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Uncovered [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


Our Price: £4.20 (subject to change)

Format? Ratio? Director of Photography?
Review date: 2007-09-25 Rating: 4 out of 10

Artisan seems to value all of the above very poorly since the resident butchers at Artisan Entertainment cut the movie to pieces to "fit my screen". And then they have the nerve to print "presented in the original 1.33:1 format" on the backside of the cover.
No, it's obviously not originally 4:3 but rather 16:9. Half of the picture was cut off both sides so that the pitiful remains of it could be blown up and not leave black stripes on top and bottom of the screen.
Which isn't included on the Amazon information on ratio. Ergo, I now own a copy of a very amusing piece of film. Granted, Kate Beckinsale's acting is a little stiff, but is that a reason to cut her out of the picture while she's actually talking (sorry, darling, but we only had space left for one actress on screen with our 'Fullscreen Version'..)? Every single frame is either off center or ruined by cut-in-half actors etc. like the director had neither the money for a director of photography nor the time to do the job himself so he left the choice of where to point the camera to a talentless five year old kid.

Needless to say I'm very annoyed and very angry at having spent so much money on an international order of a piece of trash which I can't return. Thanks Amazon and Artisan Entertainment!

The movie itself is not brilliant and a little forseeable but funny and entertaining enough. If you like Peter Wingfield, you'll love it for his performance of Max -Mr Macho Sex- is hilarious - what's left visible of it anyway.

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Reviews


Who killed the knight?
Review date: 2007-06-12 Rating: 6 out of 10

Medieval paintings and a chess game seem like unlikely murder components, but they set off the whole plot of art puzzle/murder mystery "Uncovered." The adaptation of Arturo Perez/Reverte's novel is picturesque and has some good acting, but suffers from a total lack of suspense when it comes to whodunnit.

Art student Julia (Kate Beckinsale) is delighted when an X-ray of a old painting shows a Latin inscription: "Who killed the knight?" The trio in the painting includes a medieval duke, his young wife, and a French knight who was pretty obviously having an affair with the wife. With the help of her cheating ex-boyfriend and mysterious chess prodigy Domenec (Paudge Behan), Julia unravels the question of who killed the knight -- and why the picture was altered after it was finished.

But that isn't the end -- Julia's ex-boyfriend turns up dead in the shower, and the kindly old owner of the painting dies within days. And with each death, a corresponding ivory chess piece is left on Julia's doorstep. As brutal heirs and conniving art dealers scrabble for the painting, Julia tries to unravel who is behind the killings -- before black queen takes white queen...

"Uncovered" is more interesting as a clever art puzzle than a murder mystery, set in Barcelona's sunny colourful streets and ancient castles. It is genuinely fascinating to see the hidden meanings of the chess game and its hidden meanings, as well as the politics of Burgundy versus France. This part is intriguing, intelligent, and genuinely has an element of classical mystery.

Unfortunately, it sags when it turns into a murder mystery (with a bit of nudity thrown in), loosely tied into the medieval murder with the use of chess pieces. The murderer's identity is glaringly obvious even before he's killed anyone, and the campy, shrieky finale suffers because you already know who he is. Even the callous heirs to weren't enough to throw off the scent.

This was only Kate Beckinsale's second major role, so perhaps she can be forgiven her mediocre performance. She's middling most of the time, and occasionally lapses into hysterical crying. John Wood is a scene-stealer as the devoted gay guardian Cesar, backed by Sinéad Cusack as a catty aging party-girl and Michael Gough as an ailing aristocrat. No, I don't know by British actors are playing a slew of Spaniards, but they do a good job.

"Uncovered" is an intriguing art mystery, but it trips over itself in the second half when it becomes a mysteryless mystery. If it weren't for that, it would be simply brilliant.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Kate Beckinsale
Sinéad Cusack
Peter Wingfield
Paudge Behan
John Wood

Creators:
Kate Beckinsale (Primary Contributor)
John Wood (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Live/Artisan
Manufacturer: Live/Artisan
EAN: 0012236151074
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Live, Subtitled, NTSC,
Release date: 2004-03-16
Universal product code (UPC): 012236151074
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 112 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1994
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)

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