Review of Light Sleeper

Introduction

Light Sleeper tells the story of a drug runner, played by Willem Dafoe, an insomnia sufferer, who works for Susan Sarandon who is planning to change her line of business from narcotics to cosmetics.

As Dafoe tries to decide which direction to take, he crosses paths with an ex-girlfriend, which adds unwanted complication into both of their lives. Adding to the complication, the police are on the trail of Dafoe, who soon finds that his personal and professional life meet dramatically.

Video

The video is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and is of average quality ? the image is a little washed out and grainy, displaying the lack of detail all too common in back catalogue releases.

Visually, the film is rather mundane, concentrating on the characters and whilst good use if made of location, it`s not very exciting.

Audio

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and, like the video, is of average quality, performing adequately, and in truth the content wouldn`t warrant a 5.1 remix anyway.

Sound effects are presented competently, and the dialogue is always clear and understandable throughout the movie.

Features

The extras are comprised of two commentaries ? one from the director, and another scene specific commentary from Susan Sarandon and Willem Dafoe ? and the trailer.

The commentaries both offer the usual mix of trivia and background information about the movie.

Conclusion

Overall, Light Sleeper is a competent movie that is perfectly watchable but ultimately rather dull and not very interesting for long periods. The performances from Sarandon and Dafoe are characteristically good, and the supporting cast do a sterling job.

Video and sound are both average, and whilst there are two commentaries on the disc, the film is a little too tedious to warrant watching through three times to listen to them in full.

In summary, one to rent, or watch out for on TV.