Plot: What’s it about?
You never know what might happen when a severed hand turns up, as endless questions surface, like who the hand belongs to, who removed the hand, and of course, why in the world did they decide to remove the hand? The man who has to find all these answers and others is Detective Rem Macy (Tom Berenger), who drinks more than he should, has a dismal outlook on life, and has become a little disillusioned, to say the least. As he begins an investigation into a hideous murder, the evidence leads right into the underground world of Chinese gangs, not exactly the safest place to snoop around, if you know what I mean. But as he delves deeper into the case, he discovers leads that link the crime to people all over the place, including some in high ranking offices, such as those in City Hall. When the best friend of the victim, Nicki (Lori Heuring) asks to stay with Macy to remain safe, he agrees and once this happens, the danger really kicks in. Who can Macy trust and will he able to solve the crime, or will he be silenced before he has the chance?
You don’t see many dark, sleazy thrillers these days, unless you frequent the direct to video aisle, which is where you’ll find this one, True Blue. The back of the case hinted at decent enough stuff, strange sex clubs, rampant prostitution, and of course, violence and murder, but I still had some doubts, to be sure. I mean, can we really trust a movie with Tom Berenger to deliver on the sleaze scale, or was True Blue simply another tease? I knew this wouldn’t be a good movie, but I did want to see some cool, dark sequences, hopefully ones that involve murder, sex, and some sort of kink tossed in for good measure. And True Blue does have some dark, sometimes graphic scenes just as I had hoped, including one S&M sequence in particular that could make some folks blush, it was a surprise move, even to me. Outside of the sex & violence, this is a run of the mill thriller with corrupt police officers, a cop on the edge trying to make good, and a hooker with a heart of gold, all the needed elements are present. Although it never rises above mediocre status, True Blue still makes a decent watch and is well worth a rental, I think.
He sometimes seems out of place here, but I think Tom Berenger still manages well enough and turns in a solid effort in True Blue. I imagine it was tough to move into a low budget, even lower profile film like this one, given Berenger’s past success and still decent star status, but he seems to take it all in stride here. That’s not to say it is time to hand out some awards for his performance, but all things considered, I’d say he does well enough. I do think he is too restrained at times and often just goes through the motions, which lessens his work a shade. Even so, his turn is good enough for this material and when all is said & done, that’s what counts. Other films with Berenger include Major League, Cutaway, The Big Chill, Training Day, A Murder of Crows, and Platoon. The cast also includes Pamela Gidley (Cherry 2000, The Little Vampire), Barry Newman (The Limey, Bowfinger), and Lori Heuring (Mulholland Drive, The In Crowd).
Video: How does it look?
True Blue is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition also includes on this dual layered disc. As the title implies, the film has a sort of a blue sheen present, often with dominant hues of silver mixed in, which gives the image a very specific visual style, one which some might think is flawed. But rest assured, this is how the film should look and the intended visual quirks are well preserved here, so no worries needed on this one. The colors and contrast look terrific, though keep in mind, the visual approach sometimes alters how these elements look, so be prepared for some variation. The image here is always sharp and detail is even stunning at times, this is one great looking visual effort, no doubt about it.
Audio: How does it sound?
I didn’t expect much from this disc in terms of audio, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 mix packs quite a powerful punch. The musical score uses all the speakers to engross the audience, which is very good, as the score really meshes with the material well, helping build & maintain the needed atmosphere. I even noticed some great surround use with sound effects, with more range, power, and subtle touches than I had expected. No trouble with dialogue either, as vocals sound clean and consistent throughout here. This disc also includes a French language option, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai, should you ever need to enable any of those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s trailer.
