What Doesn't Kill You Blu-ray Review

Sony's Blu-ray presentation of "What Doesn't Kill You" delivers a respectable 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC transfer that effectively captures the film's wintry atmosphere and gritty realism. The imagery offers deep, stable blacks with excellent shadow detail, contributing to a sense of depth during night scenes. The cooler color scheme is meticulously balanced, and flesh tones exhibit a natural quality with defining texture. However, the overall brightness is elevated slightly, which can diminish contrast, making the blacks appear less profound and limiting the dimensionality that high-definition video often delivers. Despite this, the film's unique color palette, combined with its artistic and instinctive cinematography, transports viewers to a stark, almost monochromatic South Boston.

The fine detail is present but not overwhelmingly sharp, maintaining a clean appearance without distracting artifacts or anomalies. The image retains a small grain structure that adds to the indie feel without becoming intrusive. Clarity, while commendable, does not reach jaw-dropping levels often seen in big-budget productions. The intentional muted and washed-out scenes emphasize the bleak South Boston winter environment effectively. This visual approach provides a narrative alignment that adds tension and movement without glamourizing the visual experience.

In summary, the Blu-ray's visual presentation is serviceable and suits the film's gritty style but lacks the vibrancy and depth found in top-tier high-definition transfers.

The audio presentation of the Blu-ray of "What Doesn't Kill You," encoded in Dolby TrueHD 5.1, offers a highly competent yet somewhat understated auditory experience. The sound quality is notably well-suited for the film's dialogue-driven elements, ensuring that voices come across with clarity and timbral accuracy, anchored firmly in the center channel. Detailed effects, such as the crunching of snow underfoot and vehicles, are rendered with an impressive level of realism, compelling enough to make one double-check their surroundings. Dynamically, the audio remains primarily front-focused, with brief yet effective utilization of rear channels during more intense outdoor scenes and action sequences.

Despite its strengths, the audio track does exhibit moments where it lacks consistency in its impact. While the beginning of the film demonstrates precise and crisp sound effects, accompanied by Alex Wurman's music score which shows good depth and separation across the front channels, these qualities seem to diminish as the film progresses. Elements like gunfire and environmental sounds lose some of their initial sharpness, and the rears become noticeably dormant. Moreover, while midbass elements are taut and rich—as evident in scenes featuring Swamp Dogg songs—the deep bass frequencies never fully engage, limiting the overall audio range and impact.

In summary, this Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix does an admirable job of delivering a clean and detailed auditory representation of "What Doesn't Kill You," particularly excelling at dialogue clarity and realistic sound effects. However, its overall dynamism fluctuates throughout the film, providing a satisfactory but not standout auditory experience.

The extras on the Blu-ray disc of "What Doesn't Kill You" are diverse and provide substantial insight into the film's background and production, although all content is in standard definition with stereo sound. The standout is the audio commentary by director/writer Brian Goodman and co-writer Donnie Wahlberg. This commentary excels due to its personal nature, detailing Goodman’s ten-year journey to bring his autobiographical story to the screen, encompassing struggles with addiction and prison life. The featurette offers cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage but suffers from poor production quality. The disc also includes a series of deleted and alternate scenes that add character depth but lack significant impact. Additional previews of other Blu-ray releases are provided.

Extras included in this disc:

• Commentary with Director/Writer Brian Goodman and Writer Donnie Wahlberg: Insightful and heartfelt discussion about the film's creation.
• Deleted and Alternate Scenes: Thirteen scenes providing additional character insights.
• Makes You Stronger: The Making of What Doesn't Kill You: A 19-minute featurette with cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
• BD Previews: Trailers for various Sony Blu-ray releases.
• BD-Live Enabled: Feature for accessing additional content online.

"What Doesn't Kill You" is a high-stakes, gritty exploration of two lifelong friends, Brian (Mark Ruffalo) and Paulie (Ethan Hawke), navigating the treacherous streets of South Boston. As they delve deeper into organized crime under the aegis of mob boss Pat Kelly (Brian Goodman), the narrative unfurls themes of loyalty, betrayal, addiction, and familial obligations. Mark Ruffalo delivers a compelling performance as Brian, a character torn between his devotion to his family and the lucrative, yet destructive, gangster lifestyle. Meanwhile, Ethan Hawke portrays Paulie with a raw intensity that underscores his deep entanglement in their criminal endeavors.

Goodman's direction, though straightforward and at times lacking flair, presents a visually engaging tableau that effectively captures the stark realities of addiction and crime. Notable are the harrowing scenes depicting Brian’s freebasing, reminiscent of the disturbing imagery seen in "Bad Lieutenant." Despite these powerful moments, the film sometimes falters with its plot's predictability and recycled dialogue. Technical merits include exceptional cinematography and camera work that frequently stand out in contrast to the oftentimes inert plot progression and meandering style. The film's 100-minute runtime occasionally feels prolonged due to the lack of sustained tension.

While "What Doesn't Kill You" may lack the innovative brilliance of genre-defining works like "The Godfather" or "The Sopranos," it stands above many contemporary mob movies with its well-drawn characters and authentic performances. Hawke's portrayal is particularly notable for shedding his usual anguished persona for an assertive, no-nonsense demeanor. Amanda Peet adds a believable layer of tension as Brian’s beleaguered wife, though her performance sometimes teeters on melodramatic. Overall, "What Doesn't Kill You" offers a grounded, if somewhat clichéd, depiction of crime and redemption, more for its arresting individual scenes and acting than its cohesive dramatic impact.

"What Doesn't Kill You" offers a familiar foray into the gangster genre, reminiscent of the classics yet presented with genuine perspective from director Brian Goodman. While the narrative treads well-worn territory of loss and redemption, it remains engaging due to commendable performances. Goodman's personal connection to the material infuses the film with authenticity, avoiding the pitfalls of self-aggrandizement or preachiness. Technically, the Blu-ray offers above-average audio and video quality, making it a respectable addition to any collection.

However, despite the heartfelt performances and authentic backdrop, the film struggles to rise above its standard storyline. The direction and script, though competent, fall short in delivering a truly extraordinary cinematic experience. The supplementary materials on the Blu-ray are adequate but unremarkable, contributing to the overall impression that this release is ideally suited for rental rather than purchase.

In conclusion, "What Doesn't Kill You" is a solid choice for fans of the mob genre seeking a refreshingly authentic take. While it may not be groundbreaking, its technical merits and heartfelt performances make it a worthwhile watch. Those who appreciate true-to-life storytelling will find value here, even if it's not a must-have for every Blu-ray collection.