Sleepless (Blu-ray) (2017)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Action	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2017
Running Time	94:46
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Baran bo Odar
Studio Distributor	Roadshow Home Entertainment	Starring	Jamie Foxx Michelle Monaghan Scoot McNairy Dermot Mulroney Tip “T.I.” Harris David Harbour Octavius J. Johnson Gabrielle Union
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Michael Kamm

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 English for the Hearing Impaired 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

     Sleepless begins with a bang; a car is chased and forced to crash, the assailants leap out firing automatic weapons. Another car arrives and the shooting intensifies until, with Police sirens in the distance, the attackers flee except for two masked men who take a bag out of the boot of the first car. In the bag is 25 kg of cocaine belonging to LA casino boss Stanley Rubino (Dermot Mulroney - looking rather like Robert De Niro in Casino); the masked men who take the drugs are corrupt LA detectives Vincent (Jamie Foxx) and his partner Sean (Tip “T.I.” Harris). The next morning Vincent and Cass put themselves forward to take control of the case investigating the shootout. Internal Affairs investigator Jennifer Bryant (Michelle Monaghan) believes that corrupt police within the department are working with LA criminals and is suspicious of Vincent so with her partner Dennison (David Harbour) she decides to investigate him further.

     Vincent is separated from his wife Dena (Gabrielle Union) but picks up his 16 year old son Thomas (Octavius J. Johnson) to take him to a game. Their car is attacked by men who stab Vincent and abduct Thomas. Vincent then receives a call from Rubino; bring the cocaine to his casino within 3 hours or his son will be killed. We also learn that Rubino has promised the drugs to Bob Novak (Scoot McNairy), the son of a very powerful and brutal crime family who has his own reasons for needing them urgently. Vincent takes the drugs to the casino, but he is followed by Bryant. Then Novak and his men also arrive at the casino; the stage is set for a sleepless night of mayhem and carnage at the casino, when there are at least three sides to every story and it is impossible to know who is good or bad, and who can be trusted.

     Sleepless is based upon the 2011 French / Belgium film Nuit blanche (Sleepless Night) and is directed by Swiss born Baran bo Odar in his English language debut. It is an action packed adrenaline rush pretty much from start to finish with very physical and brutal hand to hand fights using whatever furniture or utensils come to hand, gun fights and car stunts and crashes which allows no time for character development or, really, plot. The plot, such as it is, includes a number of obvious contrivances and there are twists involving who is on the side of the angels or the devils that most people will spot coming a mile away. However, within this restriction Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan and Dermot Mulroney do a good job, but in reality the reason to watch the film is the action which is some of the most brutal and intense I have seen in quite some time. Strap in and hold your breath for a thrill ride!

Video

     Sleepless is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     The film has a number of different environments, including LA at night, darkened rooms and a parking garage or the bright glitz of casino gaming rooms and discos. All are handled well by the print; the glossy interior colours contrast well with the blacks and lights of the flyover sequences of LA by night. Detail is strong, shadow detail deep, skin tones are fine and brightness and contrast consistent.

     I did not notice any artefacts or marks.

     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

     Audio is English DTS-HD MA 5.1 plus English descriptive audio (Dolby Digital 2.0, using a male voice).

     This is a very loud, aggressive, enveloping and booming audio. Some dialogue was sometimes a bit hard to hear due the low recording level. The surrounds and rears were ever-present; music, disco and casino crowds, car engines, crashes, gunshots, debris from bullet hits and during the hand to hand combat there were all manner of thumps, the crashing of furniture, fittings and utensils, the impact of bodies on floors and walls. The sub-woofer added a heavy but appropriate bass to the action and the music.

     The score by Michael Kamm was loud and impactful, thus suiting the film.

     I noticed no lip synchronisation issues.

Audio Ratings Summary

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

     There are no extras of any sort.

     The Region A US version of Sleepless includes a short making of (4:23) and 5 deleted scenes (5:19) which give it the edge although it hardly seems worth importing.

     Sleepless may be low on character development and plot but it is a thrill ride from start to finish with some of the most intense, brutal and well executed action sequences going around. Action fans will not be disappointed.

     The video is good and the audio loud, enveloping and aggressive. Zilch extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall