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Stoker

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    Ian Jane
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  • Stoker



    Released by: Fox
    Released on: June 18, 2013.
    Director: Chan-wook Park
    Cast: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver
    Year: 2013
    Purchase From Amazon

    The Movie:

    The English language feature film debut from Korean filmmaker Chan-wook Park, the man best known for Oldboy, is 2013's Stoker. The film introduces us to a young woman named India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) who has recently lost her father Richard (Dermot Mulroney) in an unexpected car accident. She lives at home with her mother, a distant woman named Evelyn (Nicole Kidman). At her father's funeral, which falls on her eighteenth birthday, India - who we're told hears and sees things others do not - notices a man watching from afar. It turns out that this man is her late father's brother, Charlie (Matthew Goode) and he's shown up after decades of travel to help out.

    Things start to get a little odd shortly after Charlie's arrival. India's aunt (Jacki Weaver) shows up but doesn't stay for long and Charlie and Evelyn seem to be getting unusually close far too quickly. India runs into some trouble at school and then one night is almost raped by a young man named Whip (Alden Ehrenreich) Charlie is there to help her out. As his true nature comes to light, India should be terrified but instead finds herself drawn to this man who somehow seems to both fascinate her and fill a void her father left.

    A fascinating thriller that takes what is essentially a coming of age story and turns it into something dark and twisted, Stoker is a darkly beautiful film. The performances are strong across the board. Goode excels as the handsome and charming Uncle Charlie, he's just smug enough that we know there's something off about him, but the way in which the film allows his mystery to unfold lets us make up our own minds as to some of the specifics. Nicole Kidman is good here as well, though her character isn't as layered. We're never quite sure if she's grieving for her husband or glad to be rid of him. When the subject of his death is brought up she politely requests that the subject be changed but stops short of showing much in the way of emotional distress. Her character is cold and distant and seems to take comfort in the glass of wine that seems glued to her hand. The real scene stealer here, however, is Mia Wasikowska. Though in real life she's a few years older than India is supposed to be, they do a great job of making her look the part and she really brings her best to the role. India is a complicated character, not quite a grown up though feeling like one and obviously becoming a woman faster than her mother realizes. The character is conflicted, devious, clever and at times flat out ruthless and Wasikowska is never less than completely convincing in the part.

    As is typical in Park's filmography, the use of music plays an important part in the movie. Both Evie and India play the piano with Charlie at certain times in the movie with some interesting after effects and at one point Evie and Charlie dance in the house to Summer Wine (the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazelwood duet). The movie is also beautifully shot, with almost every camera angle and transition implying something, be it the way that the film intercuts footage of Mia pleasuring herself in the shower with scenes of death or the way in which certain pieces of the text in the opening credits interact with their environment. There's a lot going on here visually, making this one worth a second watch.

    If, ultimately, it's hard to peg this into one specific genre, so be it. There's an undeniable Hitchcockian influence here (Shadow Of A Doubt being the obvious choice) but so too can we at times feel Park is bringing in elements of David Lynch - parts of the movie have a definite Twin Peaks vibe going on. The movie doesn't have to be a horror movie or a thriller or a drama, it can just tell a story in the best way possible, which is exactly what Stoker does. The element of 'mystery' that is important to the storyline sort of fizzles rather than pops, but with everything else going on and building to such a compelling crescendo, it's easy to overlook that flaw. It's dark, it's stylish, and it's remarkably well made.

    Video/Audio/Extras:

    Stoker debuts on Blu-ray in a gorgeous looking AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer framed at 2.40.1 widescreen. While fine grain is obvious throughout the presentation, as it should be, there's no actual print damage to note here, just a very clean, detailed and film like presentation seemingly entirely devoid of sharpening or noise reduction filters. Skin tones look lifelike and natural and if this isn't the most colorful movie ever made, the film's hues are reproduced quite accurately here, never looking boosted or artificially pumped up. Contrast looks great, as does detail and texture, especially in close up shots. Just a really strong, film like image overall, the picture quality looks great.

    Fox has gone all out with the audio options on this disc. We get an English language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track but also Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound options in French, Spanish, Czech, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish, Turkish and Thai. Subtitles are provided in English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Malay, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

    Let's rewind a bit and focus on the lossless version of the film's original language. Sound plays a very important part in this movie, far more so than in your average film, and this mix milks that aspect of the production for all its worth. The sound of a cicada swelling up, something decidedly average, takes on an ominous tone here when it's used directionally to represent what India is going through in the movie, for example. There's almost constant rear channel activity here, though often times it is very subtle, and that, combined with the great use of music and crystal clear dialogue, makes for what is pretty much a reference quality track. It's not as bombastic as a bigger more action oriented movie might require, but in terms of how it plays off of the film it has been designed for, it's perfect.

    Extras are pretty solid here, starting with the twenty-eight minute long featurette, Stoker: A Filmmaker's Journey. This basically follows the movie from concept to completion by giving us a look at what went into the locations, the costumes, the writing process, language barriers that arose between cast and crew and more. This is loaded with cast and crew interviews and some great on set footage and is quite an interesting look into the challenges that arose during the making of the movie and how those involved rose to them.

    The Theatrical Behind-the-Scenes section includes five different mini featurettes that run between two and a half and three and a half minutes long and cover: The Making Of The Limited Edition Poster, Mysterious Characters, The Director's Vision, Designing The Look and Creating the Music. Much of this material is recycled from the first featurette. The disc also includes sixteen minutes of Red Carpet Footage that is just what it sounds like and a five minute video entitled “Becomes The Color" Emily Wells.

    We also get a quick two minute segment entitled London Theater Design in which we see the film debut at a UK theater that was decorated in the same style as the movie. Rounding out the extras are three deleted scenes running just over ten minutes in length, an eleven minute long slideshow of behind the scenes photos entitled Photography By Mary Ellen Mark, a theatrical trailer, and a ten minute 'Sneak Peak' featurette that's basically an EPK. Animated menus, chapter selection and a digital copy are also included. All of the extras on the disc are presented in high definition.

    The Final Word:

    Stoker, like all of Park's films, won't be one suited to all tastes but it's a beautifully made and wonderfully dark slice of filmmaking that features remarkable work from the cast and some amazing imagery. The use of sound is excellent as is the cinematography and Mia Wasikowska's performance is nothing short of amazing. Fox's Blu-ray release treats the film right, offering up a beautiful transfer, excellent lossless audio and a nice selection of extras. A great release through and through.

    Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!





















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