| Review:
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Rachel Samuels directs Dark Streets. The film stars
Gabriel Mann, Bijou Phillips, Izabella Miko, Elias Koteas,
Jarreth J. Merz, Michael Fairman, Jordi Caballero, Tracy
Phillips, and Mike Muscat. Performers of music in the film
include Solomon Burke, Natalie Cole, Etta James, Dr. John,
Aaron Neville, Bijou Phillips, Richie Sambora, and Toledo.
***
A nightclub owner has everything going for him – until
he decides to look into the causes of his father’s mysterious
death. In the process of his search, he quickly descends
from the perfect life into a state of sheer madness. ***
Dark Streets was a great idea for a film - a classic
crime/murder story set in the Jazz Age. A lot of the film
actually looks and sounds great. The only problem is, though,
that many of the performances are wooden, and as a result
plenty of this well-intention film comes off as unintentionally
campy. ***
While Dark Streets is a good film for the most part,
there are just too many things that go wrong throughout
the course of the movie. The biggest problem is with Gabriel
Mann. While a talented young actor, he is tragically miscast
here, and he just doesn’t make the film’s leading man believable
or all that interesting. Likewise, plenty of the supporting
cast members pretty much get relegated to the background,
and never get a chance to develop the way they should. Sure,
it’s a musical, but that’s no reason why the movie can’t
have three-dimensional characters and a strong performance
from the actor playing the main character. ***
Dark Streets stands as a mixed bag. While the concept
of the film looks good on paper, the end result is a hit-and-miss
affair. Still, despite its flaws, this is definitely a worthwhile
rental title if nothing else. ---
Image and Sound:
Dark Streets was meant to look like a product of the
era in which it was set, and the well-done cinematography
shines through in this DVD release. The movie looks superb
throughout, with a “classic” look to it. Your speakers will
really shine in the musical sequences, which are obviously
the highlight of the film. All in all, it’s a good transfer.
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| Special
Features: |
Just some deleted/alternate scenes and a commentary
track. The scenes were rightfully excised from the final
film, and the commentary track, while it will be appealing
to die-hard fans of the movie, isn’t terribly engrossing.
That said, though, I’m glad this wasn’t a bare bones package.
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