Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: N-Secure

June 23, 2011

N-Secure - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray

N-Secure was shot in 2008 and was shown at a few film festivals before its limited release in 2010. It opened in way more theaters than most limited releases do, but in the end it might have been too many, as it came perilously close to missing the Mendoza Line. Now that it's out on DVD and Blu-ray, will it find a more receptive audience?

The Movie

The film centers on David Washington, played by Cordell Moore, who is successful businessman and a very demanding and exacting person. It goes beyond the normal realm of liking his salad dressing on the side, for example, to the realm of insanity. He times his morning routine down to the minute. This nature extends to his business life, where he rips into his secretary, Denise, for being four minutes late. Of course, he does this in a very controlled fashion, because being in control is the most important thing.

However, while David being an overly controlling boss might be useful when in charge of software development division of a large corporation, this aspect of his personality also translates into his relationship with his girlfriend, Robin. He demands she comes home at 8:00 p.m. sharp, he checks for dust with a white glove, he's completely insufferable. She doesn't react to his demanding nature in the most constructive way possible. (She has an affair with her best friend's fiancee.)

David rebounds really quickly, hooking up with his secretary's cousin, Tina. But the breakup of his previous relationship didn't mellow him at all. In fact, he gets worse and his controlling nature turns to jealousy.

The term, "melodrama" is usually used as an insult, and it's films like this that are the reason for that. Melodramas are stories that rely on interpersonal relationships and emotional interactions to move the plot forward. But in order for a film like this to work, the characters need to be well written and the interactions need to be believable. Neither is true here. David's personality is so extreme that it is firmly in the territory of mental illness. You have to wonder how he became an important executive in a company, which is a job that should require at least some interpersonal skills. The plot also moves in unlikely ways. When the man with whom Robin was caught with, Isaac, dies in a car crash, there's no mention of the cops checking mechanics. That should have been one of the first things they did, as mechanical failure is an obvious cause for a car crash. But I guess that would have ended the movie too soon. Not that I would have complained had that happened.

On a side note, a lot of the cast are Tyler Perry alumni, and a lot of people compared N-Secure to his collective work, and not in a complimentary way. The film is also the product of a first time director, first time writer, first time executive producer, first time editor, first time cinematographer, etc. Maybe the project will help the Memphis, Tennessee movie industry grow, but it was not a successful first attempt in most of these areas.

The Extras

The only extra on the DVD or the Blu-ray is a 22-minute interview featurette called Inside N-Secure. It features much of the main cast, as well as many clips.

The technical presentation for the Blu-ray is acceptable, considering the film's budget. It cost less than $2 million to make, and it shows at times. There's not a lot of detail here, the colors are muted, the shadows sometimes swallow up details. Likewise, the audio is clear, but uncomplicated for the most part.

The Blu-ray costs $5 more than the DVD, or about 30%, which is a little high considering the lack of extras and the audio / video quality.

The Verdict

I'm not a fan of Tyler Perry's work. But if you are and you wish he made psychological thrillers instead of Madea movies, then N-Secure could be worth checking out. There are not a lot of extras on either the DVD or the Blu-ray, so even if that is the case, a rental will likely be enough.


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Filed under: Video Review, N-Secure