Chain Link
(Cinema Epoch DVD)
Picture:
C- Sound: C Extras: C- Feature: C-
Dylan
Reynolds’ Chain Link wants to be a
gritty, realistic tale of a criminal back out on the streets trying to get his
life back together, but failing and turning back to his old ways. This does not help his ex-wife or his son,
who has become older, bigger, fatter and ignorant in his absence. After an early run-in with the law, he almost
wants to get his life back together, but his old ways set in and the rest is a
disaster.
Unfortunately,
this is too clichéd, predictable and the acting can be shrill, though the
actors seem to be really trying to deliver good performances. Awkward is the best way to describe it and
the real problem is that there is not character study. Straight
Time (1978) with Dustin Hoffman has nothing to worry about. At least it was not afraid to be gritty, but Chain Link just never gets going.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is weak with poor detail, color, bad
depth and awkward compositions to boot, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is
barley stereo. Sometimes, it is too
forward, sometimes the location recording is too weak. Extras include stills and an audio
commentary.
- Nicholas Sheffo
