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Caught

Before its ending descends into an all-too-predictable foregone conclusion of cause and effect, "Caught" manages to grab one's attention as an interesting little drama about choices made and the effects they have on those who make them. It is mere chance that leads street urchin Nick (Arie Verveen) into the fish market run by Joe (Edward James Olmos) and his discontented wife, Betty (Maria Conchita Alonso), who welcomes the new arrival into their home, after which Joe offers him a job as his right hand man. Quickly taking an interest in Nick's hard-working nature, Joe is pleased with the way things are going; he's not the only one who takes a liking to Nick though. Betty soon finds herself enmeshed in a dangerous affair with the son Joe never had, that which becomes threatening when their real-life son, Danny (Steven Schub), arrives home unexpectedly and begins a jealous tyriad of actions that set in motion the inevitable. ***

All of these events hinge on the possibility of Joe finding out about the affair between his wife and Nick, which we know has to happen eventually (even easier to guess is how he finds out). This would perhaps be more impacting had the film not reverted to Danny's character, turning him into a spineless, sniffling baby overcome by jealousy. A tactic that makes it all-to-easy to see where the film is headed, but despite this, there is still a palatable degree of tension that arises from the proceedings. However, "Caught" isn't so much a thriller as it is a story of consequence, that which reveals its characters as human beings with hopes and dreams for the future, all shattered by a single transgression that wreaks a nasty havoc on the lives of all involved. The final moments may go overboard, but until that point, the reserved pace and compelling performances from Olmos, Alonso and Verveen manage to garner our interest and keep us involved.

Lacking anamorphic enhancement, this 1.60:1 transfer for "Caught" suffers from some serious presentation flaws. The source print, for one thing, doesn't look too shapely, with a truckload of visible film grain as well as some surface speckle and scratches here and there. Clarity is in decent shape and edges are sharp, and surprisingly enough edge halos are kept to a minimum. Color saturation is good, but contrast suffers tremendously: for an example, watch the close-up of one character's face at the 1hr 40min mark, and watch the left side of his face as the shadow moves noticeably slower than the rest of his face does. Shadow detail is wanting, and blacks shift between solid and spotty. Not very impressive. ***

The sound is mastered in Dolby 2.0 Surround, and isn't actually as bad as the image. Don't expect any explosions or sound effects to wow you here; this is a reserved, almost quiet track whose sole engagements are dialogue and score. Surround use is minimal when the music kicks in, while deep bass is a mere afterthought. Dialogue sounds decent, and stereo separation is commendable.