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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

B L U - R E V I E W E R  

A view on Blu-ray and DVD video by Brian Montgomery

Lourdes (AE spine # 12) [Blu-ray]

 

(Jessica Hausner, 2009)

 

 

 

 

 

Coming out in the U/S on September 13th, 2011:

 

 

 

Review by Brian Montgomery

 

Production:

Theatrical: Canal +

Blu-ray: Artificial Eye

 

Disc:

Region: FREE!

Runtime: 1:39:17.952

Disc Size: 21,003,414,210 bytes

Feature Size: 19,175,841,792 bytes

Video Bitrate: 25.75 Mbps

Chapters: 12

Case: Standard Blu-Ray Case

Release date: July 12th, 2010

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Resolution: 1080P / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

French (DTS-HD Master Audio 3478 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3478 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit))

 

Subtitles:

English, None

 

Extras:

• Interview with Sylvie Testud (14:47)

• Theatrical Trailer

 

Description: Christine has been confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. In order to escape her isolation, she makes a journey to Lourdes, the iconic site of pilgrimage in the Pyrenees mountains. She wakes up one morning seemingly cured by a miracle. The leader of the pilgrimage group, a handsome 40-year-old volunteer from the Order of Malta, begins to take an interest in her. She tries to hold on to this newfound chance for happiness, while her cure provokes envy and admiration...

 

 

The Film:

Jessica Hausner’s third feature – following troubled-teen drama Lovely Rita (2001) and psychological horror Hotel (2004) – is a low-key but often beguiling oddity that attempts an ambitious fusion of the sublime and the corporeal in the unlikely form of a wry comedy of manners. If it’s ultimately rather too schematic to make it wholly satisfying (many characters are little more than single-function pieces on the narrative chessboard), connoisseurs of the deadpan pleasures proffered by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll’s Whisky (2004) or the films of Aki Kaurismäki will find much to enjoy.

Excerpt of review from Michael Brooke located HERE

 

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

The progressive 1080 image on this disc is very strong. Although background objects may sometimes appear slightly weaker than objects in the foreground, this is a very minor complaint and one that should not detract from the overall excellence of the image. Fine object detail is high (see the eleventh capture for instance) and the grain structure is quite good. There are no signs of artifacts or artificial manipulations of the image. Colors also appear strong, with reds standing out as particularly vivid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio & Music:

The audio is another strong point on this release. Mastered in a lossless 5.1 HD track, the dialogue and music sound exceptionally crisp and clear. There are no instances of unwanted noises (hisses, pops, etc.) and the optional English language subtitles are clear and unobtrusive. Overall, the it's the kind of audio that you would hope for on a HD release of a film that came out less than a year ago.

 

Extras:

Unfortunately, the extras are this release's biggest weakness. Aside from a theatrical trailer the only bonus feature that the disc boasts is an interview with the film's star that clocks in at just under fifteen minutes. While fans of the film may find it of interest, a little bit more would have been appreciated.

 

 

 

Bottom line:

Overall, this is another fine release from Artificial Eye. The film itself was a memorable experience, and one that I doubt that I would have caught up with here in the states if it weren't for their release. The transfer is very impressive and fans of the film should not hesitate to purchase. Definitely recommended.

Brian Montgomery
July 14th, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

Coming out in the U/S on September 13th, 2011:

 

 




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