Plot: What’s it about?
In the realm of romance and love, Caroline (Marisa Tomei) has bad luck and it doesn’t seem as though that will change any time soon. She has no problems finding guys to take her out and she often falls quick & hard for them, but to this point, all of them have either cheated on her or just left her behind. But when she least expects it, she runs into someone who could be the one, even if she never would have guessed it would be this man. As she walks home one night after work, she is harassed by two men and before long, it seems as though they plan to rape her. But those plans are lost when Adam (Christian Slater) shows up and makes sure Caroline is able to return home safely. Adam works with Caroline, but he keeps to himself and as such, no one knows too much about him. The two start to talk though and soon, Adam begins to open up to her and it looks as if the two might have found true love. But when the two men from that night decide to even the score with Adam, who knows what will happen…
I never thought I would like Untamed Heart, but since I am a weak man for Marisa Tomei, I decided to give MGM’s release of the film a spin. I knew Tomei would be good as usual, but the rest of the cast was up for grabs, with Christian Slater and Rosie Perez at the head of the list. As it turns out, Untamed Heart follows some of the usual romantic cliches, but it also supplies enough charm to make me give it a solid recommendation. Now if you dislike romance films though, then this one won’t change your mind, but genre fans should find a lot to like with Untamed Heart. The story has some new wrinkles, but is mostly a new spin on an old tale, though the cast elevates it beyond mediocre status. This is not a classic romance flick by any means, but it does warrant a look from those interested in this type of motion picture. MGM has supplied a solid disc at a nice price, so don’t hesitate to rent or purchase this release.
As I mentioned above, I was drawn to this film because of Marisa Tomei, who is one of my personal favorites. I know she has some lesser films, but she always seems to bring a special charm to her movies, which I am a real sucker for, I suppose. Her skills as a performer are more than solid and after all, she does have an Oscar to her credit, which is nothing to sniff at. Here she shows her usual unique charm and looks terrific, so what more could I ask for? You can also see Tomei in films such as The Watcher, Unhook The Stars, Slums of Beverly Hills, Four Rooms, My Cousin Vinny, and What Women Want. The cast here also includes Christian Slater (Broken Arrow, Very Bad Things), Rosie Perez (White Men Can’t Jump, Do The Right Thing), Willie Garson (Kingpin, The Rock), and Vincent Kartheiser (Masterminds, Crime + Punishment In Suburbia).
Video: How does it look?
Untamed Heart is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I am pleased with this transfer, but some compression flaws and other problems keep the score down somewhat. The compression errors are some minor instances of pixel breakup and while they don’t distract much, I think it is worth mentioning in this review. The image also looks on the soft side, but that is how things should be, so no worries on that front. The soft visuals alter the colors and contrast to a certain extent, but it seems as though all the elements are as they should be, so no complaints. In the end, this is an above average transfer and I think fans will be most pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses a 2.0 surround track, which handles the basic needs of the material with no problems at all. The musical soundtrack is a good one and here, it comes across in fine form, much fuller than I expected. Not much to discuss as far as sound effects, but the minimal ones present sound good enough to this reviewer. The real focus is the dialogue, which is the driving force of this film and as such, the vocals are vital to the film’s effectiveness. Here the vocals are clean and crisp, with no signs of clarity or volume flaws at any time. This disc also includes 2.0 surround tracks in Spanish & French, English captions, and subtitles in Spanish & French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
