Boondock Saints is one of those films with a back story almost more interesting than the film itself. Writer/Director Troy Duffy had originally moved to Los Angeles in an effort to find gigs for his band The Brood. He claims he was inspired to write the screenplay for Boondock Saints when he came home from his job to find a dead woman being wheeled out of a drug dealer’s apartment across the hall. The screenplay was apparently his way of dealing with the incident, because he couldn’t afford a psychologist. Along the way, he started to thinking about other crimes and how people react to them.
The script somehow found its way to Harvey Weinstein, head of Miramax Studios. Who liked it so much he reportedly bought it for $450,000, even giving Duffy directorial control. In addition, Duffy’s band was going to do the soundtrack and signed a contract. Major names were being talked about to star in the film–Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stephen Dorff, Mark Walhberg. The movie was going to be filmed in Boston and to top it all off, Miramax would buy J. Sloane’s, the bar where Duffy was currently working, and give Duffy partial ownership. Troy Duffy was suddenly living the ultimate Hollywood dream. However, the dream came to an abrupt end when he and Miramax couldn’t agree on casting, which led to Miramax dropping the film, the bands contract to record the soundtrack and plans to buy J.Sloane’s. Boondock Saints did finally see the light of day, via indie studio Franchise films.
The McManus brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus) live and work in Boston, where they´re deeply rooted in the community, known and loved by many of the locals. By chance, they become the “saints of South Boston” when, in self-defense, they kill some small-time hoods in the Russian mob. They turn themselves in to the local police, who have an F.B.I. agent (Willem Dafoe) working the case, since there’s mob involvement. The brothers are set free, but only after they gain the adoration of the public and the respect of some in law enforcement.
Fueled by what they feel is a religious calling, the brothers take it upon themselves to clean the city of they determine to be scum. They begin with Russian mob bosses connected with their original killing. Duffy tells the brothers story via a collection of flashbacks. The F.B.I. agent has been assigned the case but he has no idea the McManus brothers are the perpetrators, nor does the public demand justice.
In watching Boondock Saints, Duffy borrows quite liberally from the Quentin Tarantino school of filmmaking. There’s plenty of gratuitous violence, vast jumps in time and a visually kinetic feel. While Duffy does manage to pose some interesting questions about the public’s taste for violence, his filmmaking is so naïve that his intended themes never really get fully developed.
In 2003, a documentary called Overnight, about the saga behind the making of Boondock Saints and the rise and fall of Troy Duffy was released. It’s a shame the documentary wasn’t released as part of the special features on this Blu-ray. In the end, Overnight is a much more interesting viewing experience and it helps to explain some of Troy Duffy’s filmmaking decisions. As it is, Boondock Saints is an interesting mishmash of ideas that never quite gels into the minor classic it could have been.
Fox presents Boondock Saints in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video (2.35:1). Both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film are available from the main menu, via seamless branching. This is the first high-def release for the film, and unfortunately it’s not all that impressive.
There is heavy grain in spots, and a fair amount of print defects, including blemishes and dirt. Black levels are solid, and contrast a bit hot but otherwise well balanced. The image only pops sporadically, hampered by scenes with limited depth and visible fine texture that wavers from shot to shot. Colors are nicely saturated, however, and relatively clean. Fleshtones are generally warm; a decent but not great, transfer.
The audio is a bit better than the video. Boondock Saints gets a DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround track (48kHz/24-bit) that’s lively and engaging.
Surround use is quite active. This mix is nothing if not bombastic, so don’t expect subtlety, but at loud volumes it’s quite fun. Dialogue holds surprisingly strong throughout, with only a few moments when I struggled to make out speech. The mix is also quite dynamic, with nice differences between highs and lows. Only some hard brightness on the high-end irritates. Low bass is strong and supple.
The special features are presented in 480i/MPEG-2 only.
• Audio Commentaries – There are two provided, the first with director Troy Duffy and the second actor Billy Connolly. Surprisingly, Connolly’s is superior. Duffy isegotistical and unlikable. He name drops a lot, provides few truly interesting production stories, and generally comes off as a stiff. Connolly is more honest and forthright about the troubled but he’s positive about the film. (Note that both commentaries are available on the theatrical cut of the film only.)
• Deleted Scenes/Outtakes (SD, 17 minutes) – Seven scenes are included, running 15 minutes..
• Printable Script – The film’s original and complete script is available for on-screen viewing, or you can print it out and read at your leisure.
• Theatrical Trailer
