Bubble (2005/Magnolia Blu-ray
and HD-DVD)
Picture:
A- Sound: B-/B+* Extras: B Film: B
Out of
all of the modern filmmakers who still manage to make commercial and critical
successes, Steven Soderbergh is my favorite.
He likes to stagger his artsy films in between a film money-making
features and for every Oceans film
he does there is a Solaris or even
2005’s Bubble. The guy takes chances, which in today’s
movie-market seems to be an uncommon characteristic. So you might be wondering why you may not
have heard of this film, well don’t feel bad because I hadn’t either, but was
surprised to see it released on both Blu-ray and HD-DVD early on.
The
premise is interesting and the execution of the material is very experimental
and experiential, which both make for a unique experience overall and it takes
a solid filmmaker like Soderbergh to execute such a film. The film is set in a decaying Midwestern town
where a murder disrupts life for three doll-factory workers and a bizarre
love-triangle/relationship that ensues.
The result is highly interesting throughout, although sometimes off-beat
and takes a certain amount of grace to stick with it during the duller
moments.
The real
highlight though of this release is the fantastic commentary provided by
Soderbergh and accompanied by Mark Romanek, who has created some of the most
memorable music videos of this generation for David Bowie, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Madonna, Jay-Z, and many others, but their banter back and forth on
this commentary track is exceptional and a must-listen!!! Both HD-discs demonstrate a strong color
palette with the 2.40 X 1 framed 1080p HD anamorphic image, which was also shot
by Soderbergh and shows the muted color range that Soderbergh went for in
creating a bland, yet amateur-like appearance, which works well for this type
of experimental style.
*There is
a slight difference in the audio between the HD and the Blu-ray disc as the
HD-DVD contains a DTS-HD audio track, a Dolby Digital Plus, which is in a 3.0
configuration. The Blu-ray is strictly
3.0 Dolby Digital and DTS, and does not have quite the fidelity that the HD-DVD
disc offers and is a bit disappointing in comparison. Therefore the HD-DVD deserves a higher rating
of a B+, while the Blu-ray is more like a B-.
- Nate Goss
