Underneath (1995) DVD9
When a director has as wide and varied a body of work as does Steven Soderbergh, it’s no surprise that not every film in the oeuvre will be successful. Even Hitchcock has The Trouble With Harry and Spielberg has Hook. But few directors are as willing to be as openly candid as Soderbergh was about a movie he describes as “totally sleepy” and “dead on arrival:” 1995’s Underneath.

Gallagher stars as Michael Chambers, a man who was forced to flee from his wife, Rachel (Elliot) and his hometown years ago thanks to a massive gambling debt. He returns for his mother’s wedding, after earning enough money to make everything square only to find that his ex has moved on and is now seeing local gangster Tommy Dundee (Fichtner). Michael wishes to pick up with Rachel where he left off, much to the displeasure of his cop brother, David (Adam Trese). Dundee is also unhappy at the prospect, and when he catches Michael and Rachel in a compromising situation, Michael talks his way out of certain death by proposing a heist. Michael, with the help of his step-father, has gotten a job as an armored car driver and he knows a way Dundee can make off with millions of dollars, using Michael’s help as an inside man.

Of course, everybody involved in the operation has their own motives and goals. Numerous questions appear with each person’s behavior. Does Rachel still love Michael, or is her interest an act? Why does David hate his brother so much? The armored car owner (Joe Don Baker) seems too friendly. What’s his game? These questions set the groundwork for a mix of twists that keeps viewers guessing right to the end.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Peter Gallagher, Alison Elliott, William Fichtner, Adam Trese, Joe Don Baker, Paul Dooley, Shelley Duvall, Elisabeth Shue, Anjanette Comer, Dennis Hill, Harry Goaz, Mark Feltch, Jules Sharp, Kenneth D. Harris, Vincent Gaskins, Cliff Haby
Country: USA
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

DVD9 | PAL 16:9 | 01:34:56 | 6.29 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Italiano, Russian
Subtitles: English, Francais, Italiano, Espanol, Czech(Ceske), Dansk, Suomi, Greek, Magyar, Norsk, Polish, Svenska

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 01:39:13 | 30.9 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:
• Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Critic Peter Tonguette. Tonguette discusses Soderbergh’s relationship with The Underneath and offers a critical re-evaluation of the movie, as well as providing insights and historical context for the film.
• Trailers