Blu-ray Review – Ulee’s Gold

While enduring a career of sporadic work, writer/director Victor Nunez has a special way with characterization, taking extreme care with the lives he's dramatically dissecting on film. With 1993's "Ruby in Paradise," Nunez delivered a rich understanding of personal freedom and fears, while exploring Floridian locations with unusual respect for the state's natural beauty and idiosyncratic residents. 1997's "Ulee's Gold" is Nunez's second major feature and arguably his best work, building on the education "Ruby" provided to help blend slightly more commercial interests with his dedication to soulful dissection, led by a terrific performance from Peter Fonda. Channeling the work of John Sayles, Nunez pulls sizable drama out of subtle details and modest personalities, sticking to the basics of human behavior to create engrossing frustrations, gently nudging the tale to mild violence to help provide shape to the character study. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com