DVD
REVIEW: NOBEL SON
06/05/09
SYNOPSIS: On the eve
of Barkley Michaelson's father receiving the Nobel Prize,
Barkley is kidnapped and the requested ransom is the
$2,000,000 in Nobel Prize money. When his father refuses to
pay it starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust,
betrayal and ultimately revenge.
FILM REVIEW:
This movie is in your face violence, sex, tactlessness,
infidelity, and dry, sarcastic wit. What a treat! It is
sick, twisted, and cruel with a touch of philosophical and
intellectual. Oh yeah, it’s also kind of funny too. The
sound is loud and so is the story along with the
performances. This will either keep you going or completely
annoy you; there is very little grey area here. The sound in
the form of music is pretty good and intense too, especially
if you like upbeat techno type stuff. It kept pace with the
storyline. The cast is eye-opening as well as the roles they
play and how they played them. Everywhere you turn there is
a worthy and recognizable talent. Starting with Alan Rickman
as Eli Michaelson, he masterfully plays a self-absorbed
professor and chemist whose arrogance grows exponentially
after winning the Nobel Prize. It is almost as if no one
else fits in the same room with him. Alan was very well cast
for this role. Bryan Greenberg plays Barkley, Eli’s
disgruntled and (in his eyes) underachieving son. Last I saw
Bryan was in Prime with Uma and Meryl and he was good in
that one so I could expect a good job out of him here and he
delivered. Mary Steenburgen never disappoints and she plays
Sarah, Eli’s wife and Barkley’s mother. She stands by her
man, as much as possible, but in no way is she dependent on
him. She is just as much a brainiac as her Nobel Prize
winning husband. I’ve seen Shawn Hatosy play some cold
characters but I think this one took the top position. His
role will give you chills. Last on my list of mentionables
is, of course, Eliza Dushku who plays City Hall . . . yes,
she goes by the name City Hall. You will see a side of her
that at least I have never seen before, in more ways than
one. She is seductive and crazy, penetrating and obsessed. I
was somewhat surprised by her being cast in this film which
could be considered out of her zone, but she pulled it off.
This film has the S.S.D.D. characteristic. No, not what
you’re thinking, it has a sharp script and direct dialogue.
There is no beating around the bush or over dramatic
monologues in this picture. Like the soundtrack, the script
also kept pace with the intensity of the story, and what a
story it is. Probably what impressed me the most was the
plot of this film. It’s got enough twists and turns to make
a Grand Prix race track jealous. There are elaborate schemes
and plenty of back-stabbing and double-crossing. Good stuff.
Director Randall Miller has done a lot of TV work and low
key movies. Could this be his breakout direction? I will
tell you that if you decide to see this movie, there is a
good chance you will be pleasantly surprised.
Review By Cine Marcos
cinemarcos@smartcine.com
DVD: Nobel Son is presented in
a widescreen format with a 2.35:1 aspect ration. The
transfer looks clean, judging from the watermark screening
received from Fox Home Entertainment, it is very difficult to determine the real quality
of the video, however I wont doubt that the final product
will be just fine. The picture is
complemented with a 5.1 Dolby digital sound in
English with Spanish and English subtitles.
In terms of special
features the DVD includes only a few. It includes only a 13
minutes featurette, which is basically your standard
making of featurette, I found it to be short but interesting.
It also includes a total of three deleted scenes, including
an alternated ending. All deleted scenes can be play with
commentary by director/producer Randall Miller and
writer/producer Jody Savin. Fianlly it in clude a feature
commentary with director/producer Randall Miller,
writer/producer Jody Savin, musician Paul Oakenfold,
cinematographer Mike Ozier and actors Brian Greenberg and
Eliza Dushku.
VIDEO:
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
AUDIO:
English
5.1 (Dolby Digital).
Subtitles - English Spanish - Optional
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Commentary with director/producer Randall Miller,
writer/producer Jody Savin, musician Paul Oakenfold,
cinematographer Mike Ozier and actors Brian Greenberg and
Eliza Dushku.
Deleted scenes: A total of 3 deleted scenes
including an alternate ending, If you enjoyed the film , you
will probably want to watch these scenes. All deleted scenes
come with optional commentary from director/producer Randall
Miller and writer/producer Jody Savin (4:45)
Making of featurette: This is
short but good documentary in which
the filmmakers discuss in detail how the film was made. It
includes includes cast and crew commentaries (13:00)
RATING BREAK DOWN:
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