Harry Brown Blu-ray Review

September 02, 2010

Harry Brown (2009) doesn't stray too far from the "vigilante cinema" blueprint utilized from 1974's Death Wish through 2007's The Brave One. The title role is played admirably by Michael Caine (Get Carter, Cider House Rules) as a retired Royal Marine who suffers drug peddling gangs turning his slice of London into a morally and physically decayed landscape. When his best friend is murdered and the local law enforcement is too overwhelmed to be effective...you can guess it...Harry takes matters into his own hands.

Of course we need a sympathetic police officer which Emily Mortimer (Match Point, Shutter Island) fulfills as Detective Alice Frampton suspecting Harry's involvement in recent killings. And there are the gang members themselves who will make your skin crawl through their embodiment of moral decay that has seeped into Harry's world. The best (in a relative sense) are degenerate punks who openly flaunt the fact the legal system can't stop their tirade of violent crime while the lesser could almost pass for the living dead being grimy, skeletal thin and marked with scabs and scars.

Yet the real star of the show is Caine who turns in a mesmerizing performance reminding us he is one of the most skilled character actors working today. When accosted by a street thug, Harry transforms from a feeble senior citizen into a lethal, reflex driven machine and then hobbles off meekly into the night. Caine's face and demeanor epitomize the weariness of of an existence slowly beaten down by moral atrophy and then light up with an almost religious (or more specifically military) fervor when dishing out good ole vigilante justice. Even if you're think you don't need to take in yet another revenge thriller, Sir Micheal's acting makes this flick worth the effort.

High-Def Presentation

Director Daniel Barber comments that he wanted a natural look (i.e., no obvious artificial lighting) and in achieving that goal made a film that doesn't jump off your high-def screen. My immediate response to Sony's 1080p transfer is that it was lacking dimensionality which the under saturated colors reinforced. The Blu-ray image grew on me as I made my way through Harry's onslaught of vigilante ass kicking, and by the finale I felt the understated and often drab visual palette worked well with the grim themes of the narrative. Shot with HD cameras, the film displays noticeable fine object detail, no distracting compression artifacts or digital sharpening/cleanup though digital noise is apparent in darker shots (this is a purposeful aesthetic choice). Overall a respectable transfer befitting the tone of the film.

Much like the video, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is very appropriate to the movie's thematics when needed. The brooding soundtrack mixes orchestral motifs with ambient synth driven tracks that subtly reinforce the grim atmosphere. Caine's gruff British vocals come through clearly, and the soundstage rarely calls attention to itself yet manages to utilize your surround setup with suggestive use of environmental effects. And when violence erupts, so will your subwoofer which makes it sound like there is gunfire in your living room.

Beyond the Feature

Extras are slim with the highlight being a Commentary Track from director Daniel Barber, producer Kris Thykier and Michael Caine. The palatable camaraderie makes for one enjoyable track, and Caine injects so much humor (especially over emotionally heavy scenes) that you'll chuckle your way through a slew of what could have otherwise been dry production details and shooting anecdotes. Seven Deleted Scenes (17:08, HD), which haven't been matted to the film's 2.35:1 ratio so you'll notice random boom mikes, are interesting but wouldn't have added much to the narrative. The two best entail Harry drinking with a priest while talking about God and a shot edited from the drug house killing. Movie IQ (requires a BD-Live capable player) throws random trivia facts up during viewing and for my tastes is barely worth the effort making me wonder if BD-Live will ever actualize the promise the studios have touted for it.

Thematically Harry Brown doesn't break new ground but acts as yet another vehicle for Sir Michael Caine to bestow his tremendous acting skills upon us. Though it's said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and this is admittedly a solid genre effort even if you know what's coming. Sony's Blu-ray delivers high-def audio and video that won't be the best you've encountered but do their intended job well. Extras are a weak point, but Caine's humor on the commentary makes it an easy recommendation.

- Robert Searle

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Overall:
7.2