Incendiary (2007/Image Entertainment DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C-     Film: C+

 

 

In what may be the tail-end of dramas about terrorist attacks, Sharon Maguire’s Incendiary (2007) tells the story of a good mother (Michelle Williams, an underrated actress giving a very underrated performance here) who has divorced, but is taking care of her 4-year-old son who is the joy of her life.  After spending quite a bit of time getting to know them and how happy they are together, scheduling that separates them has him dying in a terrorist attack.

 

While the film is well acted, has some good pacing and some good moments, the film becomes uneven, in part because the terror subject is tired, the other because it has been far too frequently in recent times.  It also goes back and forth too much questioning what really happened and that eventually leads to so many illicit appeals to pity that the film is simply sloppy.  However, Ewan McGregor is here at times as the divorced father and the tone is correct when it is not so overdone.  Maguire directed the overrated Bridget Jones’ Diary and is having some trouble transitioning to the more serious side of the material and staying there.  See it for Williams’ performance over all else.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image was shot in real anamorphic 35mm Panavision and can look good at times, butt this transfer overall is a little softer than it should be considering how it was shot.  Give or take digital internegative choices, we would have to see a 35mm print or the Blu-ray (not available as of this posting to us) to see how the shoot really was.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 has a fine soundfield for a drama, with ambience where there is no action and clean dialogue recording.  Too bad there is not a DTS option, but the Blu-ray is likely to sound better.  Extras include stills and a trailer.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo