Out in the Dark - Nicholas Jacob

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Alata" or "Dhalam")

directed by Michael Mayer
Israel/USA/Palestine 2012

One night at a gay nightclub in Tel Aviv, Palestinian psychology student Nimr (Nicholas Jacob) meets Israeli lawyer Roy (Michael Aloni, A PLACE IN HEAVEN). Nimr is reluctant for anything beyond a casual fling not only because of the political situation - his brother Nabil's (Jamil Khoury, BODY OF LIES) hatred of Jews is taking on a more sinister significance in the household - but also because of his own plans to pursue his further education in America; but Roy is persistent and Nimr is soon making more excuses with his family to make more trips to Tel Aviv. When his transvestite friend Mustafa (Loai Nofi, ZAYTOUN) is picked up by Israeli security and sent back across the border, Nimr witnesses Nabil and his friends beat and murder the man as a "collaborator"; although the real reason is apparent enough for Nimr to implore Roy to leave the country with him. Socially (and somewhat politically) naive Roy pursues legal options for Nimr to seek asylum in Israel - through a lawyer (Shimon Mimran, OFF-WHITE LIES) who was attempting to help Mustafa - but Nimr soon finds his academic permit to cross the border revoked when he refuses Israeli intelligence officer Gil's (Alon Pdut, ULTIMATUM) deal to inform on university student activities in exchange for his silence to Nimr's family about his sexuality (and intimations that they are aware of Nabil's activities). Rejected by his own society for his sexual identity and his lover's society who reject his nationality, Nimr's dilemma of choosing between Roy and his own aspirations becomes more desperate when his secret comes out and his life is under threat from both his own people and Israeli security.

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: 27 September 2013 (USA)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Breaking Glass Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Breaking Glass Pictures Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:35:21
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.89 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Hebrew/Arabic Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Breaking Glass Pictures Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • Interview with the Cast (16:9; 10:29) • Deleted Scenes (16:9; 6:03) • Photo Gallery • Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 2:07) • Trailers for 'Undressing Israel', 'Leather', 'Geography Club', and 'The Falls: Testament of Love' DVD Release Date: November 5th, 2013 Amaray Chapters 12

Comments

Breaking Glass Pictures' dual-layer disc feature a progressive, anamorphic transfer of this Red MX-lensed film. There's little artifacting in the darkly-lit scenes (a lot of the film) but the image can look flat occasionally (during the night exteriors rather than shots that were darkened in post). The Hebrew/Arabic Dolby Digital 5.1 track is restrained with the surrounds limited to mostly atmosphere. The optional English subtitles are gigantic (the subtitles for the interviews and the clips from the film - a slightly different translation from the feature subtitles - are smaller but have some formatting issues).

The cast interviews featurette is an alternating discussion with the two leads, and the deleted scenes are little explanatory bits that were not really necessary (a scene of Roy asking Nimr about having dinner with his parents is wisely deleted since the scene of them driving up to his parents' house is sufficiently tense). A photo gallery, trailers, and trailers for other Breaking Glass releases are also available.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus