BLU-RAY REVIEW

Trance

Featured In Issue 179, September 2013

Picture4.5
Sound4.5
WSR Score3.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
2279224
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Sexual contont, graphic nudity, violence, some grisly images, and language
(Retail Price):
$29.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
101
(Color Type):
Color With B/W Sequences
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
2013
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
07/30/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Danny Boyle
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 7.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

In Trance, Simon (McAvoy), a fine-art auctioneer, awakens after a blow to the head during his attempted robbery of a $27-million Goya painting, to find that the painting—and his memory—are missing. Forced by his ruthless crime partner Frank (Cassel) to undergo hypnosis, Simon enters into a deadly love triangle with his seductive hypnotist (Dawson). As the plot twists, the line between reality and dream becomes blurred. (Gary Reber)

Special features include seven deleted scenes (HD 16:33), the featurette The Power Of Suggestion (HD 33:59), a Danny Boyle Retrospective (HD 14:56), the short film Eugene By Spencer Susser (HD 13:97), the theatrical trailer, upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture was photographed with various digital cameras, as well as Hawk Anamorphic, thus the imagery is a kaleidoscope of subtle nuanced moods. The image quality turns out to be impressively engaging. Colors, at times, appear dream-like, while at other times warm, rich, and vivid. Contrast is balanced with deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Fleshtones are naturally hued throughout. Overall, this is an artful, stylized visual experience. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is driven by a dream-like hypnotic music score orchestrated by Rick Smith. The sound is wide and deep, with a surround presence that engages the entire soundfield, particularly in the added two rear channels. The sound is dynamic, with nuances throughout. Atmospherics and sound effects are effectively directional and enveloping. Deep bass is energized in the .1 LFE channel, to enhance the building suspense with an intense rhythmic beat. Dialogue is naturally delivered with good spatial integration. This is a nicely crafted soundtrack that complements the tense suspenseful storytelling. (Gary Reber)