Plot: What’s it about?
Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) is a young man on life’s fast track, already with immense wealth and success in the dog eat dog business world. But at the top he faces constant threats from his competition, including some dangers he would have never been suspect of. When Clay undergoes what should be a routine surgical procedure, the anesthesia process doesn’t work as it should, which leaves him awake, but paralyzed. While the incident was horrific, Clay is able to overhear those around him talk, including some discussion about having him killed. But was Clay really awake during the operation and heard this worrisome talk, or was it just a sort of hallucination or dream while he was under? As he searches to find the truth, will he uncover more than he bargained for, or simply find dead end after dead end?
The idea of being awake during surgery, able to feel the pain, but unable to express it, is a chilling concept. So of course, Awake seemed like it could have some potential. The actual surgery sequence lives up to that potential, as it supplies wince inducing moments, but the rest of the film doesn’t follow suit. This is due in large part to poor direction, as Joby Harold is so inconsistent with the approach. Awake never settles on what it wants to be, a thriller with horror elements, a drama with thriller elements, or whatever else Harold could think of. Instead of going in one direction, Awake tries to balance all of these elements and as a result, seems like a mess at times. The surgery scene is potent however and if you’re intrigued by the premise, Awake is brisk and worth a rental. This Blu-ray disc supplies improved audio & video as well, so this is the path to walk down.
Video: How does it look?
Awake is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer here looks great, even if the material doesn’t always have much visual spark. The visual design is rather cold and sterile, so there isn’t much room to show off, but whenever colors do come in, they’re vivid. No issues in terms of print concerns or compression flaws either, so the image is never hindered by those kind of problems in the least. As far as detail, the image shows great depth and while not as striking as the elite level high definition transfers, this is a noticeable step up over the DVD. So while not one of the best transfers, this is a great looking effort that allows the film’s visuals to shine through.
Audio: How does it sound?
This Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option doesn’t reach out and grab your attention, but it lays the proper foundation for the material and never wavers. The music sounds excellent, with a lot of presence and perfect placement within the soundtrack. Aside from some cheap scares, the surrounds are used for atmosphere, but that works well in this case. The front channels perform well also, with clean dialogue and no errors to mention. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, French and Spanish language tracks, and subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option doesn’t reach out and grab your attention, but it lays the proper foundation for the material and never wavers. The music sounds excellent, with a lot of presence and perfect placement within the soundtrack. Aside from some cheap scares, the surrounds are used for atmosphere, but that works well in this case. The front channels perform well also, with clean dialogue and no errors to mention. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, French and Spanish language tracks, and subtitles in English and Spanish.
