Plot: What’s it about?
Two people have been murdered and no clues or evidence seem to left behind. The case seems to be unsolvable, but there was a single eyewitness involved in the matter. The witness is the young son of the two murdered people and he saw the entire episode, but since he is autistic he is unable to convey his memories and help with the investigation. So the sole person who can reveal the information needed to bring the killer to justice is unable to do so. While this could seem like a lost cause to some, psychologist Jake Rainer (Richard Dreyfuss) seems to believe he can unlock that information and withdraw it from the young boy’s memories. This is where my synopsis is going to end, as I have no intentions of revealing too much and if I go on that’s what will happen. Rest assured, there are enough twists and turns to keep fans of the genre happy.
As I have said time and time again in my reviews, it seems as though suspense/thrillers are a dime a dozen these days. But since folks keep lining up to see them, I doubt the flow will stop or even slow anytime soon. Amid the many mediocre and worse samples of the genre you’ll find very few good ones, but I have to say I think Silent Fall is one such entry. I don’t think this film resides among the finest examples of the genre, but I do think it is better than most and worth a look for those who love a good suspense/thriller. The acting is good for the most part, although a poor performance by Liv Tyler does toss a monkey wrench into the mix at times. The main flaw with this movie is the fashion in which the child imitates the voices, since it is really the voice of the actors not the child trying to sound like them. This pushes the viewer out of the movie to a certain degree, though it doesn’t ruin the picture by any means. I recommend this release as a rental to suspense/thriller lovers and while there are better ones out there, you could do a lot worse.
This film was directed by Bruce Beresford, who knows his way around a suspese/thriller to be sure, but also knows how to deliver a powerful visual experience also. Beresford seems to work very well with complex characters and while this film has middle ground stuff in terms of development, the directing seems strong and steady. Beresford creates some wonderful and dazzling compositions and if you need proof of this, scan to any of the outdoor sequences and be amazed. I’d say those scenes alone make this worth watching, although you’ll want to watch all the scenes to be sure. This might not be the best genre for Beresford to showcase his talents, but he hands in a fine feature nonetheless. If you want to see more of Beresford’s movies I recommend Black Robe, Double Jeopardy, Tender Mercies, Her Alibi, Breaker Morant, and Driving Miss Daisy. This film sports a nice ensemble cast, but as I mentioned Liv Tyler (Armageddon, That Thing You Do!) seems to fizzle here perhaps due to inexperience. The cast also includes Richard Dreyfuss (What About Bob?, Krippendorf’s Tribe), Linda Hamilton (T2: Judgment Day, Dante’s Peak), Ben Faulkner, John Lithgow (Cliffhanger, A Civil Action), and J.T. Walsh (Pleasantville, Breakdown).
Video: How does it look?
Silent Fall is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This transfer has some small quibbles, but aside from those issues this is a splendid looking image. I noticed some very minor compression hiccups, but nothing that will concern most folks by any means. The colors are brilliant and bold, especially the outdoor scenes and flesh tones look sharp and natural also. The contrast seems in order also, with stark shadow depth and high detail level in even the darkest of scenes. This is another superb transfer from Warner that should have fans of the film in heaven.
Audio: How does it sound?
A very effective and active Dolby Digital 5.1 track makes the cut here and delivers an excellent audio experience. While the surrounds are used often and to terrific effect, you won’t notice much in terms of impact audio. Instead the surrounds are used to showcase the amazing musical score and atmospheric sound effects, both of which create a wonderful and eerie tone for the film. You’ll notice a lot of bass use, which surprised me but never seems forced at any time. The surround use is fantastic and fluid throughout, this is how thriller soundtracks should be done. As you’d expect from such a solid track, the dialogue is clear and crisp with no volume or separation issues to deal with.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes some talent files and theatrical trailers for this and several other Morgan Creek/Warner Bros. releases.
