DVD Corner

Down The Shore Blu-ray Review

The late great James Gandolfini shines in the little seen “Down the Shore.”

“Down The Shore” begins in Paris where a French man (Jacques) meets a New Jersey tourist (Susan). As the two begin to hit it off, the film cuts to New Jersey where we see Jacques meeting with Susan’s brother (Bailey) to inform him that Susan has passed away. Furthermore, it is revealed that Jacques had married Susan before she died. Uncertain of whether this is legitimate news or if Jacques is a shady con man, Bailey is immediately suspicious of Jacques.

Since Jacques now owns half of Susan and Bailey’s home, he decides to settle down in New Jersey where he eventually works at a local amusement park with Bailey. Meanwhile, the plot shifts to another key subplot involving a married couple (Mary and Wiley) and their disabled son (Martin) who live next door to Bailey and Jacques. Mary, who has a romantic history with Bailey, sees her marriage falling apart as Wiley starts becoming an abusive, threatening, drug addicted thug.

After adjusting to a somewhat odd story structure and some rather stilted dialogue, the stagey, sluggish, dark drama of “Down the Shore” becomes more effective thanks to the impressive performances of Edoardo Costa and James Gandolfini (in one of his final film roles) who elevate the“been there-done that” material about life, loss, love, and past demons. Costa, best known for his appearance in “Live Free or Die Hard,” surprises as the emotionally complex and mysterious Jacques. He’s the heart of the film and he plays well off the entire cast. The always reliable James Gandolfini also gave another stand-out performance here as the vulnerable Bailey. Thanks to Gandolfini’s soulful acting, you really find yourself drawn to the character of Bailey and hope that things turn out well for him.

Video/Audio:

The New Jersey locals looks crisp and clear in the film’s 1.78:1 1080p presentation.

The music and dialogue sound a little soft on the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track, but the track still delivers regardless.

The only extras are Anchor Bay trailers.

July 6, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Down The Shore Blu-ray Review, James Gandolfini