New on DVD: What Doesn’t Kill You

The title refers to the old adage “What doesn’t kill makes you stronger.” Lucky for Brian Goodman – the real life story’s subject and the film’s director – the saying proved true for him.

Brian (Mark Ruffalo) and Paulie (Ethan Hawke) are brothers in life and crime. Beginning as kids doing small jobs for the neighbourhood boss, the boys grew into professional criminals. Even though Brian has a wife (Amanda Peet) and two kids to support, it’s Paulie, the single ladies man, set to take action because he doesn’t think they’re paid enough for their services. Eventually the guys get busted and serve five years in prison. Once released, Brian tries to go straight and be a better father while Paulie falls right back into old habits. In the end, it becomes a question of whether Paulie will pull Brian back down with him.

The movie is gritty and doesn’t pull any punches – it tells it like it was. Brian’s crack addiction is shown under a harsh light as well as the strain it put on his relationship with his family. Even though their stay in prison is widely skipped, they do show the beating of a convicted child molester because it was a significant event and, more simply, because it happened.

Ruffalo and Hawke are outstanding. Ruffalo’s greatest moments in the film occur after he starts smoking crack. His mood swings and desperation, which is so strong he runs away from a hospital and his loved ones just to get a hit, are heartbreakingly believable. Hawke becomes the charming tough guy who is never going to change and knows it too well. Peet turns in a surprisingly raw performance as a woman helplessly in love with no other options.

The DVD audio commentary with Goodman and producer/co-star Donnie Wahlberg provides insight into the production process, the real-life inspirations and Goodman’s experience as a first-time director. The “making of” featurette speaks a lot about how the actors know Goodman and became involved with the project. Some of the deleted and alternate scenes are surprisingly darker than some of the scenes in the film, but for the most part they are uneventful.