Gambit (Blu-ray) (2012)

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General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Featurette-Making Of Trailer-Red Obsession
Rating
Year Of Production	2012
Running Time	89:04
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Michael Hoffman
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Colin Firth Cameron Diaz Alan Rickman Tom Courtenay Stanley Tucci
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Rolfe Kent

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Mild mannered art curator Harry Deane (Colin Firth) and his friend and art forger The Major (Tom Courtenay) devise a scam to sell a fake Monet to his boss, the obnoxious and overbearing billionaire media tycoon Lionel Shahbandar (Alan Rickman). To pull off the scam, however, they need the help of a brash and unpredictable Texas rodeo queen named PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz). PJ agrees and flies to London, but of course things do not go entirely to plan.

     Gambit is an old fashioned scam comedy with elements of farce thrown in, very much in the tone of the first The Pink Panther (1963). Indeed, like that film, Gambit commences with an animated credit sequence and has a theme that sounds very reminiscent of Henry Mancini. Films of this type need a softness of touch, charm and a feeling of fun, things Gambit does not quite pull off.

     This may be due to the conventional direction of Michael Hoffman, the casting or the scripting. Gambit was written by Joel and Ethan Coen who have a habit of creating quirky characters and situations no matter what the genre. However, light comedy is difficult and the blending of the Coens’ American style of broader humour and bumbling English characters and situations does not quite gel. Certainly American brashness verses English reserve can be a source of fun, and one can think of any number of examples although A Fish Called Wanda (1988) is way up there on my list. In Gambit Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz are the opposites, but Firth is so unanimated that their scenes lack much charm. Apparently Hugh Grant was originally attached to play Harry Deane, and it is easy to see him making more of this role. In fact the only one who seems to realise that this is an old fashioned farce is Alan Rickman who is very delicious and over the top; rude, smarmy and obnoxious, often at the same time.

     There is nothing to dislike in Gambit. It is amusing in places, light-hearted and inoffensive, contains no language or gross out humour and has the plot twists and surprises that are required of a heist movie. Yet the blending of American brashness and broad humour with English reserve does not produce the romance, fun and lightness of touch it could.

Video

     Gambit is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the original ratio, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     This is a nice looking print. Filmed principally with Arri Alexa digital cameras the print is sharp and well detailed. The colours, whether the brown and blue of New Mexico (standing in for Texas) or the grey and green of London, are deep and glossy. Blacks are rock solid, shadow detail wonderful. Skin tones are natural, contrast and brightness consistent.

     There was some slight ghosting but otherwise artefacts were absent.

     English subtitles for the hearing impaired are available.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

     The feature audio is English DTS-MA HD 5.1 and there is also an English descriptive audio for the vision impaired using a modulated male voice.

     This is a film that does not require too much of its audio. Dialogue is clear and centred which is the most important aspect. However, the rears and surrounds are utilised for weather effects, such as rain and thunder, crowd noises and the occasional car. The subwoofer supported the music and the fireworks at the end.

     The score by Rolfe Kent on occasion sounded very like Henry Mancini and added a few pop tunes. It was not intrusive and did help the mood of the film.

     Lip synchronisation was fine.

     The audio track did what was required.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Trailer

     On start-up there is a trailer for Red Obsession (2:51). It cannot be selected from the menu.

The Making of Gambit (11:33)

     Very much a combination of extended trailer and EPK with some on set footage, interviews on the red carpet during the film’s world premier and interviews with director Michael Hoffman and cast Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Cameron Diaz, Tom Courtenay and Stanley Tucci. Nothing essential.

     Our release of Gambit is similar to the Region B UK Blu-ray, with the same extra. There is currently no Region A US release listed. Buy local.

     Gambit is light-hearted and inoffensive and has the plot twists that are required of a scam movie. But films of this type need a softness of touch and a feeling of fun, something Gambit does not have enough of. Thank goodness for Alan Rickman, who knows what sort of film he is in.

     The video and audio are good, the extra is nothing essential, but at least there is one.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall