The Movie
In this little-seen remake of Fritz Lang's 1956 Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, ambitious investigative reporter C.J. (Jesse Metcalfe) is on the trail of a hot-shot district attorney (Michael Douglas) who might be faking forensic DNA evidence in order to up his conviction rate. So ambitious is young C.J. in fact that he decides to frame himself for the next murder in town for which the evidence is only circumstantial, wait to be implicated with the D.A.'s eleventh-hour DNA findings and then reveal his true innocence via carefully assembled video proof.
It would be the news story of the century, if only it went according to plan, but that's seldom the case in thrillers like these. Douglas and Amber Tamblyn--as a hard-working assistant D.A.--help sell the proceedings with earnest performances, but a few too many clues early on gave away the big twist, at least for me. I won't say what it is of course, but if the movie works its magic on you, you're in for an enjoyable roller coaster jaunt.
The Picture
The blacks within the 1.85:1 frame could surely be more detailed, and I was struck by the frequent appearance of noise, even in places where I wouldn't necessarily expect it, like across an amply lit face. I also detected aliasing in fine lines. Faces can also have a softness to them, although sometimes deliberately so, to minimize wrinkles and such. But all in all I'd have to rate this Blu-ray as just a modest notch above DVD quality.
The Sound
The audio is a surprisingly serious Uncompressed Linear PCM 5.1, although it defaults automatically to Dolby Digital 5.1, so be aware (a quick tap on the "audio" button of your remote should set things right). David Shire's musical score is powerful and mixed deftly across the soundstage. The dialogue is often re-recorded, and unfortunately looks/sounds it. Police sirens do their thing in the rear channels, and a well-edited old-school car chase is successfully engaging, with lots of bang and boom. Not a bad little track, although not the best exploitation of Linear PCM.
The Extras
The accomplished screenwriter/director/cinematographer Peter Hyams shares the audio commentary with his star, Jesse Metcalfe, providing the most in-depth exploration behind the scenes. "The Whole Truth: The Making of Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" is a tad fluffy even at a mere three minutes, while the four-minute "Criminal Forensics: The Burden of Proof" offers a bit more insight, from an L.A.P.D. expert who reveals the critical balance between intuition and science in his line of work. Both featurettes are in HD. Disc Two is a DVD-ROM carrying a Digital Copy of the movie for Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
A throwback to the crime thrillers of the 1980s, in mostly good ways, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt manages to entertain while baiting the audience with twists and shocks. The disc could have looked better, and the extras could have been more original, but I'm reasonably sure this one is worth at least a rental.
Product Details
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