Crossroads

Starring: Britney Spears, Anson Mount, et al.
Director: Tamara Davis

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Paramount

Review Posted: 7.31.02

By John Teves.

Lucy (Britney Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning), rediscover their friendship after eight years apart on a cross-country trip. With barely a plan, practically no money but plenty of dreams, the girls catch a lift with Mimi's handsome, mysterious friend Ben (Anson Mount) in his '73 Buick convertible. Along the way they not only gather experiences that will change their lives forever, but they also discover how important it is to hold onto their hearts' desires.

Crossroads is not as unpleasant as I thought it would be. Britney can undeniably put on a show and she certainly carried herself in this film. I was surprised. She has appeal that noticeably stands out. The demise, nonetheless, is that the films supporting cast weren’t very good and the film is just slow and corny. Crossroads comes across as purely a platform for Britney’s fans. Some people will not be sold on the singer turned actress, nevertheless, I thought she had a warm screen presence that is utterly enticing. Britney tests out her dramatic skills with emotional results. This could be Britney’s acting lift-off; she definitely has potential in film.

Crossroads appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this single-sided, dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Sharpness appeared clear-cut. The image was crisp and well defined throughout the film. No problems with jagged edges, although I did notice some edge enhancement at times. Some scenes appeared grainier than others. Colors looked solid. Black levels appeared dark and solid, but shadow detail was a little inconsistent.

Crossroads was presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound field seemed lifeless. The disc offered good stereo presence for the music but rarely contributed extra. Rear speakers did little to reinforce effects and music on this disc. Audio quality was generally clear. No signs of distortion in the sound. Music also appeared clear. In the end, the audio worked well but not up to standard for such a new film.

Extras:

• Commentary by Ann Carli, Tamara Davis and Shonda Rhimes
• Making of "Crossroads" - 40 Days with Britney
• 7 Deleted Scenes with On-Camera Introductions by Tamra Davis
• "Overprotected" Exclusive Darkchild Remix Music Video
• "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" Music Video
• Photo Gallery
• Britney's DVD Welcome
• First in Line - Inside the "Crossroads" Premiere
• Break Through Britney - Fun facts and inside comments accessed during the movie
• Sing Along with Britney - Karaoke Videos for "Overprotected" and "I'm Not a Girl"
• Edit Your Own Music Video
• Taryn's T-Shirts - How to make the t-shirts from the "I Love Rock n' Roll" karaoke scene
• Widescreen anamorphic format

Crossroads provided a pleasing picture, acceptable audio and a solid roster of extras. Even though Crossroads can be a somewhat entertaining film it's fairly predictable storyline is nothing that will break new ground. Fans of Britney will probably enjoy this film and should give it a look. However for everyone else you really need to be in the mood for this type of tale.

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