Plot: What’s it about?
Chances are that you might see the cover for Parts per Billion and think it’s a straight-up (albeit smaller scale) disaster film. In truth, it’s only partially that. The disaster is the central plot, bringing together the various plot threads, but this is very much a different film all together. During the opening credits, we learn that an outbreak in the Middle East is now spreading across the globe, and will soon reach the United States. We see some brief news snippets briefly explaining what is going on, but that is ultimately pushed aside in favor of the relationships between all of the characters. We get performances here from Rosario Dawson, Josh Hartnett, Teresa Palmer, and Alexis Bledel to name a few. There’s also a subplot involving the Frank Langella character and his wife. Nothing here makes much of an impression. I don’t mind a good character study or character studies in this case, but the characters here aren’t the least bit interesting.
It’s hard to believe a film involving numerous characters and a biological catastrophe can be so downright boring. I lost count of the times characters are seen laying on the ground whispering and talking about the future. I just wish I cared the least about any of them. You really can’t blame the cast here, but it’s also hard to see what drew them to this material in the first place. I wanted to like this film, but simply couldn’t. It presents a slow and plodding story that builds towards a weak climax. Not one of the many characters presented here is the slightest bit interesting. Skip it.
Video: How’s it look?
The print used here is clean, but something about the image just seems faded. Colors never pop or stand out in any way. It’s never a huge problem, but it’s at least worth mentioning. It’s likely a problem more with the lighting and the way the film was shot rather than the transfer itself, but it left me unmoved (much like the film itself). Little details still appear nice, however, such as flesh tones and various other features. I spotted a few gray hairs on one of the actor’s heads, and a few other details as well. I just wish the colors were bolder. The image is AVC encoded with a 1.85:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We get a passable Dolby True HD track here. It serves the film well, but it doesn’t make an impact like you might initially expect. Vocals are front and center and come out clear and strong. Rears kicked in on occasion, and there were instances where little details came through. Overall, it’s a decent track. Nothing more, nothing less.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Outside of some previews? Zilch. I can’t say I wanted to know any more about the film, so this is actually a blessing in disguise for me.
