The Square, Blu-ray (2008/2010)
Starring: David Roberts, Claire van der Boom, Joel Edgerton
Director: Nash Edgerton
Studio: Pathe/Sony Pictures 35593 [8/22/10]
Video: 2.35:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9 color 1080p HD, choice of standard def.
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, 2.0
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Extras: Short film by same director before the feature, Behind-the-Scenes featurette, Deleted scenes, Music Video, Making-of featurette, BD Live, more
Length: 106 minutes
Rating: *****
A superb and highly original noir thriller from Australia that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Its only negatives I can see would be the thick Aussie accents and mumbling – so you may want to use the subtitles option – as well as the level of unexpected violence here and there, which may turn off some viewers. Not only do you get this gripping drama, but you also get something seldom seen in theaters or on DVDs anymore – a short film prior to the feature. It also takes a shockingly violent turn, and one of its two actors also shows up in the feature film.
Without spoiling the plot, the scene can be laid out thusly: A contractor is taking a bribe from his subcontractor, and is also having a roaring affair with the wife of a man who is a close friend of another subcontractor. The errant wife discovers a stash of cash her husband has evidently secured thru some sort of crime, and together with her lover plans to take the money to escape their marriages and present lives. An arsonist is hired to burn down the house where the money had been stored, but then things begin to go awry. The mob gets involved and events spin into a cycle of violence which neither the first contractor nor his lover can stop. Danger seems to be just around the corner everywhere, including for the contractor’s poor dog. That bit ties in with an Aussie concern about "the bite" – from the unusual threatening creatures around them in that country.
Though a low-budget effort, the cinematography is good, as well as the acting. (Joel Edgerton has been in some American films.) The lossless sound could be a lot more effective in making dialog understandable. The extras features are a bit loose but you can pick up some interesting aspects of the creation of the film from them.
— John Sunier
