Blu-ray Review: THE ROOMMATE - Predictable & Vacuous Tale of College Obsession
This tired, formulaic psychological thriller is little more than a bunch of young attractive actors attempting to make something out of a dull and uninspired screenplay.
With teen movies becoming less and less prevalent with cinema-going viewers, gone are the days of sexually fuelled comedies about horny pre-college guys and insanely hot girls. These films appear to have matured with audiences into mediocre college set thrillers, where the girls are still insanely hot, but theyve become obsessed with each other! The Roommate is a prime example and is released today on Blu-ray and DVD. Our review follows Embarking on the next chapter of her life, country girl Sara (Minka Kelly) arrives at the University of Los Angeles ready to start her freshman studying fashion design. She quickly meets handsome Stephen (Cam Gigandet), party-loving Tracy (Aly Michalka), and roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester). At first, Rebecca seems to be an extremely nice and overly sweet girl, whos immediately ready to share everything with Sara. As the two bond, a firm friendship starts to blossom. However, it isnt long before Tracy feels convinced that there's something seriously wrong with Rebeccas interest in Sara. As bad things begin to happen to everyone who tries to be close to Sara, things start to spiral out of control and Rebeccas jealousy becomes too intense. When it becomes apparent that Rebeccas obsession may have lead to murder, its up to Sara to determine just how psychotic her roommate is. But will she be able to escape Rebeccas clutches? The genre of psychopathic obsession has been done to death, with memorable films such as Fatal Attraction, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Single White Female. In fact the latter very obviously is some sort of inspiration for The Roommate, which plays on virtually every single convention this sort of film follows. Its a thoroughly predictable film, but despite these flaws theres something that keeps you watching in the way a horrific car accident cant help but hold your attention. The film is distinctly lacking in any real suspense or shocks, as all of Rebeccas actions can be guessed within the first ten minutes of the film. Perhaps hindered by its 15 rating (I mean when has a 15 really being mind-numbingly terrifying?), theres nothing remotely horrific or terrifying within the 91-minute runtime. The cast appear to have fallen off a Hollywood glamour factory production line and even the more recognisable cast members have been infinitely better elsewhere, making The Roommate little more than a gleaming veneer of a movie. Little exists under the sheen of this artificial surface and viewers are left with a distinctly bitter taste in their mouths as the final conclusion rolls along exactly as we expected. Free of any twists or red herrings, the film is literally nothing but a dull, generic psychological thriller that is neither thrilling nor psychologically complex. Theres no explanation for Rebeccas behaviour either, which only heightens the unrealistic element of the film and makes her lunacy appear all the more irrational and ridiculous. Essentially, The Roommate is nothing more than an attempt to make an engaging film out of the vacuity of pretty faces and attractive bodies: epic fail! The performances are generally dreadful, with Leighton Meester just about managing to come away from the production without her career entirely shot to pieces. Whoever thought that progressing Meesters maniacal, scheming bitch character Blaire in the enduring US teen drama Gossip Girl to the outright insane Rebecca was sorely mistaken. By morphing bitchiness into crazyness, all of Meesters onscreen intelligence and tact goes out the window in a performance that never appears to fully engage with the character. Whilst she manages to refrain from sliding into camp histrionics and overtly exaggerated psychosis, her subtle performance seems to betray a boredom with the part rather than an ability to adroitly capture a realistic sense of madness. Minka Kelly, in her feature film debut, is all sweet country afflictions and small town naivety, with little more than her looks and a supposed passion for fashion defining her. Whilst her performance is not entirely unwatchable, she is stilted and wooden and no genuine feelings for her character are generated within audiences. The support from stars such as Cam Gigandet, Aly Michalka, Billy Zane and Frances Fisher are formulaic and relatively uninteresting, adding little (if anything) to the overall tone of the film. Literally everyone involved has been far more accomplished in other productions and will undoubtedly sooner erase this from their filmographies all together
QUALITY
The quality of the HD transfer is exceptional on Sonys release, which is one of if not the only redeeming feature of the film. Free from any trace of grain or image distortion, the digitally filmed movie is displayed with the same gloss and sheen thats exhibited in young, attractive cast! The full 1080p high definition transfer expertly picks up every detail on the screen and adds a real sense of texture to the images. The colour schemes flit between dark, inky blacks and blues in the night time scenes to vibrant and expansive palettes in the day time. The scene where Rebecca takes Saras photo in front of a piece of graffiti artwork is a prime example of how spectacular the transfer is here. The definition between everything in front of the camera lens is crystal clear from start to finish and its exciting to see a film so free of any kind of blemishes. The audio quality is similarly proficient, with the musical soundtrack being the predominant highlight of the release. Whatever viewers tastes in music might be, the sheer power of The Roommates pop/rock soundtrack is unquestionable, particularly in the party and club scenes that literally transplant viewers into the very heart of the onscreen action through the deep, speaker filling sounds. Ambient noises blend effectively with special effects sounds and the (suitably) generic horror-esque original score, but also leave dialogue clear and crisp throughout. Always intelligible and audible, viewers may wish that some of the more cringe-worthy lines had actually been swallowed up by the more impressive background sounds!
EXTRAS
A roster of informative, if not a little superficial, bonus features bolsters the poor standard of the film itself on Sonys gallant Bluray release. Viewers can expect to find the following supplementary material included here: Audio Commentary - Danish director Christian E. Christiansen hosts this commentary, which begins with very little to do with the film at hand, but rather with his own love of films and his progression within the industry to making an American feature film. When Christiansen eventually talks about the production he tackles a range of subjects from the cast, their performances in the film, working around the PG-13 rating, the plot and other logistical elements such as shooting locations and schedules. The result is a fairly interesting commentary that is probably better than the film itself in actuality! Deleted & Alternate Scenes This small array of additional material is a mixed bag. There are a couple of scenes that would have helped clarify a few plot points had they been left in the final cut and some that are actually better than those finally chosen. But theres also some distinctly rubbish material that viewers will be glad hit the cutting room floor. Obsession: The Making of The Roommate Various members of the cast and crew attempt to discuss why the film and the respective performances actually make this a good film. Needless to say, this very obviously appears to be a case of clutching at straws at a number of points! The Roommate: The Next Generation of Stars This similarly vacuous look at the performances of the host of young, hot actors in the movie is little more than filler in comparison to the other features and much of the same ground is touched upon during the making of documentary. Dressing Dangerously As my ever-honest wife bluntly put it, for a film that is so consumed with fashion, theres a lot of bad outfits! Costume designer Maya Lieberman explains exactly how she came to decide upon who should wear what in this short glimpse at the importance of clothing in the film and the messages she wished them to portray at certain points within the narrative. Movie IQ Viewing Mode this allows you to watch the film with additional info on both the stars and the film itself popping up from time to time. (Requires a connection to the internet). Previews this trailer for additional Sony titles barely qualifies as an extra! For viewers with an internet connected Bluray player, additional material can also be accessed via the BD Live! Feature. Film: 2.5 out of 5 This tired, formulaic psychological thriller is little more than a bunch of young attractive actors attempting to make something out of a dull and uninspired screenplay. Whilst the acting is far from stellar the cast cannot be entirely blamed for the thoroughly un-engaging nature of the film, which is also plagued with inane dialogue and generic direction. Visuals: 4.5 out of 5 Sonys striking HD transfer is undoubtedly The Roommates saving grace, making it a visually stunning film despite the poor quality of the plot! Free from virtually any grain or blemishes, the images are sharp, vibrant and a true testament to the power of Bluray. Audio: 4 out of 5 The adept nature of the audio track makes the film a feast for the ears, with pounding pop/rock tracks engulfing viewers whilst always retaining clear and audible dialogue throughout. No complaints here whatsoever! Extras: 3 out of 5 Sonys attempts to make this an appealing release are admirable, as a host of interesting but ultimately tenuous extras support the feature film. Without delving too deeply into analysis there really isnt much that can be said! the bonus material touches upon a variety of topics that will suit most viewers. Presentation: 2.5 out of 5 The front cover disappointingly sets viewers up for a fall, as the dark and distinctly horror genre inspired imagery make the film appear more exciting than it really is. The video menu is better than the standard static fare that many Bluray releases seem to be given and the film reel style movement of the text makes navigating them extremely easy. Overall: 3 out of 5 The Roommate is a distinctly average film that Sony has given a better release to than it honestly deserves. The conventional stance of the narrative and complete lack of either suspense or horror make it a rather predictable and ultimately unsatisfying watch. Worthy of a rent for a mindless night in front of the box, but certainly not one worth actually parting with your hard earned pennies to buy! The Roommate is released on Blu-ray today.