Plot: What’s it about?
Terry Thorpe (William H. Macy) is a well known, but not well liked film critic who has his own segment on a major New York television news show. He often has a sharp tongue when he talks about films and rubs folks the wrong way with his attitude. But he can do no wrong when it comes to women, as he tends to romance ladies by the handful. Thorpe doesn’t mind seeing several women at the same time, but one of his lovers has had enough and the two argue about one of his other ladies. But then fate strikes and soon, Thorpe is in this woman’s place as she lies dead on the floor. A slip on an ice cube and a hard knock to the skull were the culprit, in the middle of a most irate discussion. Thorpe decides if he notifies the police, he will be accused of murder and doesn’t want that, so he leaves as if he never arrived. His mind begins to formulate a plan, as he has seen so many crime films over the years, he knows all he needs to know in order to escape prosecution. As he tries to unroll his simple plan, a chain of complications arise, each worse than the one before. Can he manage to hold himself together long enough to keep his name clear, or is his plan doomed to fail?
William H. Macy is best known for his work with smaller roles, often stealing scene after scene, even when across from bigger stars with bigger roles. He has a knack of making his characters unique and memorable, but we don’t usually have the chance to see him with lead roles. A Slight Case of Murder gives us that chance, as Macy steps forward to handle the lead, not to mention co-wrote the teleplay. The role was tailored to Macy and it shows, as he runs with the part and really shines here. This really proves that his talent isn’t limited to smaller roles, as he takes command in the lead and never lets go. He carries the bulk of the picture and doesn’t waver, so his skills extend to roles of all sizes. The movie is an homage to classic film noir cinema, but has a more screwball texture. The humor is still blacker than coal, but the tone is more light than real noir and the feel is a modern one. The premise is a fun one and the execution is solid all around, this is much better than you’d expect from a made for cable production. In addition to Macy, the impressive cast includes Felicity Huffman, Adam Arkin, and James Cromwell, so the performances are good across the board. Warner’s disc looks and sounds good, but has no extras, so that might let down fans. But the movie itself is the real draw and while not a flick you’ll probably watch over and over, A Slight Case of Murder is well worth a rental.
Video: How does it look?
A Slight Case of Murder is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a very nice transfer, which is a vast improvement over the film’s presentation on television. The colors look bright and bold, with no real errors to report and the flesh tones emerge in fine form as well. No problems with the contrast either, detail level looks good and the black shades appear well balanced. No source print damage or compression errors either, this is a very good treatment for a made for cable flick.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses a 2.0 surround track, which provides a better experience than you might expect. The film’s music makes good use of the surround channels, as do the somewhat sparse sound effects. A few scenes also ramp up the tension and mood, which is always good in a film of this kind. I don’t fault this sound mix though, as the material just never pushes the action too much. The dialogue is sharp and crisp at all times as well, no problems to discuss here. This disc also includes subtitles in French and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
