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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "L'Ami de Mon Amie" or "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" or "Boyfriends and Girlfriends")

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/rohmer.htm

The Metrograph 2023 Blu-ray Éric Rohmer's

"Boyfriends and Girlfriends" is compared HERE

The characters in Boyfriends and Girlfriends are all self-centered and shallow. They rarely speak or think about anything deeper than their feelings, and never seek anything more substantial than transitory satisfaction. They are four young yuppies - twenty-somethings who have embraced the age of materialism and self-gratification that characterized the '80s. They live in a new, sleek Parisian suburb that has none of the old world charm of the ancient city. It's modern and sterile, and the closest it gets to Paris is a distant view of the Eiffel Tower peeking up over the horizon.

In the hands of another director, Boyfriends and Girlfriends might have turned into a biting satire, but Rohmer is a sympathetic filmmaker. He never condemns his characters - he merely presents them as they are and lets the viewer decide whether or not they are deserving of affection. In this case, he shows that, despite their superficialities, they are flesh-and-blood individuals, not comic contrivances or caricatures. The little touches that make them come alive also make them compelling individuals. Ultimately, this film isn't really about much, but we are drawn into it because of the way in which the artist sketches his subject. Many important aspects of their portraits are left out, but the intriguing details incorporated are what make them fascinating.

Excerpt from James Berardinelli's review at ReelViews HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 26th, 1987 - France

Reviews                                                       More Reviews                                                DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL vs. Potemkine Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Per-Olof Strandberg for the Arrow DVD Screen Caps!

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC LEFT

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 
Box Covers

 
Presently only available in either the 25 Film (52 disc!) Eric Rohmer Blu-ray Boxset: or Comedies and Proverbs Blu-ray Boxset - also from Potemkine Films:

or order the Entire Arrow Films Boxset including  'The Aviator's Wife', 'A Good Marriage', 'Pauline At The Beach', 'Full Moon In Paris', 'The Green Ray', 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend', 'Love In The Afternoon' and 'The Marquise Of O' at a savings of $190 US over buying individually.  REVIEWED HERE

 
Distribution

Fox Lorber

Region 0 - NTSC

 Arrow Film Distributors
Region 0 - PAL		 Potemkine Films
Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:38:51 1:38:54 (4% PAL Speedup) 1:43:26.083
Video

1.33:1 Open Matte
Average Bitrate: 5.82 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Open Matte
Average Bitrate: ? mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,834,284,481 bytes

Feature: 23,728,699,392 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.10 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Bitrate Blu-ray

Audio French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

 DTS-HD Master Audio French 941 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 941 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles English (non removable) English and None English and None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Fox Lorber

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Production notes
• Bios

DVD Release Date: May 25th, 1999
Keep case

Chapters 7
 

 Release Information:
Studio: Arrow Film Distributors

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Changing landscape (Métamorphoses du paysage (22:19) (1964)
• Trailer (01:54)
 

DVD Release Date: October 20th, 2003
Transparent keep

Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio: Potemkine

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,834,284,481 bytes

Feature: 23,728,699,392 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.10 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• L'Homme at les Frontieres (56:12)

• Interview with Sophie Renoir (10:00)

Blu-ray Release Date: November 19th, 2013
Bookstyle cardboard Blu-ray Case inside a large box

Chapters 14

 

Comments

The Metrograph 2023 Blu-ray Éric Rohmer's "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" is compared HERE

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Potemkine Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (December 2013): I have already stated- I now own the Coffret Rohmer intégral combo blu ray + livret + pochette photos [Blu-ray] - it is 25 Rohmer films and 52 discs, book and more! So it will take a while to go through. My take so far is very positive. I will continue and, hopefully, at one point do a page on the entire set including the bonus discs (although extras don't seem to be English-friendly the features I have checked so far have optional English subtitles).! So it will take a while to go through. My take so far is very positive. I will continue and, hopefully, at one point do a page on the entire set including the bonus discs.

Rohmer's 1987 film Boyfriend and Girlfriends get the 1080P treatment and is a HUGE advancement over the past DVDs. You only need see the comparison captures below to see the enormity of the improvement. Finally we have a digital edition that is in the theatrical running time (no PAL speedup.) Audio is losses - original mono and there are two extras (both supplements in French with no English subtitles) and we can see Sophie Renoir still looks pretty sweet.

Great film - and another strong positive to the Potemkine Blu-ray Boxsets. 

***

ON THE DVDs: Well this is quite the comedy of errors. Both editions are sloppy. Although The Fox-Lorber image is slightly better, it has burned in subtitles. As the times are the same for both editions, one must suffer from "ghosting" inherent when we have PAL (or NTSC) transfer from NTSC (or PAL). Our investigation shows it is the Fox-Lorber, but I didn't notice any effects when watching or doing screen captures. I don't think it really matters as neither of these editions is acceptable. I realize Rohmer shot a lot of his work in 16mm (although this is 35mm), but I have Super 8's that are 30 years old that look sharper.  The Arrow Films has the superior Extras and removable English subtitles. This is all quite is disappointing to me as I am a big Rohmer fan. I will eventually be comparing Arrow Films other Rohmer offerings but this does not look good. I can't recommend either... Buy the VHS if it is cheaper till someone somewhere eventually does this film some justice.

Gary W. Tooze

NOTE: From Per-Olof:

Is it possible that if Fox Lorber have converted their DVD from
PAL>NTSC, and then Arrow Films borrowed the NTSC master-tape from them and once again converted it back from NTSC>PAL. The Arrow has more trouble and seems like "a copy".

 

Recommended Reading in French Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

The Films in My Life
by Francois Truffaut, Leonard Mayhew

French Cinema: A Student's Guide
by Philip Powrie, Keith Reader 		Agnes Varda by Alison Smith Godard on Godard : Critical Writings by Jean-Luc Godard Notes on the Cinematographer by Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 2)
by James Quandt		 The Art of Cinema by Jean Cocteau French New Wave
by Jean Douchet, Robert Bonnono, Cedric Anger, Robert Bononno 		French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present
by Remi Fournier Lanzoni

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Menus

(Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)


 

 

Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Fox Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC TOP

2) Arrow Film Distributors - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) Potemkine Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

Box Covers

 
Presently only available in either the 25 Film (52 disc!) Eric Rohmer Blu-ray Boxset: or Comedies and Proverbs Blu-ray Boxset - also from Potemkine Films:

or order the Entire Arrow Films Boxset including  'The Aviator's Wife', 'A Good Marriage', 'Pauline At The Beach', 'Full Moon In Paris', 'The Green Ray', 'My Girlfriend's Boyfriend', 'Love In The Afternoon' and 'The Marquise Of O' at a savings of $190 US over buying individually.  REVIEWED HERE

 
Distribution

Fox Lorber

Region 0 - NTSC

 Arrow Film Distributors
Region 0 - PAL		 Potemkine Films
Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

Hit Counter

Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray
Extras: Blu-ray

 



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Gary Tooze

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