Plot: What’s it about?
As if her husband’s recent suicide isn’t enough, Grace Trevethyn (Brenda Blethyn) has learned all of her possessions are about to be taken from her. She wasn’t aware of it, but her husband had mortgaged their home, their land, and whatever else he could and since Grace has no cash, the bank is prepared to foreclose. She could raise the money with some time, but her limited skills and lack of time simply won’t allow that to happen. If Grace doesn’t come up with some sort of a plan soon, she will find herself at a total loss, which could be too much for even her to handle. But just when time seems to be out for her, a potential solution surfaces, even though it is a rather risky proposition. Grace’s garden worker, Matthew (Craig Ferguson) thinks if he can use her greenhouse to grow it, he can deliver a bumper crop of marijuana. It is a dangerous idea, but Grace needs to save her home and Matthew needs a nest egg to get married, so the two begin their crop season. Over time, the entire town become aware of the plants and hope for their success, but will they be able to cash in on their work?
I missed this film at the theaters, but I was intrigued by the storyline and looked forward to this disc. The trailer makes this film seem like an all out comedy and it is very funny, but there is also a lot of emotion to be found here. The acting is very good and the characters are well written, which makes the events within the film more real and by turn, the film is more effective. There is a lot of non comedic situations in this movie as well, although not to the extent that you’ll get depressed, although looser eyes might shed a couple tears. This is very much a comedy at heart and with all these terrific characters, it makes all the material that much funnier, if you ask me. At the center of the film is the laughs, but the more serious sequences are also well done, which adds a lot as well. The storyline is strong at all times, which means the humor is well written and works within the plot, as opposed to penning the plot around the laughs. I give this film a good recommendation and with such a nice disc from New Line, your money is well spent with a rental or purchase.
This might have been his feature film debut, but director Nigel Cole seems to handle himself quite well. But then, with such great material and a terrific cast, I don’t imagine his climb was an uphill one. Cole and his crew work the material very well and also add in some nice visuals, which give the movie some nice depth. The scenic landscapes look beautiful here and also remind us of where we are, which helps keep the storyline moving forward. Cole takes a pretty basic approach in terms of visuals most of the time, but that seems to mesh with this material very well. This was his first effort and he delivers a fine film, so I hope we see more from Nigel Cole very soon. The cast includes Brenda Blethyn (RKO 281, A River Runs Through It), Jamie Foreman (Sleepy Hollow, Elizabeth), Martin Clunes (Shakespeare In Love, Swing Kids), Tcheky Karyo (The Patriot, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc), Bill Bailey (Tv’s Black Books), and Valerie Edmond (Fierce Creatures). But the show is stolen by Craig Ferguson (Modern Vampires, The Big Tease), who shines within his role and really chews up his screen time.
Video: How does it look?
Saving Grace is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition also included on this dual layered disc. We’ve come to expect excellent transfers from New Line and aside from some slight source material flaws, they have delivered once again with this disc. You can tell this film was made without a ton of cash, so the few speckles and wear signs are easy to overlook. I wish they weren’t present, but I don’t think it should knock the score much either. The film has a unique color scheme at times, but this transfer never slips, always making the shades look terrific. I also saw no flaws with the flesh tones, which come off as natural and warm here. No problems as far as contrast, as the black levels are right on and no visible detail loss is evident. Another New Line disc and of course, another superb visual treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
This film doesn’t have much need for high impact audio, so the surrounds don’t work too much, aside from the musical score. The score sounds good though, very rich in this mix and that helps set the mood at times. The accents might have you scratching your head at times, but the dialogue is clean and crisp at all times, with no volume issues I could detect. A few small spots of harshness can be heard, but nothing to become worked about, I assure you. The surrounds do see some action at times, but don’t expect too much from this mix, as it focuses on dialogue, as it should. The disc also contains a 2.0 surround track and English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The usual theatrical trailer and talent files can be found here, but the real bonus comes in the form of two audio commentary tracks. The first is with director Nigel Cole and actors Craig Ferguson and Brenda Blethyn, who discuss how the storyline came about, the characters, and other aspects of the human side of the coin. This is more like a series of interview clips than a real commentary track, but there’s still a lot of insight to be drawn from this. The second track also features Cole and Ferguson, as well as cowriter Mark Crowely. This track is like a normal commentary option and the three talk about the production for the most part, which makes this a nice companion track to the other one. When taken as a pair, these two offer a total experience of how Saving Grace came to into fruition. Also, some DVD-ROM material included is a link to the original theatrical website.
