9th Life Of Louis Drax, The

Based on the novel by Liz Jensen, The 9th Life Of Louis Drax is the story of Louis Drax (Longworth), who after surviving eight near-death accidents throughout his unlucky life, plunges off a steep cliff on his ninth birthday. While police investigate the cause of Louis’s near-fatal fall and the whereabouts of his violent father (Paul), acclaimed neurologist Dr. Allan Pascal (Dornan) uses unorthodox techniques to try to tap into the boy’s unconscious mind and reveal the truth about the events that led to his condition. But as he’s drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery of Louis’s seeming ability to cheat death, the doctor finds himself falling for Louis’s mother, Natalie (Gordon). As new clues emerge in the case, a shocking revelation changes the fates of Louis Drax and everyone around him. (Gary Reber)

Special features include a making-of featurette (HD 02:46), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.37:1 1080p AVC picture exhibits a clean, pristine appearance sourced from a digital production. The color palette is pleasingly natural, with rich and warm hues highlighted with effective lighting in interior scenes. Exterior scenes are nicely bright and earthly toned. Flashbacks are at times stylized for effect. Colors are often vivid and saturated. A visual effects segment, while Dr. Pascal is under hypnosis, is wonderfully stylized. Fleshtones are naturally hued. Contrast is well balanced with deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation, with the exception of some very dark scenes. Resolution generally is good, especially with respect to facial features, hair, clothing, and object textures during close-ups. This is a really good-looking movie, with effective contrasts and pleasing colors. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack effectively heightens in energy and intensity during the more suspenseful segments, with aggressive surround envelopment. Atmospherics nicely enhance the sense of realistic settings. Sound effects are punctuated with deep .1 LFE bass, and the music often has a strong bass foundation. The music score is haunting and mood-inducing in feel, with a wide and deep soundstage that extends to the surrounds. Dialogue is intelligible throughout, with decent spatial integration, and Louis’s mystery monster is well integrated as a voice. This is an effective soundtrack that delivers moments of dramatic intensity and compelling soundfield envelopment. (Gary Reber)