Twilight is an acclaimed whodunit packed with stars and suspense, directed by the great Robert Benton (The Late Show, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night, Billy Bathgate) and starring screen legends Paul Newman (The Sting), Gene Hackman (Mississippi Burning), Susan Sarandon (Lorenzo’s Oil) and James Garner (The Great Escape). Newman plays Harry Ross, a burned-out private eye who’s plunged into a murder mystery tied to a long-unsolved case of Hollywood dreams, schemes and cover-ups. The Nobody’s Fool renowned star and filmmaker reunite in this richly layered character-driven neo-noir. And Stockard Channing (Grease), Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line), Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects), Liev Schreiber (Spotlight), M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple) and Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) are among the locals who inhabit a Tinseltown world of privilege and sleaze, sexuality and desperation, trust and double-cross. From beginning to end, Twilight glows.
For thoughts on Twilight, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Twilight comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 that is pretty solid from Kino Classics. There is no indication that this transfer is derived from a new master, but even this older master provides a pleasant enough experience. This transfer could be enhanced to appear a bit stronger, but it holds up with minimal signs of damage or digital tinkering. The slight speckling of nicks and scratches is so mild that it is unlikely to intrude upon anyone’s experience.
The transfer looks fairly clear and detailed for the majority of the runtime with only a couple of moments exhibiting density fluctuations in the grain field. Image quality is stable with some pleasant detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Colors are admirably saturated with a great vibrancy to them, and they look natural to boot. The opening oceanside setting is particularly lovely to witness. Black levels are acceptable in their depth, even if a few moments struggle with delineation. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are kept to a bare minimum. The presentation is one that holds up fairly well given the age of the master.
Audio Quality
Kino Classics brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio mix that both easily gets the job done. Dialogue holds up very nicely, coming through clearly without being overshadowed by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are not implemented in a showy manner, but they are delineated nicely within the speakers. The opening sounds of waves crashing onto the beach make an impression. The sounds of certain kinetic moments and other sounds such as gunshots bring some heft to the mix. The sultry soundtrack fits the mood of this neo-noir, and you do not hear any weakness when it comes to fidelity. Kino Classics has delivered a mighty fine track here. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Critics Alain Silver and James Ursini provide a tonally flat but informative commentary track in which they discuss the background the film, the genre of neo-noir, how this narrative fits into and breaks from genre conventions, this attitudes at this time in film history, allusions to classic noir titles, how the performers fit into the narrative and the genre as a whole, the shooting locations, the marketing, the legacy of the film and more.
- TV Spots: There are two minutes worth of TV spots provided here.
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided for Twilight. There are also trailers provided for Nobody’s Fool, The Ice Harvest, Narrow Margin, Lorenzo’s Oil, Tank, The Frontier, The Score, Out Of Sight, Eastern Promises, In Bruges, The Underneath and Stretch.
Final Thoughts
Twilight is a bit of a mess from a narrative standpoint with many threads stuck in the same past which the movie is trying to emulate. There are some decent twists and turns, but the script rarely offers something that would be more compelling than simply going back and watching a classic noir. The real draw of this movie is the ensemble, as Paul Newman offers up something a little different which his fans are sure to eat up. The rest of the cast likewise understand the assignment and deliver without a hiccup. Kino Classics has brought this film to Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation and an informative audio commentary. If you are a fan of the talent, it is worth a watch, but this is not a top film from anyone involved.
Twilight will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on December 27, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.