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The Movie:
"Holy Smoke" is a fairly strange picture, if not entirely successful, it's also definitely never boring. It marks "Titanic" star Kate Winslet's further journey into some strange roles. First it was "Hideous Kinky", now it's director Jane Campion's small film about a girl who's family wants her deprogrammed and taken from the cult she's joined.
The film stars Winslet as Ruth, an Australian who falls under the spell of an Indian guru. Her family becomes increasingly worried about her, to the point where they hire a cult leader named PJ Waters(Harvey Keitel) to deprogram her and bring her back to her family. The two venture out into the desert, and while it first looks like Waters is the going to be the easy victor, Ruth doesn't soon give up in what becomes a personality battle between the two.
The film was weakly marketed by Miramax as a "battle of the sexes!" and while it is partially that, I think it explores a lot more aspects of choice and the human nature than that. The film is funny and thought-provoking and interesting, although it's not always perfect. Ruth's family is presented in a slightly cartoonish manner, and they get a little too much time - the duel between Ruth and PJ is more interesting then what they have to offer.
The duel between the two that makes up the majority of the film is the most interesting and entertaining part of it. It's an odd film, but performances from both Keitel and Winslet are quite good. If you're a fan of either and missed it in theaters (judging by the film's 1.758m box office take, many did), then it's worth looking at as a rental.
The DVD
VIDEO: Miramax has provided a very good anamorphic transfer of "Holy Smoke", which is particularly pleasing since the film has stunning photography. Rich, warm colors wash over the picture, and beautiful scenery fills the background.
The film is visually marvelous, even in the smaller sequences. The scenes filmed in India in the early portion of the film contain fabulous detail to the city streets. In the wide open sequences of the Australia later in the film, the picture is impressively smooth and clean. Sharpness throughout the presentation is very good; there are a few scenes here and there that look a little bit soft, but these aren't really a bother.
Colors are magnificent. There are sequences where they appear solid and normal, but there are also scenes where they are beautiful, looking warm and very well-saturated. There are times where colors practically pop off the screen. Black level is definitely solid. Flesh tones are accurate, as well.
A tiny trace of pixelation comes up once or twice, but these are hardly noticeable. I was extremely pleased with Miramax's work here, and the film's stunning cinematography makes for a thrilling viewing experience.
SOUND: "Holy Smoke" is mainly a dialogue-driven film. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack mainly offers audio from the front, with the occasional minor subtle touch of surround use. The music, full of older pop and rock tunes, is the most pleasing element, sounding clear and natural. A scene is also included where Winslet sings along to Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know". Dialogue is clear and clean, as well. Gets the job done, no more - no less.
MENUS:: Nicely colorful, although basic, menus are included. Easily navigated, but not much to them.
EXTRAS: Not a thing. After the seriously impressive work that was done on the video quality, the lack of any additional features is really dissapointing.
Final Thoughts: An entertaining movie; extremely good picture quality and fine sound quality. The lack of any extras whatsoever does hurt the disc, though.
Film Grade
The Film B
DVD Grades
Video 98/A = (392/400 possible points)
Audio: 87/B = (348/400 possible points)
Extras: 0/F = (0/300 possible points)
Menus: 75/C = (150/200 possible points)
Value: 79/C+ = (237/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1127/1600
DVD GRADE:C-/70%
FILM GRADE: B
DVD GRADE: C-
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