Plot: What’s it about?
On the ledge as you’re about to leap to your death is a strange place to meet people, but that is where Henry Bell (Sam Neill) and Karen Knightly (Helena Bonham Carter) first come together. Of course, both have reasons for jumping off a ledge to kill themselves, but now that Henry has saved Karen, it seems they might have a reason to live. The two end up having a wonderful time that evening, but in the morning, things start to go a little off the beaten path. Henry wakes up tied to the bed in just skimpy underwear, so he asks the housemaid for help and soon discovers that Karen has taken his clothes. But despite his terrible new clothes and bad feeling about the whole issue, the two make a vow to help each other with their problems, via revenge. Karen will put the man who stole Henry’s job, Bruce Tick (Steve Coogan) through a living hell, while Henry takes aim on the woman who ruined Karen’s love affair, Imogen (Kristin Scott Thomas). What will happen when these two bitter souls become mixed up in this insane revenge plan with the folks who ruined their lives?
This one missed the theaters near my house, so I had to wait until this disc hit home video to check out the flick. I was drawn to this one by the presence of Sam Neill and Kristin Scott Thomas, both of whom I like to watch in action. The cast also features Helena Bonham Carter, whom I have enjoyed in many films, so I was excited about Sweet Revenge. While the film turned out to be good, it wasn’t as good as I had expected, though well worth the time in the end. This is a very dry British comedy, which I usually would like, but some of the elements just seem out of place here. But I did find some moments hilarious and other humorous, so fans of this kind of comedy should be pleased. But if you don’t like British style humor, then you’ll find this to be slow, dull, and sometimes numbing, as it moves slowly at all times. So the movie is good enough to check out, but once again, Disney has stiffed us with a bare bones disc at no discount in terms of retail price. I liked this movie and want to give it a strong recommendation, but with no extras at all and a steep price, I have to say a rental is the best choice here.
I think she is best known for her performances in Merchant Ivory style pictures, but Helena Bonham Carter has shown she works well within all genres. I admit most of her appearances are in films of that sort, but she shows such grand potential, especially in the more mean spirited roles. She almost attacks her roles sometimes, which ensures a high level of energy and passion, which brings her characters to a new plateau. I’ve always liked her work and here, she continues her trend of success and brings a special charisma to the movie. Other films with Helena Bonham Carter include Howards End, A Room With A View, The Wings of The Dove, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Fight Club. The cast here also includes Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Event Horizon), Rupert Graves (Different For Girls, Damage), Martin Clunes (Saving Grace, Swing Kids), and Kristin Scott Thomas (Random Hearts, Mission: Impossible).
Video: How does it look?
Sweet Revenge is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. A couple scenes look bad here, but that isn’t enough to knock the score much, as the majority of this transfer is excellent. The colors seem bold, but natural also and flesh tones look normal, with well balanced shades at all times. No issues as far as contrast either, as black levels are pretty strong and I saw no visible detail loss. As I mentioned, a couple bad scenes do surface, but these are infrequent and not enough to make me lower the score much.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a dialogue driven comedy and as such, the included 2.0 surround track is more than up to the task. This kind of material doesn’t allow for much range, but the music comes across well enough, as do a few sound effects that open up the mix somewhat. The real focus here is the dialogue though, which is crystal clear here and always easy to understand. No real complaints here, but as with most mixes of this kind, not much to praise either. This disc also includes English subtitles, in case you’ll need them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
