Plot: What’s it about?
Michael Dawson (Jamie Foxx) seems to have it all going for him these days. He has a terrific and well paying job in the big city and he is engaged to a beautiful woman, Rae (Nia Long). But when he takes his woman on a vacation to enjoy some time together, it all seems to fall apart for him. As he drives through the desert, he ends up in a fight with Rae and she leaves him in the middle of nowhere. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she leaves in a pickup truck full of cowboys and that just steams Michael to no end. So here he at a rundown Sip & Zip gas station, his woman has left him and he thinks things couldn’t get any worse than this. He’s wrong. His car soon gets stolen by a teenager and then he winds up smack dab in the middle of a hostage situation. Surrounded by hicks and a kid who thinks he is Puff Daddy, Robert has reached rock bottom. But his mind is focused on getting Rae back and perhaps that can push him toward the light at the end of even this tunnel.
How this film wasn’t a smash hit, I will never understand. It seems like the audience is present, since masses flock to Next Friday and similar genre pictures, but folks just steered clear of this Jamie Foxx flick. I happen to think this is a hilarious film with some great acting and writing, but it just never amounted to much success at the box office. But now with this release from Trimark, this film might find the audience it should have had at the theaters. I think people will be surprised with how effective and funny this movie is, especially if they just grab it off the shelf and hope for the best. I think those who know Foxx’s comedic past will expect a solid movie, but even they will be taken back by how good this flick is. The writing is excellent and provides plenty of chances for Foxx and his fellow cast members to shine. Foxx leaves the most memorable turn in the lead, but the supporting cast also earns their paychecks to be sure. If you’re a comedy fan and you want a fresh film to take home, Held Up is a perfect choice. The disc is light on extras, but looks and sounds great so no worries on that front. A rental will work for first timers, but many will want to own this one to enjoy over and again. West Side!
This film was directed by Steve Rash, who has experience in the comedy genre and it shows with this film. This is a hilarious and fun movie to watch and I believe Rash was a major factor in that scheme. Rash seems to have worked this movie in a more relaxed, laid back fashion which shows in the energetic and fresh performances. Had Rash been a more forceful director, the film would have turned out much to the opposite I think. This film has few locations and such, but Rash and his crew make sure the ones present are visually divergent enough to keep things from becoming dull. This isn’t award winning directing by any means, but Rash has delivered yet another terrific comedy with Held Up. If you want to see more of Rash’s films I recommend Eddie, Son in Law, The Buddy Holly Story, and Can’t Buy Me Love. Jamie Foxx (Booty Call, The Great White Hype) turns in a splendid performance here and carries the movie with his comedic gifts. Foxx has also shown nice dramatic skills (Any Given Sunday), but I hope he stills returns to comedies from time to time. Also in fine form is Nia Long (Boiler Room, Big Momma’s House), who gives a respectable and humorous turn as Foxx’s woman friend. The solid supporting cast includes John Cullum (Hawaii, Tv’s Northern Exposure), Barry Corbin (Career Opportunities, Tv’s Northern Exposure), Diego Fuentes (Trial By Jury), Sarah Paulson (The Other Sister), and Jake Busey (The Stoned Age, Tail Lights Fade).
Video: How does it look?
Held Up is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very solid transfer and I could find very little to complain about, so I won’t. The colors look bold and vibrant and show no traces of bleeds, while flesh tones seem sharp and normal also. The contrast is on the clock too, sporting complex shadows and no obscuration of detail in the least. I found no compression errors, moire patterns, or any of that nasty stuff. This is a benchmark transfer and let’s hope Trimark keeps up the good work.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a comedy so dialogue is the main focus, but this is still a pretty active Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The soundtrack takes the most liberties with the surrounds of course, but I did detect some effective subtle use as well. So while you won’t be blown away with this mix, it more than gets the job done for this material. The car alarm, gun shots, and impact effects all come across loud and immersive, and of course the dialogue sounds fantastic. Every word comes across crisp & clean, even when the voice comes from a box at a gas station.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains the film’s trailer, bonus trailers for other Trimark releases, and an interview with Jamie Foxx. This four minute interview is basically a promotional tool, but is still nice to have. I also want to mention the inventive and unique menus, which are easy to navigate and look tremendous.
