Taking Sides

Taking Sides is a disappointing DVD package, which doesn't do justice to the quality of the film. It includes a number of extra features, none of which could be described as special.

The film itself is technically well presented, making the most of Ken Adam's impressive production design, and the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is perfectly clear. However, the menu screens have a number of embarrassing basic glitches, which means selecting different options is a matter of guesswork.

The package includes two discs, although this smacks of padding. The first includes the film itself and a commentary by the writer and producers, which contains no insights of any note.

The second shows a stills gallery and two short films. The first of these is a half-hour Making Of feature, which consists of interviews with the writer, director and stars, who all agree that everyone involved was great to work with.

The other is an hour-long documentary about production designer Ken Adam, which tells us little about his work and nothing at all about this film.

`Although Taking Sides is far from a triumph, it warrants a little more care than has been taken here.