Tweet
Released by: Sony
Released on: 4/28/09
Director: Brian Goodman
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Amanda Peet
Year: 2008
The Movie:
What Doesn't Kill You, from director Brian Goodman, who co-wrote the film with Donnie Wahlberg (yep) and Paul T. Murray, flew under a lot of radars despite a critically acclaimed though very limited theatrical run in 2008. Based on Goodman's own life, the film may at first seem like a cliché ridden 'crook with a good heart needs one last heist to make good' story, there are a few interesting twists and turns that make the story a fair bit more than that. The real reason to watch this film, however, is the acting.
The picture tells the hard luck story of Brian Reilly (Mark Ruffalo), a young man who grew up on the shitty side of Boston with no money and even fewer opportunities. He and his best friend, Paulie McDougan (Ethan Hawke sporting a bad Celtic tattoo) have made a living robbing and extorting, spending their time and profits on booze and floozies. Brian, however, is married to a woman named Stacey (Amanda Peet) who he has two sons with. Despite the fact that Brian tends to drink too much and likes the crack pipe way more than he should, he does care for his family - though we all know the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, right?
At any rate, Brian and Paulie decide they're going to rob an armored car. This isn't a good idea, but they do it anyway and thanks to an overzealous undercover cop, Brian winds up doing five years in the state penitentiary. When he gets back, he tries to make things right with his wife and kids but winds up falling back in with the same crowd, the lure of easy money too hard to resist when his family is struggling financially as they have been since he was in the slammer. Paulie thinks they can pull of one big score, he knows they'll get away with it, but Brian's priorities are starting to shift, and he's not so sure it's worth the risk…
So yeah, the story isn't all that original, even if it is at least partially based on the life of the man who made it, but the performances really more than make up for it. Ethan Hawke is surprisingly believable as the slimy best friend but Ruffalo really steals the show making you wonder why he isn't a bigger 'name' actor than he is. He's good enough in this movie that this should very well be his break through performance. He's completely believable and as his character goes through his various ups and downs, you feel it. When he's smoking crack and drinking himself to death, you're right down there with him and when he's trying to reconcile things with his wife and kids, you can't help but get a little misty eyed.
A few decent action sequences keep this drama rooted firmly in crime movie territory and the film definitely earns its R-rating but this isn't exploitative at all - it's a well made and incredibly well acted slice of life story, one that's very much seeking out.
Video/Audio/Extras:
What Doesn't Kill You debuts on Blu-ray in a 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen 1080p AVC encoded presentation. Detail levels look pretty strong, especially during facial close ups, but the colors aren't quite as eye popping as you might think as the film uses a fairly gritty and flat color palette. There aren't any noticeable problems with edge enhancement to complain about nor are there any problems with mpeg compression to note. There isn't much in the way of print damage to note either, just a natural amount of film grain, and skin tones look lifelike and natural. Overall, however, the image is pretty good and it doesn't leave a whole lot of room to complain.
A Dolby TrueHD 48kHz 5.1 track is provided in English only while optional subtitles are provided in English and English SDH. The TrueHD track is pretty strong. The action scenes in particular demonstrate some nice channel separation (you'll notice this during the armored car robbery early on in the movie) and the levels are nicely balanced. Bass response is pretty strong and the score is spread out nicely across the entire playing field. Dialogue stays clean and clear throughout the movie and there are no problems with hiss or distortion to report.
The biggest and best of the extra features on this disc is a commentary track with writer/director/actor Brian Goodman who is joined by co-writer/supporting actor Donnie Wahlberg. Considering that so much of this story was based on Goodman's personal experiences, he's obviously got a fair bit to say about the film as does Wahlberg, who helped him write it and get it made. They pair talk about the logistics of putting a picture together but also about how their lives shaped the script and the performances. The result is a commentary track that is a fair bit more personal than your average talk, but one that is certainly no less rewarding.
Aside from that, look for a handful of deleted scenes that don't add much to the movie, and a reasonably entertaining behind the scenes documentary that mixes up some talking head interview clips with some behind the scenes footage. Animated menus and chapter selection are also included.
The Final Word:
A surprisingly intelligent, moving, and well acted crime drama that really took this viewer by surprise, What Doesn't Kill You receives a strong Blu-ray debut from Sony.