Plot: What’s it about?
Bob Crane (Greg Kinnear) was best known for his work on television’s Hogan’s Heroes, but his death has become quite high profile also. Crane was a family man, a likable person who didn’t smoke, drink, or do drugs, but he had a dark side, to be sure. As he was surrounded by fame and riches, he found himself looking more to his vices, instead of focusing on the positive, more rewarding aspects of his lifestyle. This led to his pursuit of his one downfall, a total and consuming addiction to sex. His celebrity status and increased financial resources allowed him to indulge whenever he pleased, with women of all kinds. When he became involved with video technician John Carpenter (Willem Dafoe) however, Crane started filming his exploits and relived them frequently, as if once just weren’t enough. This resulted in Crane’s enhanced gratification of course, but also in some dire turns for the worse in other aspects of his life. He found himself out of control and falling deeper into his sexual depravities. As this darker side continued to pressure his normal life, Crane was under immense stress to balance it all out. The end came for Crane when he was brutally murdered in a hotel room, but few answers have been found. Who was behind his death and after all the sexual exploits, did Crane find true happiness?
A dark, interesting real life story, a talented cast, and a gifted director, all elements found in Auto Focus. But even with all these positive traits in place, the film falls short of what it could have been, which is a real shame. The story of Bob Crane is ripe with potential, as there is a lot of interest in the darker side of celebrities these days, so one as dark and often depraved as Crane’s should be simple to sell to the public. Of course, not everyone is interested in this kind of story, but even so, a lot of folks are and beyond that, even more would line up out of sheer curiosity. But director Paul Schrader (writer of Raging Bull and Taxi Driver) and writer Michael Gerbosi aren’t able to pull all the depth and potential out of this material. We watch as Crane falls into a darker lifestyle and distances himself from his loved ones, but the real reasons behind this aren’t explored much, which sucks much of the impact out. Instead, we’re supposed to just know Crane engaged in this acts, but that’s not enough, not even close. I was also let down by how little attention was paid to Crane’s death, which remains shrouded in mystery, even now. In the end, while Crane’s story is told in acceptable and sometimes even brilliant fashion, Auto Focus fails to be as good it could have been, because too much is left out. Columbia’s disc is excellent however, so if you’re at all interested, this release is well recommended.
If you’re making a movie and need someone creepy, then you need to look into hiring on Willem Dafoe. He isn’t often given lead roles, but he has a way of stealing the show, thanks in part to his offbeat choice in characters. And few can be creepier than Dafoe, who is able to be very eerie, but in a natural, believable fashion. Such is the case here in Auto Focus, where he is as creepy as ever and gives a top notch performance. But Dafoe isn’t just a creepy dude however, as he can bust out some great work and of course, does so here. He has been known for his skills for some time, but continues to play secondary roles in most of his pictures, but as I said, he often outshines his fellow cast members. This isn’t his best work, but it is another great performance and he adds a lot to the movie as a result. Other films with Dafoe include Shadow of the Vampire, Spider-Man, American Psycho, The English Patient, and Platoon. The cast also includes Greg Kinnear (We Were Soldiers, As Good as it Gets), Maria Bello (Coyote Ugly, Permanent Midnight), and Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle, The Story of Us).
Video: How does it look?
Auto Focus is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As usual, Columbia has supplied a superb visual effort, given that this is a new release. I wish such effort was put into their catalog titles also, but even so, most of their day & date stuff looks excellent. The print is clean and has no serious flaws, though even minor ones are infrequent. I found colors to be warm and bright, with a natural texture, while flesh tones appear accurate throughout. No troubles on the contrast front either, as black levels have a smooth and refined appearance. A few instances of edge enhancement creep in, but not enough to be concerned about. So this one looks very good, with a natural, subdued presence, as intended.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc harbors a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but this movie is more subdued in terms of audio, so the elements come off as reserved. A handful of scenes crank out some surround presence, mostly atmospheric effects, but outside of those sequences, this mix is basic and offers minimal dynamic presence. The musical score sounds excellent however, as does dialogue, which comes through in crisp and flawless fashion. So this mix won’t jump out and bite you, but it is well handled and presents the material in appropriate form. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A lot of movies are labeled as Special Editions, but Auto Focus is one that more than lives up to the billing, without question. A trio of audio commentary tracks starts us off, one with director Paul Schrader, the second with two producers & writer Gerbosi, and the final one with stars Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe. These three sessions cover a lot of ground and provide a wealth of insight, on both the production and the story that inspired it. Schrader chats about how the project began and reveals some stories from the set, while the producers/writer track deals mostly with the process of creating the screenplay. The actors session is rather bland, as neither has much to contribute and in truth, it seems as if both were given no warning and locked in a room, as both come off as totally unprepared. Next up is Murder in Scottsdale, an hour long program that examines Crane’s death and the circumstances around the event. This piece is an excellent inclusion, as it adds depth to some topics skimmed over in the movie itself. A glimpse into the real life murder adds a lot to the film’s impact also, to be sure. I would have loved to find E’s True Hollywood Story on Crane here, but no such luck. This disc also includes a selection of deleted scenes, a brief behind the scenes featurette, and two of the film’s theatrical trailers.
