SOME VELVET MORNING

 

THE PLOT THUS FAR

Fred (Stanley Tucci, The Hunger Games, The Lovely Bones) arrives at the doorstep of his beautiful young mistress Velvet (Alice Eve, Star Trek Into Darkness) after four years apart, claiming to have finally left his wife. But when she rejects his attempts to rekindle their romance, his persistence evolves into obsession – and a dark history between the former lovers comes into focus. A return to form for writer / director Neil LaBute (In The Company Of Men, Your Friends & Neighbors), Some Velvet Morning is an astutely written portrait of a very modern romance.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

“Some Velvet Morning” feels like a Strindberg play. While that might not mean anything to the non Drama Club nerd crowd, it means a lot to me. Basically, Tucci returns into the life of his former mistress with a series of demands. Said Mistress has spent the last four years seeing Tucci’s son on top of other things. These leaves Tucci in a pickle, as a power play emerges and the old guy isn’t quite sure what to make of what seemed like a sure thing. Confused yet?

Tucci and Eve play well off each other. Director Neil Labute’s theater origins show throughout every moment of the film, as the flow of movement in the film seems so restricted. Tucci’s Fred is symbolic of the men in Labute’s greater body of work and it marks a welcomed returned to the masculine asshole that dotted most of Neil Labute’s earlier work. However, he’s a much more subtle abuser and manipulator. When Alice Eve finally finds her footing, it just makes the relationship so much more satisfying.

The DVD comes with interviews as the special features. The A/V Quality is surprisingly effective for a standard definition movie. The Dolby 5.1 track ensures that no noise goes unnoticed. Plus, the transfer is about as sharp as standard definition can get. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.

RELEASE DATE: 06/24/2014