Plot: What’s it about?
Jermaine (Gary Dourdan) seems to have a lock on life, but even in his almost perfect lifestyle, he longs for a little extra here and there. His business career has taken off and as a lawyer, Jermaine is able to bring home some serious cash flow. This means he has a smooth ride and a very plush home, but his real treasure is his wife, Jasmine (Kenya Moore). He is very much in love with her and she supports him in all his efforts, but he is a little bored in the bedroom. Of course, Jasmine isn’t exactly thrilled with the sex either, which is perhaps the main reason she even considers Jermaine’s idea. After some discuss on the topic, Jasmine agrees to allow a second woman into their sexual escapades, in the form of a bisexual stripper named Jade (Gretchen Palmer). When the threesome kicks in, all three end up warm and tingly inside, but there is more to this union than meets the eye. As time passes, we see that this new sexual union has ushered in a wealth of problems, which could become very serious, in very little time.
I think this film slipped under a lot of people’s radar, but I also think it will find it’s audience on home video. Trois falls into the thriller genre, but unlike most of the entries there, it delivers the goods on most counts. Now this is by no means a great film, but it is a few notches above the usual thriller, especially those as sexually charged as this one. I think Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct represent the pinnacle of the sexual thriller and by that scale, I’d say this one drops into the above average column. The dialogue and characters are more than adequate and the suspense is well done, with some terrific twists thrown in as well. The sexuality is well handled also, showing us enough to entice, but never lowering the film to soft-core porn standards. In the end, Trois turns out to be a very solid thriller and one that surprised me, as I wasn’t expecting too much. I think a rental is in order for first timers, but this disc more than warrants a purchase, if you’re interested.
This film was written and directed by Rob Hardy, who does a solid task on both ends, especially when you consider that this is only his second feature. Hardy never sparks much in terms of uniqueness, but his basic style is adequate and does the material justice. I hope Hardy focuses on his work as a director and develops his own visual style, as his skills as a writer could land him in the director’s chair more often. As a writer, Hardy is very good and paints a very full landscape here, in terms of characters and other elements. The dialogue is good, with only a few dry spots and I think the twists were well done also. Hardy also wrote and directed Chocolate City, which was his screen debut. The cast here is also solid and includes Kenya Moore (Senseless, Waiting To Exhale), Gary Dourdan (Alien: Resurrection, The Paper), Bryce Wilson, and the ever stunning Gretchen Palmer (Love Stinks, Wishmaster).
Video: How does it look?
Trois is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Given the film’s low budget nature, this image looks very good and shows little in terms of problems. There is a slight amount of grain, especially in the darker scenes, but much less than you’d expected from such a low budget effort. The colors seem natural and consistent, flesh tones look warm, and the black levels come off as well balanced, which allows for a nice level of detail to emerge. I think this transfer might be less than the level we expect from DVD, but when you consider this film’s nature, I think this is an above average transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround track won’t test your system, but it makes sure the basics have been covered. I noticed some decent use of the speakers at times, but on the whole, this is a simple and effective mix. A few scenes could have a more active mix, but I think this track handles the material well enough overall. The music sounds good and the main focus, dialogue, comes across in clean and crisp form. This disc also includes subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the extended, unrated edition of the film, though I am unsure what the new footage consists of. So while not a traditional supplement in the end, this extended cut is somewhat a bonus feature, if you ask me. The included audio commentary track is a bit of a let down, as it contains too much discussion of what’s on screen, though some behind the scenes information does surface. The track features writer/director Rob Hardy and producer William Packer, who seem to be old friends and like to talk, even if the chatter isn’t all that insightful in the end. Some interviews also feature these two, who provide a lot of background information and such, much more than you’ll find in the audio commentary in fact. The disc also houses an alternate ending, some talent files, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
