Plot: What’s it about?
Wes Block (Clint Eastwood) is a father raising his children alone, as his wife left him to pursue other interests. So he has to function as both parents most of the time, which he doesn’t mind, but his work is quite demanding of his time. His two daughters love him, but they do wish more time could be spent with their father. But since he is a high ranking detective, his time is often spent out on the streets and even when he is given time off, his mind is never off his work. In fact, he has seen so much darkness, perversion, and brutality, he has spent countless hours in the world he investigates, the seedier side of town. He has been involved with prostitutes, since he is unable to allow women to get close to him. His marriage problems have left scars on his emotional well being, ones that will be hard to heal. So he indulges in women of the night, but he doesn’t just have sex with them, he also handcuffs his conquests. At the same time, he has been assigned to head up a case against a serial killer, one who preys upon prostitutes. This puts the case close to Block, since he is involved in that same world. But the killer targets specific women, ones who have been with Block in the past and this makes it personal. Can Block manage to capture the killer, while having to battle his own inner demons at the same time?
Tightrope could have been one of Clint Eastwood’s finest movies, one where he broke his usual stride and made a dark, unexpected impression. And for the first half, that is just what happens and Tightrope shows immense potential. Eastwood plays a dark, vulnerable role in this movie, but one which follows a natural path toward normalcy, but I think that kind of road is out of place in a movie like Tightrope. This was a risky production for Eastwood, one that could have alienated a large portion of his fanbase, but in the end, it fails to take the big risks. After the halfway point, Tightrope turns into your typical Eastwood police thriller and all the darkness shifts off of him, and back onto the criminals he pursues. This is sure to be good for some folks, like those who dislike complicated good guys, but for the rest of us, it lessens what could have been a terrific picture. I still think fans of Eastwood will find a lot to like in Tightrope, but you can’t help but wonder how much better it could have been, if the tone didn’t jump the tracks. I admire Eastwood’s courage to take a risk on Tightrope, but in truth, there was little risk here, as this tightrope artist worked with a net. Once the tone became too dark, the movie downshifts into a standard cop thriller. So unless you’re a diehard Eastwood fan, this one isn’t worth more than a rental.
This looks like yet another stoic, hard driven cop role for Clint Eastwood, but this role has a little more to it than that. I do think Eastwood has played this role before, perhaps even several times, but this is by no means a retread. At least not for the most part, though of course, some traits of former characters are found here. The whole “cop with an edge” gimmick was mastered by Eastwood in the Dirty Harry pictures, so don’t expect a fresh new approach, but he does try to bring some new presence to the role. The main difference between this role and his Dirty Harry work is vulnerability, as Harry could handle almost anything thrown in his path. But in Tightrope, the title covers the main character’s lifestyle, one always on the brink of disaster. One wrong step in either direction and wham, the guy’s entire life falls apart. This sense of weakness allows Eastwood to expand to play both sides of the coin, which is interesting stuff. So this isn’t a gung-ho Dirty Harry type, but Eastwood is still in fine form here. Other films with Eastwood include The Dead Pool, A Perfect World, In the Line of Fire, Dirty Harry, and Space Cowboys.
Video: How does it look?
Tightrope is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a good, solid visual effort in all respects. I wouldn’t call it great, but it has no serious defects and when compared to previous home video editions, comes out head & shoulders above the rest. The print used is clean, with little in the way of grain or debris, though the image does have a slight softness, though this could have been intentional. The contrast comes off as solid, with accurate and consistent black levels throughout. I found colors to be a tad off at times, but most of the time, the hues look bright and natural in scope. So not the kind of transfer to write home about, but as far as the material goes, this is a more than solid presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
I didn’t expect a whole lot from the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but it is a dynamic and impressive soundtrack. The surround use is frequent and effective, including some very creative presence in numerous scenes. The audio is sometimes very quiet, with lone sounds to be heard, but even then, this mix ensures it all sounds excellent. When the need for firepower arises, this mix rises to the occasion, with ample dynamic presence and even some deep bass. The jazz soundtrack is well handled also, with good presence throughout. No troubles with dialogue either, as vocals sound clean and clear at all times. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai, which means this one has a ton of subtitle options.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a talent file on Eastwood, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
