À nos amours - Sandrine Bonnaire

(aka 'Suzanne" or "To Our Loves")

Directed by Maurice Pialat
France 1983

With his raw style of filmmaking, Maurice Pialat has been called the John Cassavetes of French cinema, and the scorching À nos amours is one of his greatest achievements. In a revelatory film debut, the dynamic, fresh-faced Sandrine Bonnaire plays Suzanne, a fifteen-year-old Parisian who embarks on a sexual rampage in an effort to separate herself from her overbearing, beloved father (played with astonishing magnetism by Pialat himself), ineffectual mother, and brutish brother. A tender character study that can erupt in startling violence, À nos amours is one of the high-water marks of eighties French cinema.

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Theatrical Release: November 16th, 1983

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DVD Review: Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine # 337 - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:39:18
Video	1.66:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.96 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.66:1 Edition Details: • Video interviews with Catherine Breillat and Jean-Pierre Gorin • A 2003 interview with actor Sandrine Bonnaire • The Human Eye, a 1999 documentary on the film • Archival interview with Pialat on the set • Actor auditions • Liner notes booklet featuring essays by critics Molly Haskell and Kent Jones and interviews with Pialat and cinematographer Jacques Loiseleux DVD Release Date: June 6th, 2006 Double Thick Keep Case Chapters: 22

Comments:

I was very impressed with this transfer. It has the most film-like appearance of any recent Criterion release that I can recall. There is an intangible substance to it that often does not translate through just viewing the screen captures. The colors have a soft pallet buoyancy, detail is excellent and it is very consistent. Nice to see the 1.66 ratio done properly. Really this is a pristine DVD image in my opinion. From the extras I especially enjoyed the interviews of Bonnaire and Breillat but all have something worthwhile to offer. I'm sure many will enjoy The Human Eye documentary. This package is very complete and a the supplements are a valued addition to appreciating this rather complexly motivated piece of cinema.

This film was an excellent choice by Criterion to bring to Region 1 DVD. It is a kind of poetic dissertation of life rhythms... one that the French seem to have cornered the market in. I suppose in its most simplistic terms it boils down to happiness - seeking it and accepting it. I strongly recommend this film and the Criterion DVD is easily the absolute best forum for viewing and understanding its beauty.

Gary W. Tooze

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