The media has had an unsteady go of it in the past decade, as certain figures have come to power to cast a shadow on the important work they do. Under the right circumstances, journalists can upend society in monumental ways by exposing the toxic secrets that powerful figures fight to keep buried. Director Daniel Roby’s new Canadian crime drama Most Wanted shows how one intrepid reporter can make a world of difference to the downtrodden who lack the proper platform to advocate for themselves. The film is based on the true story of Alain Olivier, a small-time drug dealer coerced in 1989 by Canadian police into traveling to Thailand to coordinate a major heroin score, landing him several years in a local prison. While Alain’s identity is substituted for a fictional character in the film, the real-life journalist Victor Malarek who exposed this injustice preserves his identity in Roby’s narrative. While the film’s somewhat bland title is one that does not inspire much confidence, the end product is a surprisingly entertaining tale of corruption and justice that offers up plenty of dramatic twists.
Most Wanted introduces us to Victor Malarek (Josh Hartnett), a Canadian investigative journalist who is known to raise the ire of important figures at the center of his reporting. Malarek balances his time between his television show and his full-time gig at The Globe and Mail, where his boss (J.C. Mackenzie) wishes he would give up the deep-dive investigating for a more consistent weekly feature. Hartnett has not had the strongest movie roles as of late, but he perfectly embodies the coolly confident Victor with the charm necessary for this type of role. In what is a classic movie trope, Victor is the only person to see through the governmental smokescreen from a recent drug bust that is as vague as can be. As he tries to get to the truth, he is met with roadblock after roadblock in a bit of a bureaucratic nightmare. The only thing he really knows is the individual involved in the bust is Daniel Leger (Antoine Olivier Pilon), a 25-year-old addict who is facing down a possible death penalty in a prison in Thailand. Leger may not be an angel, but Victor is not ready to drop his suspicion that something truly messed up is going on with this case.
Through a mixture of flashbacks and present-timeline looks at Daniel’s life in the Thai prison, we get a greater sense of how he got to that point in his life and how he is dealing with his harsh conditions. Daniel is presented as a highly complicated individual who has made bad choice after bad choice, including who he chooses to associate with for work and friendship. We know at the beginning of his story that Daniel is a recovering addict who has fallen into working for a smarmy drug dealer named Glen Picker (Jim Gaffigan). Glen takes advantage of Daniel by plying him with drugs and women to keep him under his thumb. Gaffigan does a remarkable job playing against type in a way that feels effortless. What Daniel does not know is that Glen is an informant for the Canadian police and he is planning on setting up Daniel to play a key part in an international drug trafficking operation being orchestrated by a desperate narcotics officer, Sgt. Cooper (Stephen McHattie). Careless oversights on behalf of the police lead Daniel towards a future that spells doom for him. The film does an excellent job of showing how each little bending of the law added up to something that ruined many lives.
The real discovery of the film is Antoine Olivier Pilon as Daniel, as he delivers a fierce performance that manages to keep you sympathetic despite his various flaws as a character. The film does a pretty wonderful job of balancing the present day investigation to exonerate Daniel with the revelations from the fated drug bust he was forced into, but Pilon is so strong that you are often left wanting to focus more on his journey. Both Victor and Daniel are given some thematically resonant issues to tackle throughout the film, but trying to survive prison violence ultimately proves more enthralling than undercooked family issues. This film covers a lot of territory that has been explored before, wrongful imprisonment and government corruption is not a new concept, but it keeps things lively through a mixture of exciting editing, powerful performances and dramatic narrative turns. Most Wanted has some issues that probably could have been shored up if it had shifted focus to certain characters a bit more often. Even devoting more time to the morally complex Sgt. Cooper could have tapped into a creative well that may have elevated the film further. As is, Most Wanted is consistently entertaining despite some slight imperfections.
Video Quality
Most Wanted comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer. This film has some nice pops of color with the greens of the foliage, but the production design is otherwise pretty subdued. The color palette mostly remains natural with a slightly warmer push when showcasing the locale of Thailand. Where the transfer really shines is the impressive level of detail in even the subtlest aspects. Everything from the smallest facial details to the texture of the interiors of the home and office is quite impressive. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few darker scenes. Black levels are admirable but could stand to be a bit deeper. Skin tones are natural throughout with some impeccable details present in certain shots. The film sports some luscious cinematography, and that is showcased pretty well here. Overall, this is quite a powerful transfer.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is quite powerful and well balanced. Environmental effects play a substantial role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully enveloping world works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Activity in the low end delivers quite a jolt during multiple points of the presentation. Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has delivered a fierce track for a film that capably brings Canada and Thailand to life.
Special Features
There are no special features included on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Most Wanted may not have had much in the way of a theatrical presence, but the film proves to be quite entertaining, if not slightly long. Josh Hartntt delivers one of his best film performances in a while, and Antoine Olivier Pilon announces himself as someone to keep a close eye on in the future. The film is not perfect by any means, but it hits the spot if you are looking for a capable crime thriller. Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has delivered a Blu-Ray with a very solid A/V presentation. Recommended
Most Wanted is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Picture Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
