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(aka "Two Jacks" )

 

directed by Bernard Rose
USA 2012

 

In the fourth of director Bernard Rose's (PAPERHOUSE) adaptations of Leo Tolstoy - following the period ANNA KARENINA and the contemporary updates of IVANSXTC based on "The Death of Ivan Ilyich", and THE KREUTZER SONATA - the largely uninvolving 2 JACKS (based on "The Two Hussars") tells the story of cigar-chomping, hard-drinking, fist-fighting "Old Hollywood" director Jack Hussar (THE NUMBER 23's Danny Houston, who appeared in Rose's other three Tolstoy adaptations) who returns to Hollywood after a long absence when his African-set epic loses funding. Finding himself without a pick-up at the airport, he imposes upon the hospitality of starstruck would-be producer Brad (Dave Pressler). Brad promotes himself as the producer of Jack's next film on a night of schmoozing with with producers, artists, investors, and hopeful starlets - during which he romances Brad's sister Diana (Sienna Miller, THE EDGE OF LOVE) - before disappearing from Hollywood never to be seen again. Years later, Brad (still Pressler) has lost all of his money in bad development deals and is living with Diana (now Jacqueline Bisset, THE DEEP) and her daughter Lily (Rosie Fellner, NINE LIVES) - born before her dalliance with Jack - when they learn of the arrival in Hollywood of Hussar's British-born son Jack Jr. (the actor's son Jack Houston, AMERICAN HUSTLE) to direct his first American film (Jack Sr. having since died presumably from an excess of good living rather than a duel like the source story). The family are all curious to meet him; but when Lily invites him and his writer Paul (Guy Burnet, TV's HOLLYOAKS), can Jack Jr. live up to their image of his father or eclipse it into disagreeable extremes ("How people change," muses older and wiser Diana as if Jack Sr. and Jr. were the same person)? Billy Zane (DEAD CALM) cameos as an "Old Hollywood" movie star.

Eric Cotenas

Poster

Theatrical Release: 18 October 2013 (USA)

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DVD Review: Breaking Glass Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!

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Distribution

Breaking Glass Pictures

Region 1 - NTSC

Runtime 1:31:18
Video

1.78;1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.27 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 English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Breaking Glass Pictures

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78;1

Edition Details:
• Behind the Scenes (12:02)
• Raindance Film Festival Q&A (30:39)
• Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer (1:59)
• Trailers for 'Geogragphy Club', 'Alien Boy', 'Unhung Hero', and 'Lesson Before Love'

DVD Release Date: 11 February 2014
Amaray

Chapters 14

 

Comments

Breaking Glass' dual-layer DVD probably represents this film as well as it can in SD. It is shot in HD - Breaking Glass does offer the film from streaming services in HD - but in a rougher style overall considering the glamorous settings (seemingly a deliberate choice by the director who also served as his own cinematographer). The first half of the film is processed to look very desaturated with subdued colors and grayish skin tones before transitioning to full color for the modern day scenes (at which point the videography looks somewhat cheaper). The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is rather basic with the surrounds relegated to some music and background effects, and actually seems more like a concession to distribution than an integral part of the film (English closed captions are also included).

Extras include a behind the scenes featurette, a film festival Q&A session, and the film's trailer.

  - Eric Cotenas

 


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DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

 

 

Distribution

Breaking Glass Pictures

Region 1 - NTSC

 

 




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