DVD capsule reviews

The Good Shepherd

There’s always some sense of trepidation on the part of viewers when an ensemble cast and behind-the-camera heavyweights are assembled to make a film; even as the collaboration leads them to carry high expectations, they are compelled to accept the possibility of failure owing to the production being too grand in scale or the protagonists, noble intentions notwithstanding, being too big to share the spotlight with each other. Fortunately, The Good Shepherd manages to keep egos in check en route to delivering an engrossing story about the birth of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. With Robert De Niro at the helm and the likes of Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, William Hurt, Michael Gambon, Timothy Hutton and John Turturro giving life to Eric Roth’s screenplay, not a second of the 168-minute running time is wasted; in fact, the complex narrative requires constant attention to detail and, perhaps unfairly, a deliberate effort to keep the lush cinematopgraphy and production design by Robert Richardson and Jeannine Oppewall, respectively, in the background.

The Good Shepherd’s 2.40:1 anamorphic print is pristine and free of mosquito noise. Flesh tones are spot on, and vivid color saturation and sharp contrast give appropriate depth to the proceedings. The Dolby Digital 5.1-channel track is notable for its restraint; there is hardly any activity from the rear speakers, but the mix remains full-bodied and absent any distortion.

Sadly, Universal and Morgan Creek falter in the extras department; seven deleted scenes running 16 minutes all told do little but alert owners of the digital versatile disc to a long-on-characterization-and-short-on-purpose subplot. Still, The Good Shepherd is a worthy pickup, especially for those who like contemplative pieces that promise a richly rewarding outcome.

Music And Lyrics

When it comes to churning out charming romantic comedies, there’s no star more bankable than Drew Barrymore. Add Hugh Grant and Miss Congeniality director Marc Lawrence to the blend, and you get 104 minutes of warm, lighthearted fare that is worth its P475 price tag. It makes no pretensions about its Hollywood gloss, but manages to stand out because of the earnest performances of its marquee names and its unapologetic homage to the easy-going ’80s.

The 1.78:1 video transfer boasts of a high transmission rate, leading to remarkable pitch and sharpness; digital artifacting is evident, but not to the point of

distraction. Likewise, the Dolby Digital 5.1-channel track does justice to its mostly midrange requirements; it keeps the dialogue uniformly crisp, retains the soft-pop bent of its music with clarity, and provides appropriate audio resolution and directionality whenever necessary.

Although the DVD comes with a smattering of bonus material, including 11 minutes’ worth of deleted scenes, a four-minute gag reel, a 13-minute making-of fluff piece, and a three-minute music video, it is slated to spend significant time inside set-top players mostly for its feature presentation’s relaxed, but no less ardent, effort at getting viewers to smile from beginning to end.

The Good German

Considering that George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh’s immediate past collaboration was the heavy-handed, artsy-crafty Solaris, it’s a relief to note that The Good German manages to be a far superior undertaking. Certainly, it receives a boost from screenwriter Paul Attanasio’s competent translation of Joseph Kanon’s novel of survival in postwar Gemany, as well as from Soderbergh’s determination to evoke the look and feel of 1940s noir to a point where color depth is shunned for high-contrast black and white, the 1.33:1 Academy ratio is retained, and period-accurate production techniques are employed.

Owing to Soderbergh’s highly stylized approach, it’s fair to argue that the film’s consistently overexposed appearance and soft edges are deliberate and not the result of flawed authoring. Ditto the absence of oomph in the Dolby Digital 5.1-channel track; the soundfield is narrow and low-frequency effects are practically nonexistent, although modern engineering is evident in the high fidelity of ambient effects and music cues.

Despite its utter lack of supplements, The Good German remains an easy recommend in light of Soderbergh’s steady hand, the strong showing of Clooney and co-star Cate Blanchett, and its fervent nod to the silver screen’s golden years. It’s neither The Third Man nor Casablanca, but it comes close.


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DVD capsule reviews

The Good Shepherd

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