13 Conversations About One Thing - Thirteen Conversations About One Thing

( aka '13 Conversations About One Thing' - U.S. numeric spelling )

directed by Jill Sprecher
U.S.A. 2001

"Jill Sprecher, whose only previous directorial effort was 'Clockwatchers', utilizes some of the more consequential experiences in her own life in the creation of "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing". After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in philosophy and literature, she arrived in New York in the early '90s. She was greeted by a mugger, landing her in hospital with a concussion. She then sank into a deep depression, lifted one day a stranger on the street whose smile at her obliterated any perceived dark cloud she assumed was constantly floating over her. Sprecher details the subject matter of most conversations in her film as 'the pursuit of happiness'; how people achieve it, how they attempt to achieve it and how they recover from its absence.

'Thirteen Conversations About One Thing' is an elliptical storyline structured as a series of slightly inter-related anecdotes around the significant life-altering events of four major characters . Construed by some as "depressing" , personally I found it rather life-affirming. Utilizing numerous techniques of floating (literally) symbols, she is able to project the notion of ill-fated rigidity or lack of flexibility. Each character who sticks to a black and white philosophy seems to suffer extensively in the long run. As Hollywood cinema is slowly, but inexorably, fading from my personal taste, this is the exception to the rule. A masterpiece?... perhaps not, but its as close as I have seen from an American film in many years."

Gary Tooze

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Columbia Tri-Star Region 1 DVD

DVD Box Cover		Click to order from:
Distribution	Columbia Tri-Star Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:43:40
Video	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate:4.97 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
Bitrate: Columbia Tri-Star NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French
Subtitles	Spanish, French, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Columbia Tri-star Home Theatrical Release Date: May 24th, 2002 (LA/NY); expands to other cities at later dates (moved back two months from March 1st, 2002) Package Type: Keep Case Aspect Ratio): 1.78:1 anamorphic Widescreen letterbox Discographic Information: DVD Encoding: Region 1 Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French Available subtitles: Spanish, French Edition Details: • Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby • Commentary by the filmmaker • Theatrical trailers: Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (non-anamorphic widescreen) 2:19 My Wife is an Actress (non-anamorphic widescreen) 1:34 Last Orders (non-anamorphic widescreen) 2:13 Sunshine State (non-anamorphic widescreen) 2:19 • Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video • Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only) DVD Release Date: November 19, 2002 Keep Case Chapters: 13

Comments:

A decent image with occasional artifacts and inconsequential soundtrack provide another adept DVD from Columbia Tri-Star. It appears to be film-sourced and has true colors and sharp detail.

This DVD has a wonderful commentary by director Jill Sprecher, sister Karen and film editor Stephen Mirrione. What I like about it, and the menus is the lack of over-indulgence. This understated DVD is very appropriate for the subtleties of this marvelous film.

Gary Tooze

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Columbia Tri-Star Region 1 - NTSC