The Voices (2015)

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General		Extras
Category	Horror/Dark Comedy	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2015
Running Time	99:21
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Marjane Satrapi
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Ryan Reynolds Gemma Arterton Jackie Weaver
Case	?
RPI	$19.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
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

     I am not a big fan of horror films (which this sort of is), however this film's trailer made me laugh, so I decided to give it a go. It is actually hard to categorise this film, as it certainly has horror elements but is also a black comedy and in some ways a film about mental illness and the way some people see the world which may or may not be reality. It is certainly different, interesting and worth watching (probably not for the squeamish though). Despite the name cast it did not seem to get a theatrical release in the US.

     The story involves Jerry (Ryan Reynolds), a happy young man who is working in a bathroom fittings company in a small US town called Milton. Unfortunately, Jerry has a dark secret; he is deeply disturbed due to childhood trauma and is seeing a court appointed psychiatrist (Jackie Weaver). Jerry lives in his own happy little world, where he is happy in his work, he is friendly with the girls in the office and his pets talk to him when he comes home. His pets are his helpful and supportive dog, Bosco, and his less helpful and somewhat evil cat, Mr Whiskers (both voiced by Ryan Reynolds). He lives above an abandoned bowling alley outside of town. One day he asks a pretty English girl working in the office, Fiona (Gemma Arterton) on a date. She accepts but then has reservations and decides not to meet him. Afterwards she has some misadventures and he ends up picking her up late in the evening. Things turn dark after an accident involving a deer. Will he continue to live his happy existence or will the reality of his life take over? And which one is real?

     The description I have given above does not really explain what this film is all about but I am trying not to reveal too much of the plot. It is funny, dark, violent, horrific, disturbing and weird all at the same time. It has been given an R rating locally which is fair considering the amount of bloody violence involved. Ryan Reynolds is excellent as the conflicted Jerry and his pets, creating very specific characters for both of them. The story certainly does not follow usual clichés and does vary in tone quite a bit but only in service of the story. I suppose it is a strange combination of a story about the inner thoughts of the mentally ill, a slasher film and a very dark comedy. Those of you who are interested in cinema which goes somewhere different should certainly consider giving this film a go, however it will definitely not appeal to all audiences. It was directed by Iranian director, Marjane Satrapi who directed the Oscar nominated Persepolis a few years ago. It was written by Michael R Perry whose credits are mostly writing for television shows.

     Weird and yet weirdly interesting.

Video

     This video transfer is very good for DVD. The picture is quite sharp and clear. The colour is very good. Shadow detail is also very good. There is no obvious layer change. Technically, it is 2.35:1 16x9 enhanced.

     There are subtitles available in English for the Hearing Impaired. They are clear and easy to read.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

     This is a good quality soundtrack in English Dolby Digital 5.1. The dialogue is generally easy to hear and understand although the subtitles proved useful at times. The surrounds provide mostly atmosphere and music and also some voices placed around the speakers for effect. The subwoofer is mostly employed to support the music. There is also an English Audio Descriptive Track in Dolby Digital 2.0.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Menu

    The menu features music and is animated.

    Other global editions have a number of extras including the Region 2 UK version. These are preferable to our local bare bones edition. It is also available on Blu-ray locally and overseas.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is very good.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall