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The Movie:
"Simpatico" has a very good cast up it's sleeve, and it proceeds to do nothing with them. The film stars Jeff Bridges, Sharon Stone, Nick Nolte and Catherine Keener; although it presents itself as a thriller, it's got to the just about the slowest thriller I've seen in quite some time. Bridges stars as Carter, who is a rich breeder of racehorses; he's up against Vinnie(Nolte), a lazy slob who has some pictures of Bridges that he doesn't want anyone to see.
The film is based on a play by Sam Shepard, and although I've never heard of the play or seen it, it just doesn't seem like something that should have been filmed. Or, something that should have been developed by someone else. This is one of those talky films that seems like it has a simple plot on the surface, but of course, there are 10 steps further and 5 more layers to peel back before we get to the point, which, like the rest of the film, is not compelling or interesting - it tries to stretch out what is essentially a pretty thin main thread. We learn in flashbacks that Vinnie, his girlfriend Rose(Stone) and Carter pulled off a horseracing scam that destroyed an innocent man named Simms(Albert Finney). To top it all off, another woman who knows Vinnie(played by Catherine Keener) becomes involved in the story.
The film spins around and around, but never actually does much or goes anywhere in particular. The central plot, with all of its flashbacks and whatnot is so murky that it's not at all engaging or interesting. The characters are similarly dull, badly written and making some odd choices. The actors themselves give the roles their best shot, but the film drags so frequently that they can't save it. Even coming in at less than 2 hours, "Simpatico" could be helped by further editing.
The DVD
VIDEO: New Line returns with the kind of quality that's been expected of them. This is not up there with their best efforts, but the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer does provide a good viewing experience. Sharpness is generally good, although a scene now and then turns slightly soft. Detail is strong, even in some of the film's night sequences.
A few slight problems are evident; some minor traces of pixelation once or twice along with some slight marks on the print used. Sometimes these problems are slightly noticeable, but they are never enough to be distracting. As for colors, there are some occasional bold colors, but the palette for the film seems fairly subdued. A pleasing presentation from New Line.
SOUND: The sound for "Simpatico" is just about what one would expect from a movie like this one. There are some light instances where the film opens up, but these are very brief. The majority of the film sticks to the front, where it's mostly a dialogue-driven movie, with touches of score occasionally making an appearance.
Occasionally, there are some very brief uses of the surrounds, but these aren't terribly noticable. The general quality of the audio is very good though, with clear and easily understood dialogue, and crisp score. "Simpatico" gets the job done - no more, no less.
MENUS:: As with many of New Line's minor titles, the menus are non-animated, but stylish and pleasant looking.
EXTRAS: Just the trailer, which makes the film look more exciting than it is (in Dolby Digital 5.1) and cast/crew bios.
Final Thoughts: Decent presentation from New Line, but the movie isn't worth a look.
Film Grade
The Film C-
DVD Grades
Video 89/B+ = (356/400 possible points)
Audio: 85/B = (340/400 possible points)
Extras: 70/C- = (210/300 possible points)
Menus: 70/C- = (140/200 possible points)
Value: 80/B- = (240/300 possible points)
TOTAL POINTS:1286/1600
DVD GRADE:B-/80%
FILM GRADE: C-
DVD GRADE: B-
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