Murder By Numbers DVD Review:


The Movie

When the body of a young woman is found in a ditch in the small coastal California town of San Benito, Cassie Mayweather (Bullock), the seasoned homicide detective and tenacious crime scene specialist, is assigned to the case with her new partner Kennedy (Chaplin). They discover a trail of shrewdly concealed evidence that links two brilliant young men, Richard (Gosling) and Justin (Pitt) to the murder. Through the investigation, the detectives discover dark secrets in the teenagers' past that explain how the two could be capable of such coldly calculated crimes.

Murder by Numbers is nothing more then a melodrama with a snippet of psychological thriller. There are no thrills, no suspense, no shocks, and no appeal. Just after I saw the trailer for this film, I thought the killers were going to be the focal point in the film, instead we spend too much time with Bullock’s character Cassie, who as a character, isn’t very convincing as a hard-nosed cop.

On the other hand, Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt are outstanding as Richard and Justin, but Bullock’s character as well as it’s story-line looses it’s track and you find yourself not caring if our two scoundrels get away with it or not. I was seriously disappointed with the film; this could have been a remarkable movie - maybe even the next Se7en, but the direction and bad casting, with the exception of Pitt and Gosling, created a wave of boredom.

The Video

Murder by Numbers appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this single-sided, double-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The film offered a solid visual experience. Sharpness was genuine. I noticed few instances of softness however the film remained nicely crisp and distinct most of the time. No signs of edge enhancement; there were signs of light grain at times and a few speckles.

Colors looked picturesque. The movie featured a vivid and lively palette, and the DVD replicated the tones with nice precision. Colors usually appeared bright and vibrant. Black levels appeared deep and rich, while shadow detail was distinct and lush. As a result, Murder by Numbers presented a very positive visual experience.

The Audio

Murder by Numbers is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The mix displayed heavy bearings toward the front channels. Effects came across well integrated. The rear speakers added very positive reinforcement.

Audio quality held up well. Speech was normal and crisp. The score came across vigorously; effects appeared accurate and clear, without any significant distortion. The bass appeared indistinct and muddled; it should have been tight and clear, but nevertheless, Murder by Numbers offered a fairly sound piece of work.

The Extras

Extras: Scant, but at least there is the commentary.

-Commentary by Barbet Schroeder and Editor Lee Percy
-Theatrical Trailer

-Cast and Crew Files

Overall

Murder by Numbers lacks much of the thrills and suspense true fans of this genre might expect, but in it’s own right, it creates an uneasy atmosphere that somewhat entertaining. The DVD offers positive picture and sound along with the bland extras.

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