The Girl In The Park (2007/Umbrella Entertainment/Region Zero/0/PAL
DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: C
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on
machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0 PAL format
software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
It amazes me that the same David Auburn that wrote the
underrated Proof (2005), also write
the extremely bad Lake House (2006),
but it is. A year later, he wrote his
directorial debut The Girl In The Park
(2007) and it is no Proof, but far
from that film that should have been dumped in a “lake”. To see my enthusiasm for Proof, here is the link to my review:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3441/Proof+(Drama)
In this film, Sigourney Weaver plays a mother and singer
whose daughter disappears one day when they are in the park. 16 years later, she has left her career
behind, but the pain resurfaces when her estranged son is about to get married
(to Keri Russell) and when female drifter Kate Boswor5th shows up, she wonders
if it might be her missing daughter.
Sounds like the usual melodrama we have seen before and
despite the good cast, that is what we get.
Weaver is always good, but we never believe she is a singer because that
aspect is not developed enough. In
addition, the role is not challenging enough for Weaver, so it is every missing
child film you have seen before and ultimately never works. Diehard fans of certain actors here will want
to see it, like Elias Koteas, but it is otherwise best passed on.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is a little
soft, but color and fullness of the image helps make up for that. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound is a
little compressed at times, but is fairly good, though this apparently was a
5.1 release, so where is that track? Extras
include stills and a trailer.
As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD Set import
exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
