More about this DVD  •  DVD Info  •  Movie Main Page  •  Message Board

A widowed father named Meiks (Bill Paxton) lives in a quiet East Texas town with his two sons, ten-year-old Fenton (Matt O'Leary) and seven-year-old Adam (Jeremy Sumpter). We never learn the elder Meiks' first name; we only know him as "Dad."  He's a loving and caring father, judging by how well adjusted his boys seem. The older of the two has assumed some of his dead mother's household duties, looking after the younger Adam, and preparing dinner for his hard working father, a mechanic at a local gas station.

Their lives take an unexpected turn one night when Meiks bursts into the boys' room to explain that he'd just been visited by an angel and that he and the boys have been tasked with seeking out and destroying demons disguised in the form of people. The discovery of God-sent weapons and an angel-delivered list of demons set Meiks off on his mission. With an unswerving faith that God will protect him from the forces of evil and detection, he methodically kidnaps, slays, dismembers, and buries a series of victims. His sons are forced to help him; they're trapped.

This gruesome story is told as a series of flashbacks to FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe). He'd been called back to his field office one night to interview a man who claims to know the identity of the serial murderer known as the God's Hand Killer. The man introduces himself as Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) and describes how his brother, Adam, continued his father's work after he died. Doyle is persuaded to return to the burial site to verify that this unprecedented visit is genuine.

The performances and tone of the film are faultless. As a first effort, Paxton must be commended for his vision and his ability to bring it to the screen. With the exception of a questionable FBI procedure - an agent visiting a crime scene alone in the dead of night - the plot is imaginative and delightfully twisted. There are no fewer than four surprises as the film draws to an end, two of which I had not foreseen and two of which only occurred to me mere minutes before they occurred onscreen. I really appreciate a film that deceives me in a credible way. Despite the grisly nature of the murders, none of the violence is explicit; all occur off-screen. Yet I was constantly on edge, feelings of foreboding propelling my interest. This unusual film will satisfy the patient.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film's theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 has been expanded ever so slightly to fill a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This is a very film-like anamorphic transfer, with virtually no visible edge halos. Textures and small object detail are quite fine, but some viewers might interpret what they're seeing as slightly soft when viewed on a small display. The tone of the film is quite dark, as is its look; many of the scenes take place at night, when the God's Hand Killer does its work. Shadow detail is moderately good, but not exceptional. Cinematographer Bill Butler did a lovely job creating much of the tension with camera and lighting techniques. Color accuracy is fine, indicated by natural flesh tones, but in at least one scene, blood had a slight orange tinge. I did not notice any mosquito noise or blocking. This DVD has one of the oddest flaws I've ever seen; at the layer change, there is one frame composed of the last field from chapter 17 and the first field from chapter 18. It only flashed on the screen for a fraction of a second, but it prompted me to pause the play and step back through the frames to verify what I thought I had just seen. The flaw is reproducible and clearly visible during freeze frame.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is very effective. The surrounds are used liberally to evoke psychological reactions from the viewer. Wind, the rustling of leaves, thunder, rain, even the passing of cars as the second generation Meiks and agent Doyle drive to the burial site, all contribute to establishing a somber mood. I will comment that I found the left surround channel to be running a bit low in amplitude. Deep bass may be heard as distant thunder rolls through the surrounding hills. Brian Tyler's melancholy orchestral score is reproduced convincingly and leaked into the surrounds to create a broad soundstage. The dialog remains utterly clear throughout.

The audio is supported by Spanish and English subtitles. There are no alternative languages, nor are there any Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Lions Gate has put together a fine assortment of extras for Frailty. The Theatrical Trailer is presented in full frame, as are all the supplements on this disc, and I highly suggest that all of these supplements should be saved until after you've watched the feature... you don't want even a hint of the twists and turns.

There are three feature- length, screen-specific commentaries on this DVD: director Bill Paxton; editor Arnold Glassman, producer David Kirschner, and composer Brian Tyler; and, screenwriter Brent Hanley. I would have expected Paxton to have proudly explained the technical aspects of the shoot, demonstrating skills unrelated to his previous experience as actor. Quite the opposite is true; his acting background motivated him to discuss the film predominantly in terms of casting and character motivation. Glassman, Kirschner, and Tyler discuss their reactions to the characters and plot, and describe Paxton's approach. We don't learn very much new here, having listened to the director's commentary. Tyler does contribute some comments concerning his approach to the music, but he too, spends most of his time simply joining the others as they relive the film. Hanley concentrates exclusively on the plot and characters from the point of view of the screenwriter. We learn of the evolution of the screenplay as it was brought to the screen. A particularly interesting factoid is a reediting that greatly strengthened the structure, which were based on suggestions by James Cameron. I'd have to judge that there is quite a bit of duplication here, more similarities among the commentaries than differences.

The Making of Frailty (19:29) is the usual blend of plot and character exposition, and behind the scenes exposure to the shoot. This is a nicely produced little documentary that emphasizes the casting, but shows us the filmmakers in action. Many of the players and behind the camera artists participate, each describing their roles. Anatomy of a Scene (25:54) from The Sundance Channel is a second and longer featurette that takes us through the filming of the auto journey by Doyle and Meiks and their exploration of the burial site. Rather thorough, we're given a clear picture of how the viewer is deceived by the illusions of movie magic.

Deleted Scenes (8:32) is a collection of four sequences that may be viewed with and without commentary by Bill Paxton. The theatrical cut runs 99 minutes, and I think you'll agree that it's both taut and effective; omitting these scenes seems totally justified. Forty continuity and behind-the-scenes photos may be found in the Photo Gallery, while Storyboards displays sketches from three sequences: "Magic Weapons;" "The Angel;" and, "The Sheriff."  The feature is organized into twenty-four chapter stops.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

No ROM features have been included.

Parting Thoughts