Milwaukee, Minnesota

 

Picture: B+     Sound: B     Extras: B-     Film: B-

 

 

Between the title and the general storyline there is no question that Milwaukee, Minnesota is a knock-off from Fargo.  The DVD box art even states that this film is like the kid brother to Fargo.  Well, I don’t know if I would make that comparison, but the film is actually a more enjoyable indie-flick than expected.  For one, the films production value is top notch and the cast and direction of the film is certainly above average in just about every level, making this film a rare commodity these days.  

 

Troy Garrity plays Albert, a man who has lived his entire life under the careful supervision of his overbearing mother, but that all turns around when she is suddenly killed by an automobile with an unidentified driver.  Now the rest of the film is solely devoted to his reactions to his newfound disposition.  What becomes of him is quite interesting, likewise with Fargo, the setup to the film is not nearly as important as the execution.  One might also say that it’s more on the effect, versus the cause.

 

This is the first directing effort from Allan Mindel, who is more renowned in the producer role, but this is a great debut effort and I am curious to see where he goes from here.  One thing that is certain is that the production value on the film is much higher than expected and this DVD issued from Tartan once again exemplifies their amazing efforts to treat films the way that they should on the DVD format.  This was something I praised Tartan for in my review for Coast Guard (also reviewed on this site) and we have also covered other numerous Tartan Asia Extreme DVD’s here as well. 

 

The first praise goes to the excellent 1.78 X 1/16 X 9 image, which has been anamorphically enhanced for its DVD presentation.  What I particularly love about this film is merely its camera work and color palette, which gives the film a brilliant warm texture that comes across quite well with this transfer.  Also notable is the incredibly sharp level of detail and despite some minor softness, this is one awesome looking film on DVD.  The film was photographed by Bernd Heinl, whose most accomplished film to date is probably Bodes, Rest & Motion, which was issued on the 12” LaserDisc format by Criterion, yet has not been issued to DVD to date at all.

 

The second praise is the inclusion of DTS as well as sticking to the typical Dolby 5.1 mix.  The DTS is the winner clearly in this case offering a much more sonic experience with a higher level of fidelity.  The high frequencies are much more refined and pronounced, while lower frequencies are smoother and deeper.   Overall this is not a highly sonic film, but does have some interesting use of music and surround activity throughout that the DTS takes full advantage of. 

 

Tartan also seems heavily committed to also offering extras with their releases and this is no exception.  We have a great commentary by the director, which is really great since this is his first film behind the wheel and makes good insights into the films development and execution.  Actor Troy Garrity also assists on the commentary track, which is a nice touch.  There is also an exclusive interview with director Mindel as well as the theatrical trailer. 

 

In an attempt to update the Film-Noir genre there is no doubt that Milwaukee, Minnesota will garner some serious attention in the independent circuit as it already has in some respect.  This DVD certainly allows for the film to shine in the home video department making it’s accessibility all the more prominent and it’s great to see a film dare to be more interesting and also to see that film handled so well on DVD without using the extras as a gimmick to make you buy it.  Easily recommended for those looking for something a tad off the beaten path!

 

 

-   Nate Goss