DVD Review: Personal Effects (2009) - Page 2

Personal Effects hits DVD and Blu-ray from indie label Screen Media Films. The movie has a very blue-grey motif to it which is due to: a) it being a very moody sort of film and b) being shot in Vancouver (ta-dum). The DVD’s transfer of the film is very good, presenting the movie in an anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) ratio with a modest (yet not entirely effective) 5.1 English Dolby Digital soundtrack. The only subtitle option here is Spanish.

The only specific bonus material on Personal Effects is a nineteen-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. Why is it that when I want an audio commentary, it’s nowhere to be found? WHY?! A couple of trailers for other Screen Media releases are also housed on the disc.

Personal Effects never found its way to American theaters (and understandably so — there isn’t a single butterfly effect or catwoman in the whole thing) and the Direct-to-Video vibe you may get from looking at it on the shelf should not be taken seriously (it‘s actually a Canadian-made feature — which is pretty much the same thing for the most part). In fact, Personal Effects succeeded in bringing a tear or two to my eyes: it’s a movie with a heart (which is becoming a bit of a rarity nowadays). Anyone who has ever lost a loved one — whether it be from natural causes, suicide, or crime — will be able to relate to the characters in this film without sinking into a state of depression afterward (which is also something of a rarity with movies these days). Plus, you get to see Ashton Kutcher in a chicken suit. That counts for something, right?

Article Author: Luigi Bastardo

Luigi Bastardo is the disgruntled alter-ego of Adam Becvar, a thirtysomething lad from Northern California who has watched so many weird movies since the tender age of 3 that a conventional life is out of the question. …

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