Crime and Punishment (Gryphon Box Set) (2004)

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     This three disc collection from Gryphon Entertainment includes two powerful dramas from Hungary plus a delightful, wryly humorous crime drama from Norway. A strong collection and excellent value for money for anyone interested in non-mainstream European cinema.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Dealer (2004)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Featurette-Making Of Outtakes
Rating
Year Of Production	2004
Running Time	136:22
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (81:40)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Benedek Fliegauf
Studio Distributor	Gryphon Entertainment	Starring	Felician Keresztes Barbara Thurzo Aniko Szigeti Edina Balogh
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Benedek Fliegauf Zoltan Tamasi

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Hungarian Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English Hungarian	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Written / directed and co-scored by Hungarian Benedek Fliegauf, Dealer follows a day in the life of a low level drug dealer (Felician Keresztes) as, throughout one long day, he intersects with his clientele and deals with the wreckage of their lives. Only a few people offer him any opportunity for a better life: Barbara (Barbara Thurzo), who is clean and wants him to stop dealing, and young Bogi (Edina Balogh) who may or may not be his daughter although her addicted mother Wanda (Aniko Szigeti) does not want him anywhere near the child.

     The world of Dealer is an existence without joy or laughter. The backgrounds are drab and depressed, sparsely populated grey industrial estates, parks with little foliage, underground walkways and dark rooms. The film develops in long slow takes, the camera often lingering on faces without words, on people we don’t know who intersect briefly with the dealer in hope, expectation or in pain. The bleak mood is helped by the stunning sound design. There is little music in the film; instead there is an atonal, electric industrial soundscape that is ever-present in the surrounds, occasionally interspersed by weather sounds, such as thunder or dripping water. This is dull, ambient sound, matching the bleak visuals and drawing us into this unsettling world.

     Yet Dealer is a film that never goes for the sensational as it draws you into its world. There are no histrionics, no action, but a powerful character piece helped by wonderful, low key performances by the amateur actors. The plot structure is loose, with a number of low key events occurring throughout the day. This works well and gives the film a quasi-documentary feel, yet it takes a turn with about 15 minutes to go that is not fully explained, or consistent with what has gone before. One of the deleted scenes on the DVD helps a bit, but even so this transition to the climax is perhaps the weakest part of the film that, to me at least, leads to a less than satisfying conclusion.

     Dealer is a powerful, dark, mesmerising piece of independent European filmmaking, where the plot is less important than the characters, the atmosphere and the sound design. It is a simple story told well that is worth a visit.

Video

     Dealer is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the original theatrical ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is a dark film which the print reflects. The colour palate is muted and dull; there are no vibrant colours on show and greys/ browns dominate. Detail is often on the soft side and while blacks were solid, shadow detail can be indistinct. Contrast and brightness vary occasionally, which I think is more to do with the way the film was shot.

     Film grain was evident, but it was not displeasing and added to the feel of the film. On the other hand there were quite a few artefacts throughout in the nature of white flecks and the odd scratch, plus aliasing on things such as blinds (125:43). There is also slight occasional ghosting with movement in front of mottled surfaces and the closing titles were impossible to read due to excessive flicker.

     English and Hungarian subtitles are available. The menu allows for two English subtitle streams, English and English CineSub, although I saw no difference in the portion I sampled. The English subtitles are in an easy to read white font. They did contain some spelling errors, such as “whie” for “while” (15:21) and “ather” for “father” (43:08) as well as some chunky grammar. They also translated one section of English dialogue, again with some issues.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is Hungarian Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps. While I may have reservations about the video, the audio is excellent.

     Dialogue is clear and centred and the surrounds used constantly for the atonal, electric industrial soundscape which passes for the score, credited to Benedek Fliegauf and Zoltan Tamasi. It is not overdone in the context of the film, but the ambient hum is ever-present in the surrounds, occasionally interspersed by weather sounds such as thunder or dripping water plus the occasional directional effect. It was subtle, but very effective. The subwoofer added depth to the sound design without being obvious.

     Lip synchronisation was off occasionally.

     The layer change at 81:40 resulted in a slight pause.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Making of (16:33)

     This is a Hungarian version of an EPK, with film and behind the scenes footage plus interview snippets with writer / director Benedek Fliegauf, cinematographer Peter Szatmari, the producers, editor, assistant director, production manager plus 5 cast members. They talk a bit about the characters, the editing, the sound design and using amateur actors. Still worth a look.

Outtakes (16:43)

     Not really outtakes, instead we get three long deleted sequences, one of which at least could still be in the film to help explain the climax.

     The only other version of Dealer I can find is a Region 0 German release which includes as extras a Booklet, Cast/Crew Interviews, Deleted Scenes, Making Of, Photo Gallery and Trailers. The feature has English subtitles, but I am not sure about the extras. The local version is fine.

     Dealer is a dark, powerful, mesmerising piece of independent European filmmaking from Hungary. It is a simple story, well told, with strong acting and a stunning sound design which makes Dealer well worth a visit.

     The DVD comes with adequate video and excellent audio. Extras are worthwhile, and welcome.

     Dealer is included in the three disc Crime and Punishment collection from Gryphon, an interesting set of European independent cinema that also includes Lost Times (2009) and A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010).

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Lost Times (Utolso idok) (2009)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Gallery-Photo More…-Soundtrack
Rating
Year Of Production	2009
Running Time	89:06
RSDL / Flipper	RSDL (54:59)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Áron Mátyássy
Studio Distributor	Gryphon Entertainment	Starring	József Kádas Teréz Vass Mariann Szalay Attila Géza László Eszter Földes Csaba Czene József Varga Mari Csomós Zoltán Géczi Zoltán Újvári Andor Lukáts
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	$24.95	Music	Albert Márkos

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Hungarian Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Hungarian Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) Linear PCM 48/16 2.0 (1536Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English Hungarian	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     It is June 1997 in a small, dead end village in eastern Hungary near the Ukrainian border. Ivan (Jozsef Kadas) is a part time mechanic who has cared for his autistic sister Eszter (Terez Vass) since their mother died almost two years ago. He augments his meagre earnings by smuggling fuel across the border and has dreams of making money when the new road being surveyed comes past the village. He has a physical relationship with café/bar owner Lena (Mariann Szalay) but develops a love for student Ilus (Eszter Foldes) that is reciprocated.

     Ivan’s world changes when Eszter is brutally raped in the woods; she suffers two broken ribs and a bruised face and is so traumatised that she is unable to speak to the police or her brother. The police, however, are more concerned with Ivan’s smuggling activities than in solving the rape, which puts some unwanted pressure on Ivan’s criminal contacts. With his sister not speaking and the police watching his movements, Ivan becomes even more remote and isolated when Ilus accepts a place in college and moves away from the village. When Ivan accidentally discovers evidence pointing to the identity of Eszter’s rapists, distrusting the police he elects to take matters into his own hands.

     Lost Times (Utolso idok) is a Hungarian film from writer / director Aron Matyassy that works on a number of levels. The sets, including many run down buildings that have clearly seen better days, evoke life in a village at the end of the line, but the film is not really a depiction of village life, as we see little of the village, or the people, other than the café / bar, Police Station or hospital. Instead the film centres firmly on the struggles of Ivan and Eszter, where it is well served as both Jozsef Kadas and Terez Vass give realistic, low key performances. The images of the Hungarian country side, courtesy of cinematographer Mate Herbai, are lushly imbued with a sun drenched golden yellow/brown glow that provides a counterpoint for the inner darkness of some of the characters, although I could have done without many of the jerky, queasy, handheld camera shots. Some of these, such as during the (unseen) rape of Eszter, are clearly intended to show her sense of disorientation and distress, and this is fair enough, but the jerkiness is pointless and overdone in other sequences. The film’s other plus, however, is the electronic jazz based score by Albert Markos with vocalist Veronika Harcsa, which is haunting and very effective.

     Lost Times is a powerful film that builds its plot and characters slowly and surely, leading to an inevitable conclusion. But while we certainly do see the resolution coming, the journey is a tense and interesting one, based on good acting, luscious visuals and a haunting score

Video

     Lost Times is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the original theatrical ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is generally a good looking print. Colours are lush but not garish, with the yellows and browns of the waving grasses and the greens of the trees dominating. Detail is clean and crisp and brightness and contrast consistent. Blacks are solid black, but in night scenes shadow detail varies; sometimes it is fine yet on other occasions it is difficult to see what is happening. Film grain is evident, especially in some interiors, and other than the very occasional dirt mark, I saw no artefacts.

     English subtitles are in a white font. While my Hungarian is non-existent, to my eye it looked as if some of the timing of the subtitles and dialogue was slightly off. I noticed no obvious spelling or grammatical errors.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice between Hungarian Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps and Hungarian Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps. There is also the film’s soundtrack available on the DVD; this is a LPCM 2.0 audio at 1536 Kbps.

     The 5.1 is a nice, enveloping audio track. Dialogue is clear and centred and the surrounds used constantly for wind, rain and countryside sounds, plus the music. I did not really notice any panning effects. The subwoofer is lightly used. The impressive score by Albert Markos is well represented in the surround mix. The 2.0 track is surround encoded. From the portion I sampled it sounded fine, although it appeared slightly more strident, with less separation.

     Lip synchronisation was fine.

     The layer change at 54:59 occurred at a scene change and resulted in a slight pause.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Soundtrack

     The film’s soundtrack by Albert Markos and Veronika Harcsa won Best Original Music at the 40th Hungarian Film Week Awards. This extra is not the isolated film music score but the soundtrack “album”. It comprises of 14 tracks, total running time 27:24, featuring the vocals of Veronika Harcsa, mainly in English, the Smarton Trio + 1 and violinist Agnes De Coll. It can be selected from the menu and plays accompanied by stills of the performers’ recording session. It is well worth a listen independently of the film as it contains some excellent tracks.

Photo Gallery

     Behind the scenes colour photographs advance automatically with the music score playing. Nicely done: total time for the slideshow is 2:07.

     I currently cannot find a record of a release of the film in another region.

     Lost Times is a powerful film that builds its plot and characters slowly and surely, based on good acting, luscious visuals and a haunting score

     The DVD comes with good video and audio. The score is a nice extra, and well worth a listen.

     Lost Times is available as a standalone DVD or is included in the three disc set Crime and Punishment, an interesting set of European cinema from Gryphon that also includes Dealer (2004) and A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010).

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2010
Running Time	107:31
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Hans Petter Moland
Studio Distributor	Gryphon Entertainment	Starring	Stellan Skarsgĺrd Bjřrn Floberg Gard B. Eidsvold Jorunn Kjellsby Bjřrn Sundquist Jon Řigarden Kjersti Holmen Jan Gunnar Rřise Julia Bache-Wiig Aksel Hennie Henrik Mestad
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Halfdan E

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Norwegian Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) Norwegian Dolby Digital 2.0 (256Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Ulrick (Stellan Skarsgard) is released after 12 years in gaol for the shooting death of his wife’s lover. Ulrick had been a criminal working for Rune Jensen (Bjorn Floberg), and now he is out Jensen finds Ulrick some spartan accommodation with landlady Karen (Jorunn Kjellsby) and a job as a mechanic in the garage run by Sven (Bjorn Sundquist) and his secretary Merete (Jannike Kruse). Jensen also knows the whereabouts of Kenny, the man who had shopped Ulrick to the police 12 years ago. He assumes Ulrick will want to get even, getting him a pistol on the black market. But Ulrick is a changed man and all he really wants to do is to reconnect with his son Geir (Jan Gunner Roise), now a 25 year old living with his pregnant girlfriend.

     Indeed, Ulrick’s world is looking OK. He has a job, he is making progress with his son and, if he has to juggle the desires of two women, at least he is trying to be honest with them. But life has a way of turning complicated, and choices made by Ulrick take him back into his old life driven by Jensen, who has his own reasons for wanting Kenny killed. Can a man like Ulrick truly change and make a new life for himself?

     A Somewhat Gentle Man (En Ganske snill mann) is a Norwegian film that works on a number of levels. It is beautifully constructed, walking a fine line between comedy and drama with a wry sense of humour, good dialogue and an excellent cast. All the acting, in parts big and small, is very good and believable, with perhaps Jorunn Kjellsby the standout among the lesser parts. And, in the main role, Stellan Skarsgard is wonderful.

     Skarsgard is a Scandinavian actor who is equally at home in Hollywood productions, being seen recently in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), while continuing to perform at home in films such as the recent King of Devil’s Island (2110) as well as the unforgettable original Insomnia (1997). In A Somewhat Gentle Man he is compelling, the plot developing totally from his perspective; he is always on screen and we see nothing that he does not see. His Ulrick is the somewhat gentle man of the title, and he is indeed a quiet man, a man of few words not given to opulent gestures but who is not beyond dishing out some very effective violence on occasion. Ulrick is also bemused by the way the world has changed while he has been inside; he is not allowed to smoke in the places he used to for example and he is especially bemused by the attention he receives from various women, attention he never seeks although he is prepared to do what is required in some very funny sequences. The scenes where he tries to awkwardly reconnect with his son, which could be mawkish in lesser hands, are also beautifully written and played.

     A Somewhat Gentle Man is a delight; a natural, wryly humorous crime drama with believable situations and a wonderful understated central performance by Stellan Skarsgard that is worth the price of the DVD by itself. Recommended.

Video

     A Somewhat Gentle Man is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the original theatrical ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This is a good looking print. It is sharp enough, with good detail in the close-ups of Skarsgard’s craggy face and thinning hair. Shot towards the end of a Norwegian winter, with snow still on the ground, colours are natural but muted, with dull greys and greens dominant. Skin tones are natural, blacks solid and shadow detail good in the few evening scenes. Contrast and brightness were consistent. There is slight occasional ghosting with movement in front of mottled surfaces, but otherwise artefacts are absent.

     English subtitles are in a white font that is easy to ready. They use abbreviations like “wanna” and “gonna” a bit, which I suppose is used to represent the Norwegian dialogue but otherwise there are no obvious spelling or grammatical errors.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio choice is either Norwegian Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps or Norwegian Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps.

     In both audio tracks dialogue sounded clear and centred. There is very little in the surrounds other than the occasional music, and the sub-woofer did add a little bass to the music as well. In truth, this is a film with lots of silences dialogue, and little action that does not benefit from the 5.1 audio. Indeed, this is a rare case where the 2.0 audio (surround encoded) could be preferred, as it seems to have a sharper sound. Either is perfectly adequate for the film.

     The score by Halfdan E was low key and supported the mood of the film well.

     Lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are no extras.

     The only version of A Somewhat Gentle Man available elsewhere is a Region 1 US version which comes with a theatrical trailer, but is reported to have a poor video and burned in English subtitles. Go local.

     A Somewhat Gentle Man is a natural, wryly humorous drama with believable situations and a wonderful understated central performance by Stellan Skarsgard that is worth the price of the DVD by itself.

     The DVD comes with acceptable video and audio. There are no extras.

     A Somewhat Gentle Man (2010) is included in the three disc Crime and Punishment collection from Gryphon, an interesting set of European independent cinema that also includes Dealer (2004) and Lost Times (2009).

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall