Synopsis
A young married couple (Nathan Fillion and Chandra West) move to a cabin in thewilderness. This is not a happy getaway. They have lost their daughter, they are broke, theirmarriage is hanging by a thread, and the wife is suicidal. As if they didn’t have enough on theirhands, Fillion comes across a bad scene in the woods: the sheriff about to murder a youngwoman with a rock. Fillion kills the sheriff, rescues the woman, and then the problems reallybegin as nothing is what it…seems and small-town corruption raises its ugly head.
The set-up is terrific, and if the payoff winds up taking us down roads we’ve travelled manytimes before, there are still pleasures to be had along the way. The dialogue is sharp, setting upthe characters with wonderful economy. The tone is spare and understated, but an undercurrentof threat pulses from the opening seconds. Though it may not turn the noir conventions on theirhead, Water’s Edge is still an honourable contribution to the genre.
Audio
Another 2.0 soundtrack, but it works. The sound effects aren’t overwhelming, but they arepresent and suitably atmospheric. In the silences between dialogue, we become conscious of thesounds of the woods. The music is very strong, and shows off some fairly dramatic surroundeffects on its own. Clear, clean, effective sound.
Video
Though the picture isn’t absolutely as sharp as it could possibly be, it is still sharp enough.The colours are excellent, especially the greens, giving the forest a very lush feel. The blacks aregood, as are the flesh tones and contrasts. There is no grain, or noticeable edge enhancement. Theaspect ratio is listed, which usually means fullscreen, but we actually have anamorphicwidescreen (I’m guessing 1.78:1).
Special Features
Trailers for the feature, Wonderland and Shattered Glass. The menu isbasic.
Closing Thoughts
One has the distinct impression that anything featuring a Baldwin brother can’t be toorevolutionary, but this is still a solid effort. An entertaining rental.
Special Features List
- Trailers
