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Written by Neon Maniac

Saturday, 05 November 2005 16:46

Nothing DVD Review

Written by Neon Maniac

DVD released by MTI Video

Directed by Vincenzo Natali

Written by Vincenzo Natali and Andrew Miller
2003, Region 1 (NTSC), 90 minutes, Rated R

DVD released on October 25th, 2005

Starring:

David Hewlett
Andrew Miller

Movie:

Dave and Andrew have been best friends since elementary school. They live together, play video games together, and have become codependent on each other. Everything is great, until they have the worst collective day of their lives. Dave gets set up for embezzlement by his girlfriend; Andrew, who is afraid to leave the house, gets locked out of it; and they both find out that the small, yet ugly home they share is scheduled to be demolished by the city. Unable to take the stress, they accidentally 'wish' the world away and find themselves surrounded by, well, nothing.

Nothing at all.

Review:

Filmmaker Vincenzo Natali, probably best known for the cult sci-fi/horror movie, Cube, brings his talents to another highly original film. This time he forgoes the horror and replaces it with comedy. Incredibly well done, Nothing is about something. What happens when everything disappears and you find yourself with godlike powers to create and destroy? What happens to a life long friendship when you can both have whatever you want and are no longer dependent on each other? These are the types of questions this oddball comedy tries to tackle, and it does so with a subtle eloquence not usually found any more. Like Cube, Nothing makes the audience think about the predicament and by doing so, draws them in.

Actors Dave Hewlett and Andrew Miller have to carry this movie alone, essentially it is them running around by themselves on a great big white sound stage. With the wrong cast, this could go terribly wrong. Fortunately, Hewlett and Miller have great chemistry together and pull it off. They do a remarkable job of imbuing their ne'er-do-well losers with a sense of dignity and humanity.

Nothing is not the type of movie I would normally watch, but I'm glad I had the chance to see it. Next time you are looking for a rental that is "something different," this would be it.

Video and Audio:

Presented in a 2.35:1 format, the picture is clean and for the most part, error free. Most of the movie takes place on a giant white screen, and there was remarkably no interference caused by this.

The soundtrack is clear and crisp. While it is mostly dialogue, there is the occasional 'wacky sound effect,' which stands out nicely. The full release of the disc will have DD 2.0 and 5.1 soundtracks.

Special Features:

There were no extras on the review disc, but the actual release promises to be loaded. Along with an anamorphic widescreen picture, the release will have trailers, a filmmakers commentary, and "The Making of Nothing" featurette among other things.

Grades:
Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Features:	n/a
Overall:

(Neon's Movie Lounge contains a Zenith 42" Plasma EDTV, Oppo DV971H DVD player using a DVI connection, Pioneer 815 7.1 receiver and JBL Northridge E Series speakers.)

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