Spiral Blu-ray offers decent video and solid audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release
Portland in the fall is a solitary city. A city where a lonely man can lose himself, insulated beneath the cold,
and the clouds, and the rain. Mason is just such a man. A gifted artist, Mason is never-the-less neurotic and
reclusive, living a life of anonymity, working from a drab cubicle in a florescent-lit phone bank, repeating the
same meaningless conversation with faceless strangers ad nauseam. Mason is never truly noticed by anyone,
save his boss, Berkeley, not quite a friend, but a sole source of companionship in an otherwise isolated
existence. That is, until he meets a gregarious co-worker named Amber, a girl struggling with her own
loneliness and need to define herself. Amber's jovial demeanor and seemingly carefree attitude provides a
sort of catharsis for Mason, and allows his true gifts to come to light as she poses for his art. It is an unlikely,
and unusual courtship that helps Mason find peace for possibly the first time in his life. But as Mason's
defenses lower, and the man inside is revealed, there may be something behind the surface darker than
anyone expected. For not everything that is hidden should be found, and not every love is meant to be. And
you can't paint over your past.
Not every good film sees a wide release and earns millions of hard-earned entertainment dollars for
weeks on end at the local multiplex. Some of cinema's better pictures are the little independent
gems that for whatever reason see only a limited release and gross but a pittance in sales. It's not
always about artistic vision and capability; shiny and glossy are in and bigger and faster sell tickets,
while low-key and slow-to-develop pictures are left to flounder in the nether regions of cinematic
irrelevance. A small 2007 independent production, Spiral, almost defines the latter. A film
that's in no way original but is nevertheless engaging and alluring, Spiral's recycled themes
and stale plot twists nevertheless trounce more obnoxious multi-millions dollar fare by a country mile thanks
to not only restraint in the filmmaking process but care for and appreciation towards little things like
pacing, scripting, and acting. In the grand scheme of things, Spiral is fairly irrelevant little
movie, but it's well-done for what it is, and pound-for-pound, it easily surpasses supposedly "better"
pictures both in its class and in cinema-at-large.
Mason and Amber admire a door.
Mason (Joel David Moore) is a lonely and confused auto insurance salesman at JZD&J who works
through the daily grind for no reward and with no sense of purpose. His sole escape from the
doldrums of life comes through his art; a gifted painter of the human form, Mason seeks to
perfect his talents by depicting the grace of the female body on canvas. When he meets a new
girl at work, Amber (Amber Tamblyn), he initially rejects her subtle advances but soon finds
himself in an amicable friendship that slowly builds into a burgeoning romantic relationship.
Amber
becomes the subject of Mason's latest series of drawings, and while he continues to exist from
inside the confines of his shell, he slowly emerges and allows Amber to show to him some of life's
little pleasures, whether the magic of cinema or a trip to the park. Nevertheless, Mason finds
himself struggling with his newfound love, confiding his concerns to his longtime friend and boss
Berkeley (Zachary Levi), an outgoing, womanizing individual who is everything Mason is not.
When Amber discovers the truth behind Mason's disturbing past, she and Mason both become
privy
to a secret that could shatter their lives.
Spiral is an awkward sort of film whereby it's both predictable but not necessarily lazy,
enjoyable but not necessarily all that original. Every major element in the film -- the oddball lead
character shrouded in mystery, the spunky wannabe girlfriend that tries to understand him, and
the final plot twist that comes as no surprise and lacks any ingenuity -- plays out with a "been
there, done that" feel, but there's also a sense of immersion into the story that allows the film to
overcome a myriad of problems and yields, ultimately, a fairly routine but nevertheless immersive
picture. Its structure is key; Spiral intermixes elements of horror and mystery into the
story, but blends them so well with the burgeoning relationship between Mason and Amber that
it's often hard to remember that there's more to the movie than an awkward, but at times
touching, love story. Like the best Mysteries, Spiral slowly introduces elements of and
very
subtly hints at its final revelation throughout, though most elements and hints will only resonate
with the
audience
once the picture's finished. Despite the unimaginative finale, Spiral maintains a solid
pacing and a well-constructed façade that allows the ending to come as just a bit of a surprise,
though there's bound to be some resentment over its generic feel.
Still, and within convention, there are really only two viable options with which to conclude this
sort of story, and Spiral simply seems to choose one of them; either would have nicely
rounded out and solidified the lead character's frame of mind, physically disheveled appearance,
and fragile psyche. Considering, then, that the film could have gone in a different direction and
maintained its plausibility within the confines of its lead character's arc, it would follow that the
film's performances need be sufficient to carry the picture and allow for the range of possible
outcomes to all work within the film's structure, and each lead delivers a solid effort that all make
Spiral a complete experience that works within its scripted realm. Joel David Moore, in
his role as the film's lead character,
offers a haunting, resonating performance, and he sells the audience on both possible outcomes
to the story with ease and without any hint as to how or why he does what he does, whether it
be a known physical action or statement or something merely alluded to at some point in the
story. Moore wonderfully captures a topsy-turvy feel to his character, portraying him as
something
of a social outcast and potential psychopath, but with a charm and ease that makes Amber's
burgeoning
relationship with him plausible and even welcome. Moore makes it easy for the audience to root
for his character, despite his quirks and potentially deadly secrets, for his portrayal of a wounded
soul makes Mason surprisingly sympathetic despite a shroud of darkness about his person. The
charming Amber Tamblyn, in turn, delivers a cheery but slightly cautious effort, but again it's
Moore's performance that makes her attraction to his character a believable one.
Spiral twists onto Blu-ray with a presentable but rough-around-the-edges 1080p,
1.78:1-framed transfer. For the most part, details are sharp, whether the fine lines on Amber's
denim jacket, the rough texturing of the bricks that line the interior of Mason's apartment, or even
the bumpy artist's canvas that's seen in several close-up shots. However, some shots appear far
too
soft, while some backgrounds can run together and lack superior definition. Color reproduction
fluctuates between stable and messy. In the better scenes -- for instance the cold and sterile office
environment where the image is dominated by flat grays and whites; or some of the brighter
outdoor scenes -- the results are suitable, but the transfer can and does yield messy or poorly
rendered colors that seem to run together. Black levels are slightly mushy and noisier than most
other segments of the film, and there's a slightly harsh, processed look to many scenes.
Additionally, compression artifacts are visible in select shots, while flesh tones can appear ghastly
and flat. Spiral is one of those Blu-ray discs that generally look fine at-a-glance, but
further inspection reveals some unfortunate -- but not fatal -- flaws.
Despite the absence of a lossless or uncompressed soundtrack, Spiral delivers a fairly
crisp,
clean soundtrack via a Dolby Digital 5.1 offering. This is a predominantly dialogue-driven film, but
there's also an ample supporting structure that makes this a fairly engaging listen. Light
atmospherics are found throughout. Heavily falling rain pours into the soundstage throughout
the
picture; gently rolling thunder sometimes echoes through the listening area; and the general din
of
a bustling insurance company office where busybodies scamper about, chat on phones, and
gossip
with one another amidst the beeping of machinery and the ringing of phones all do well to create
a
palpable and realistic environment. Surround speakers are nicely integrated into the experience
to
further assist in the realization of the track's varied environments and sound effects. The
picture's
music -- particularly its Jazz pieces -- flow well about the soundstage with a fair amount of clarity
and strength and with an inviting tone. Though not a particularly bass-happy picture, low-end
extension
is solid when called upon, lending to the track a good rumbling sensation that accentuates several
scenes.
Finally, dialogue reproduction is distortion-free. Though by no means a memorable or all that
engaging soundtrack, Spiral delivers a suitably clean and trouble-free listen that's a good
companion to the film.
Despite a generic and semi-predictable ending, Spiral maintains an aura of mystery that
almost cancels out the film's series of recycled plot lines and characterizations. Directors Adam
Green and Joel Moore handle the material with a reserved approach and prove themselves engaging
storytellers, both factors keeping Spiral from circling the drain, the film never succumbing
to its barrage of clichés that would have otherwise ruined a picture with as much unoriginality as
seen here. Spiral is bound to frustrate some viewers for its insistence on delivering a fairly
trite twist ending, but there's enough good leading up to the unimaginative finale to make this one
worth a watch. This Starz/Anchor Bay Blu-ray release delivers a decent 1080p picture quality; a
good, albeit lossy, audio soundtrack; and no special features. Spiral is best enjoyed as a
rental.
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