Off the Black R

Off the Black
3.4K ratings
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Format:  DVD
item number:  XF7V
on most orders of $75+
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DVD Details

  • Rated: R
  • Closed captioning available
  • Run Time: 1 hours, 32 minutes
  • Video: Color
  • Encoding: Region 1 (USA & Canada)
  • Released: April 17, 2007
  • Originally Released: 2006
  • Label: Velocity / Thinkfilm

Performers, Cast and Crew:

Starring &
Performer: , &
Directed by
Music by , &
Screenwriting by
Produced by
Director of Photography:

Entertainment Reviews:

Fresh65%

TOMATOMETER
Total Count: 43

Spilled58%

AUDIENCE SCORE
User Ratings: 1,848
"Off the Black" is writer/director James Ponsoldt's first movie...When I found out how young Ponsoldt is, only twenty-six, I was shocked that someone so young could have such insight into, and such empathy for, the existential disquietude of middle age. Full Review
culturevulture.net
Apr 23, 2007
OFF THE BLACK is so much Nick Notle's movie that it couldn't exist without him....Mr. Nolte has the wisdom and acting smarts not to sentimentalize [the character]...
New York Times
Dec 8, 2006
Writer-director James Ponsoldt's film treats big subjects -- loneliness, coming-of-age and father-son relationships -- with such half-baked conviction, it's a wonder the screen doesn't redden with embarrassment. Full Review
Washington Post
Dec 21, 2006
Rating: 3.5/4 -- Nolte nails the particular tragedy of the past-his-prime ex-high-school athlete. Full Review
Boston Phoenix
Mar 19, 2013
Rating: C -- Nolte almost makes it work. Full Review
AV Club
Dec 30, 2006
3 stars out of 5 -- A very offbeat character piece....As quirky as it sounds....Engaging and affecting.
Ultimate DVD
Aug 1, 2007
[Nolte] proves he's still a great leading actor. -- Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly
Dec 15, 2006

Product Description:

Veteran actor Nick Nolte puts his explosive personal life behind him for a while, returning to what he does best with OFF THE BLACK. Nolte stars as Ray, a weathered high-school baseball umpire whose life veered off the rails some time ago and shows no sign of getting back on track. Nolte slips into the role with consummate ease, and you can almost smell the alcohol on his breath as Ray drunkenly wheezes through the first half-hour of director James Ponsoldt's inaugural feature. Ray slumps to his lowest ebb one night as some pranksters from the high school vandalize his home, but he manages to catch one of the fleeing boys, Dave (Trevor Morgan), as he tries to escape the scene. Dave cleans up the mess in a bid to escape criminal charges, and the two men strike up an unusual friendship full of deep conversation and endless soul searching; their relationship is further developed as they attend Ray's high-school reunion, with Dave pretending to be his son.

Ponsoldt provides a suitably snug small-town backdrop for Nolte and Morgan to work in, and occasionally dips into a pool of impressive supporting players--including Timothy Hutton as Dave's father and Rosemarie DeWitt as Ray's enigmatic friend--to bolster the interaction between the leads. The emotional pasts of Ray and Dave are carefully unraveled, and although the storyline is far from original, Ponsoldt's film is a worthy exercise, thanks to the impressive acting and interplay from Nolte and Morgan.

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Product Info

  • UPC: 821575549653
  • Shipping Weight: 0.25/lbs (approx)
  • International Shipping: 1 item

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