Bubble [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Steven Soderbergh followed up his slick, star-studded sequel, Ocean's Twelve, with Bubble, a small-town drama about workers in a doll factory, played by a cast of unknowns. Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) seems to have acclimated herself to a very simple life. She works at the factory, where she eats lunch with a younger co-worker, Kyle (Dustin Ashley), and goes home to take care of her elderly father. Her routine is disrupted when an attractive young woman, Rose (Misty Wilkins), is hired at the factory to help them with the holiday rush. Rose soon tells the others that she's eager to leave their town, where there is "nothing to do." She immediately attracts Kyle's attention. One night, Rose asks Martha to baby-sit for her two-year-old daughter while she goes out on a date. Martha is startled to learn that her date is with Kyle. When Rose returns home that night, she's greeted by her angry ex-boyfriend, Jake (K. Smith), who accuses her of stealing from him. Martha looks on while Rose and Jake have a heated confrontation. The next morning, one of the characters is found murdered, and a detective (played by Decker Moody) begins to investigate. Bubble was written by Coleman Hough, who also scripted Soderbergh's Full Frontal. It was shown at the 2005 New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: Dolby Digital 3.0
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Features:
  • Audio commentary by Steven Soderbergh and Mark Romanek
  • Higher Definition: Bubble episode highlights (1080i)

AWARDS

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Nominated Best Director - 2006 (Steven Soderbergh)

• Venice International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2005

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Debbie Doebereiner - Martha
       Dustin Ashley - Kyle
       Misty Wilkins - Rose
       Omar Cowan - Martha's Dad
       Laurie Lee - Kyle's Mother
       David Hubbard - Pastor
       Kyle Smith - Jake
       Decker Moody - Detective Don
       Steve Deem - Pawn Shop Owner
       A. Paul Brooks, Jr. - Doctor
       Daniel R. Christian - Factory Supervisor
       Ross Clegg - CSI
       Terrence V. Williams II - Officer Williams
       Scott Smeeks - Officer Smeeks
       Leonora K. Hornbeck - Shop Owner
       Katherine Beaumier - Hairdresser
       Dawn Hall - Nail Shop Owner
       Joyce Brookhart - Martha's Niece
       Amanda Massey - Waitress
       Adam C. Anderson - Officer Anderson
       Jeffrey R. Morris - Officer Morris

• Director:

  Steven Soderbergh

• Producer:

  Greg Jacobs

• Screenwriter:

  Coleman Hough

• Cinematographer:

  Peter Andrews

• Composer (Music Score):

  Robert Pollard

• Editor:

  Mary Ann Bernard

• Executive Producer:

  Joana Vicente, Jason Kliot, Mark Cuban, Todd Wagner

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Larry Blake

REVIEW:

• Although he is capable of flashy Hollywood entertainment like Ocean's Eleven and Erin Brockovich, Steven Soderbergh is an arthouse director at heart. Bubble, like his earlier films Schizopolis and Kafka, finds him at his most formally adventurous. Shot entirely on digital video with a cast of amateurs, the film offers a bleak portrait of a middle-age woman named Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) so used to her quiet life that she is unable to function when she experiences passionate feelings. The style of the film lets the audience feel the same day-to-day drudgery that the characters do, while the doll factory where they work offers just enough creepy images to offset the boredom. The performers are all flat, but they have been directed to be so. Soderbergh knows exactly what he is doing, and allows the viewer to fall into the unique pacing of the film and performances with ease. Since the plot is so simple it would be easy to think of Bubble as a case of style over substance, but as with most good films, the fact is the style informs the substance. With this haunting minor-key drama, Soderbergh once again shows that he is among the most cerebral and challenging American filmmakers of his era. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi