Gray Matters (2007/Fox)

 

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

 

 

Writer/Director Sue Kramer tries a meet-cute romantic comedy with her new film Gray Matters (2007) with Heather Graham and Tom Cavanagh slowly getting to known each other better.  The film wants to be funny and wants you to know this, with casting that includes Molly Shannon, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Cumming and Sissy Spacek, but none of them can save us from Kramer’s formula script.

 

Despite the best efforts of the actors, the film is never believable and never picks up.  Furthermore, the bits about favorite movies with all the posters on the walls and all the tired quoting of films that make them look not as bright as they and the creator think.  Graham has had a particularly odd career lately and this is just another strange turn in it.  This one is for the very curious only.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is better than the 1.33 X 1 image on the flipside of this disc, which is a little softer and not that great.  The widescreen side still has detail, depth and even color issues as shot by John Bartley, A.S.C., C.S.C., which is also often flat like a sitcom.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is livelier, with some use of surrounds throughout and a score by Andrew Hollander that does not help one bit.  Extras include the original theatrical trailer and a making of featurette.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo