The Innocent Sleep (1996/British/Tango DVD)
Picture: C Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: C+
If you
are reading this review, odds are that in half the cases, you are curious as to
the first film Matthew Vaughn co-produced, then know that Scott Mitchell’s The Innocent Sleep (1997) is competent
and watchable, without a phony ending, but that the Ray Villis screenplay is
nothing to write home about and it would give you little sign as to what Vaughn
himself would do as director of Layer
Cake. It is also better than Stardust.
A
homeless man who once had everything (Rupert Graves) witnesses a killing of a
prominent man when in a homeless area, is seen somewhat and runs for his
life. The rest of the film is about
whether the killers will be caught and how corrupt the whole situation is. Michael Gambon, Annabella Sciorra, John
Hannah, Patrick Duggan, Heroes’
Katie Carr and Franco Nero are also here in a decently-cast piece, but it is
not much that we have not seen before.
See it only if you are very curious.
The 1.33
X 1 image is surprisingly soft from older analog transfers with detail issues,
motion blur and aliasing issues, cut up from its original 2.35 X 1 scope
presentation shot in Super 35mm. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is not bad, but has no real surrounds despite being a
Dolby release, so this must be a second-generation transfer. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
