Tatiana Blackington: Dry and often obvious remarks, covering typical topics such as story, casting, and production.
• Interviews: Substantial interviews including joint directors' segment, actors' thoughts on their characters, and author Tim McLoughlin discussing the novel-to-film adaptation process.
• Trailer: Standard-definition trailer briefly showcasing the film.

"The Narrows" by French director François Velle is a film that navigates between the gritty realism of Brooklyn's criminal underworld and the ambition-filled skyline of Manhattan. Scripted by Tatiana Blackington, based on Tim McLoughlin's novel 'Heart of the Old Country', the film delves into the coming-of-age of Mike Manadoro (Kevin Zegers), a young aspiring photographer. Living in Brooklyn with his father, Vinny (Vincent D'Onofrio), Mike straddles two distinct worlds: his life as a low-level Mafioso ferrying packages for minor crime boss Tony (Titus Welliver), and his aspirations of a better future in photojournalism across the East River. The story is replete with clichéd crime film tropes, resulting in a predictable narrative despite its promising setting.

The performances in 'The Narrows' are a mix of solid portrayals and less compelling acts. Welliver delivers a compelling depiction of Tony, managing his dwindling power with a steely demeanor. D'Onofrio also impresses as Vinny, adding depth with his eccentric traits and conflicted sense of morality. However, Zegers’ performance as Mike lacks the necessary conviction, often feeling forced and unmemorable, particularly in emotionally charged scenes. Supporting roles like Sophia Bush's Kathy and Eddie Cahill's Nicky Shades stretch credibility, leaving audiences unconvinced by their character arcs.

The film's technical execution under Velle’s direction suffers from pacing issues and missed opportunities for narrative depth. Scenes either drag too long or feel repetitive, weakening the overall impact. Moreover, while the bluesy soundtrack might be catchy, its overuse becomes intrusive, often clashing with on-screen events rather than enhancing them. Despite some novel camera work and decent pacing, 'The Narrows' ultimately feels devoid of originality and risk, echoing a diluted rendition of classic urban crime dramas without reaching their iconic status.

"The Narrows," presented on Blu-ray, attempts to capture the intensity and ambiance of more acclaimed gangster films but ultimately falters in staking its own claim in the genre. While the movie offers a few notable performances, these isolated moments of prowess are insufficient to elevate it from a pervasive sense of mediocrity. The storyline, riddled with clichéd tropes and predictable scenarios, feels derivative and uninspired.

On the technical front, the Blu-ray offers commendable but not exceptional audio and video quality, especially given the film's budget constraints. The visual presentation is clean and serviceable, maintaining consistent detailing and acceptable color balance. The audio track, although adequate for most scenes, lacks the dynamic range that would have provided a more immersive experience. It delivers the necessary legibility of dialogues and sound effects without any notable hiccups but does little to enhance the overall engagement.

Special features on the Blu-ray lack depth and compelling content, catering primarily to die-hard enthusiasts of the film. Overall, while "The Narrows" has received a decent technical presentation in its Blu-ray format, it falls short of leaving a lasting impression. Recommendations lean towards cautious rental rather than immediate purchase due to its unremarkable narrative and moderate disc features.

Passably entertaining but ultimately as personality-less and forgettable as an anonymous acquaintance, "The Narrows" never manages to carve out its own niche, opting instead to borrow elements from superior gangster flicks. Though it boasts a respectable audio/video package given its limitations, it fails to justify anything beyond a cautious rental.