Abre los Ojos

"Artisan Entertainment's release of Alejandro Amenabar's surreal thriller Abre Los Ojos offers a passable presentation of this masterful psychological thriller, even if it does fall slightly short in terms of extras and a more insightful view into a film that certainly invites the closer inspection that the DVD format offers. Presented in the original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio (and enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions), the image is sharp and detailed, offering solid blacks, realistic skin tones, and no notable edge enhancement or artifacting. The rich greens of the park sequences, the darker images of Cesar's increasingly disturbing voyage, and the beautifully filmed dream sequences all shine on this format, offering a rich visual presentation that serves to draw the viewer into the increasingly bizarre story. Large, white subtitles are translated well, not overly intrusive, and easy to read with bold outlines. The audio presentation, unfortunately, leaves a little more to be desired in terms of effectiveness and creativity. The low and undistinguished Dolby Surround mix only makes one wonder what could have been accomplished with a more involving Dolby Digital or DTS audio scheme. With voices, music, and sound effects not fully utilizing directional effects and the full capabilities of the format, viewers are not as drawn into Cesar's disturbing experience as they may be if more attention had been focused on creating a more involving audio mix. Also sadly lacking is a director's audio commentary track. Amenabar has crafted a complex story of reality versus fantasy with many twists that also deals with many sensitive subjects such as personal perception and loss of identity. It's a shame that viewers are not offered the insight that would no doubt lay the grounds for a fascinating peek inside the director's motivations in regards to story and presentation. Production notes and a brief insert only serve to whet ones appetite for such insight, and though they are well presented, they only provide an exclamation to the disc's few shortcomings. The menu screen is a beautiful and easily navigable combination of the film's more seductive imagery and offers easy access to the disc's all-too-few special features. Though Artisan's disc's shortcomings are sometimes frustrating in light of what could have been, Abre Los Ojos was, at the time of the DVD's release, only a small foreign release by a relatively unknown talent. With the director gaining prominence and Hollywood momentum with The Others, and a big-budget remake starring Tom Cruise hitting theaters in late 2001, maybe Abre Los Ojos will get a more suitable DVD presentation somewhere down the road."