Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Maddin Shorts (workbook sketches for Keyhole):

- Send me to the 'Lectric Chair (7:13)

- Glorious (11:57)

- F-Hole - Music behind Keyhole by Jayson Staczec (4:10)

• Video Montage (:16)

• Trailer (2:15)

Bitrate:

 

Description: Visionary Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin takes viewers on a surreal journey into the psyche of a desperate gangster backed... into a dangerous corner in this surreal, psycho-sexual take on Homer's Odyssey. Late one night, a criminal bursts into the living room of a large house and waits nervously for the arrival of gang leader Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric). Ulysses has a knack for getting out of tense situations, and with the cops all around his cohorts need him now more than ever. But when Ulysses arrives with a teenage girl and a bound young man in tow, some of his henchmen start to think it's time for a new boss to take over. An already tense situation turns downright surreal as Ulysses begins venturing through the labyrinthine house in search of his wife Hyacinth (Isabella Rossellini), who remains locked in her room somewhere on an upper floor. Meanwhile, Hyacinth's father offers cryptic commentary on the unfolding events, and the harder Ulysses searches for his wife the more secrets he begins to uncover about his eccentric family.

***

In a house haunted with memories, gangster and father Ulysses Pick (Jason Patric) arrives home after a long absence tow­ing the body of a teenaged girl and a bound and gagged young man. His gang waits inside his house, having shot their way past police. There is friction in the ranks. Ulysses, however, is focused on one thing: journey­ing through the house, room by room, and reaching his wife Hyacinth (Isabella Rossellini) in her bedroom upstairs. The equilibrium of the house has been disturbed and his odyssey eventually becomes an emotional tour, as the ghostly nooks and crannies of the house reveal more about the mysterious Pick family.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from Anne-Katrin Titze at Eye for Film located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Guy Maddin's heavily atmospheric Keyhole comes to Blu-ray via Monterrey Video. The image quality of the black and white film shows impressive contrast with tight detail in close-ups. There is a lot of darkness and shadows but only a modicum of digital noise via the single-layered transfer. This 1080P rendering supports the films more artistic visuals extremely well. This Blu-ray looks to be a strong representation of Keyhole. with all the smoky and cloudy sequences exporting the aura important to embracing the presentation. I was extremely impressed with how well the transfer maintained the film's artistic integrity. There were no prominent flaws that I could discern.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio gives the option of a robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 at a healthy 4131 kbps as well as a simple, flatter, Dolby 2.0 channel. Some may feel the leaner track suits the film more. I liked the surround with some crisp separations and intense depth. If the video wasn't enough to infuse some atmosphere then the audio will fill any gaps. Impressive work with the soundtage. There are optional English subtitles in a tiny font (see sample) and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
I thought Keyhole was marvelous - raw, surreal, dreamlike and also tense covering a range of visual appeals from the artistically unique to downright smokey noir-esque. Being previously exposed to Maddin's work will help as this is more concrete but still has the elements that define his appealing signature style. This will get plenty of replay in my house and the Blu-ray does a fine job of supporting the filmmakers vision. For those keen on a different film experience Keyhole will punch your ticket as incredibly memorable! Absolutely recommended! 

Gary Tooze

June 5th, 2012