The Forger Blu-ray Review

"The Forger" offers an engaging visual presentation on Blu-ray via Lionsgate Films. Utilizing an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.38:1 aspect ratio, the film delivers commendable detail and fine detail. The exterior scenes, primarily shot around the Cutter home, exhibit a slate gray ambience, although certain sequences like the discussions between Ray and his father present a warmly suffused palette with excellent detail. Colors throughout the film tend to reflect a muted, fall-like tone with golden hues, augmenting the film's overall atmosphere. Close-ups, especially of paintings, beautifully reveal individual brushstrokes and paint textures, highlighting the superior fine detail provided by this transfer.

Despite the strengths in color and detail, some interior scenes falter due to dim lighting, resulting in inadequate shadow detail and a discernible diminution in overall clarity. However, black levels and shadows generally offer impressive depth and three-dimensionality. Interior close-ups maintain a strong visual impact, successfully showcasing costumes and facial features with noteworthy precision—although some elements, like John Travolta's hairpiece, are highlighted in an unintentionally distracting manner. Overall, this 1080p HD presentation captures the film's nuances effectively, making for a visually compelling viewing experience.

The audio presentation of "The Forger" on Blu-ray is anchored by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that, while functional, occasionally falls short of maximizing its potential for immersive soundscapes. Urban ambient effects are well-placed, contributing to a sporadically dynamic experience, though such moments are few. Dialogue throughout the film is exceptionally clear, ensuring that the spoken word remains comprehensible and interference-free. The final act notably sees a more active soundstage, making better use of the surround channels, but this immersion isn't consistent throughout the rest of the film.

Despite the technical quality of the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, viewers might find the surround activity limited. Most audio elements are confined to the stereo channels with minimal impactful imaging movement until pivotal scenes approach, particularly the climactic heist. Additionally, the film's focus on dialogue-driven sequences means that while speech clarity remains superior, the overall dynamic range conservatively maintains midrange frequencies. This keeps audio from either dropping out or spiking too dramatically, but also prevents it from achieving a more compelling auditory depth. In summary, the audio track is reliable and clean, but only sporadically engaging.

The extras on the Blu Ray of "The Forger" provide a standard yet insightful glimpse into the making of the film. Included is "Identifying The Forger: Creating Character & Conflict," a seven-minute featurette presenting interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and scenes from the movie. Despite its brevity, this piece offers valuable insights into character development and narrative tension, though it resembles an electronic press kit (EPK) montage rather than a dedicated documentary.

Extras included in this disc:

• Identifying The Forger: Creating Character & Conflict: A behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews and footage from the film.

"The Forger," directed by Philip Martin and written by Richard D'Ovidio, strives to balance the elements of an art heist thriller with a heartfelt family drama, ultimately delivering an uneven and predictable narrative. The film stars John Travolta as Raymond Cutter, a highly skilled art forger who is desperate to leave prison early to spend time with his terminally ill son, Will, portrayed by Tye Sheridan. Upon release, Ray is coerced into a heist involving the forgery and theft of a Monet painting, organized by local gangster Keegan (Anson Mount). The film intersperses this high-stakes plot with scenes of Ray reconnecting with his estranged father, Joseph, played by Christopher Plummer. The dichotomy between the familial subplot and the heist often disrupts both narratives, failing to effectively mesh into a cohesive whole.

Travolta provides a solid performance, capturing Ray's regret and desperation with commendable gravitas. However, the screenplay’s focus on Ray's personal dilemmas leaves little room for the heist elements to generate significant tension or excitement. This imbalance is exacerbated by inadequate development of supporting characters; Mount’s Keegan lacks menace, and Spencer's FBI Agent Paisley comes off as inept, hindering their contributions to the plot's tension. Additionally, Sheridan's portrayal of Will occasionally slips into a lifeless portrayal that undermines the emotional weight intended for his character.

Cinematographically, "The Forger" adheres to a straightforward visual style befitting its television roots, but it does not capitalize on the potential for visually dynamic sequences during the heist. Despite moments of earnest familial interaction primarily driven by Plummer’s robust performance, the film falters in creating an engaging experience. Sparse in suspense and marred by structural inconsistencies, "The Forger" ultimately delivers a disjointed movie that neither excels as a gripping thriller nor as an inspiring family drama.

"The Forger" presents a rather uneven viewing experience, juxtaposing family drama with heist elements that fail to mesh seamlessly. The film's narrative is hampered by a cliched family dynamic that, while occasionally touching, relies on predictable emotional triggers. The heist component, crucial for adding the expected dose of excitement, feels awkwardly integrated, making it seem almost like an afterthought. Despite these narrative flaws, John Travolta delivers a competent performance, potentially making it worthwhile for his followers.

From a technical standpoint, the Blu-ray release of "The Forger" achieves mixed results. The picture quality stands out, offering clear and stable visuals that align with current high-definition standards. Unfortunately, this is somewhat offset by audio quality that can only be described as average, detracting from the overall immersive experience. Moreover, the lack of engaging supplementary content leaves much to be desired, further weakening the appeal of this home release.

In conclusion, "The Forger" struggles to find its footing as an engaging piece of entertainment. While Travolta's performance and the high-quality visuals might draw some viewers in, the contrived storylines and mediocre audio make it difficult to recommend wholeheartedly. It's probably too facile to simply say "The Forger" is ersatz on any number of levels, but that's probably the best way to sum up this odd mash-up of family drama and heist shenanigans. Travolta fans may want to check this out, and the good news for them is that the technical merits of this release are generally strong. Ultimately, it's best suited as a rental for those with a keen curiosity and no better viewing alternatives.