Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video: (both)

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio French 3218 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3218 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

• Interview with Dardenne Brothers (12:42)

• Interview with Marion Cotillard (7:23)

• Second Interview with Marion Cotillard (3:37)

• Trailer (1:27)

• New interviews with the Dardennes (51:03) and actors Marion Cotillard and Fabrizio Rongione (22:19)
• When Léon M.’s Boat Went Down the Meuse for the First Time (1979), a forty-minute documentary by the Dardennes (38:18), featuring a new introduction by the directors (20:44)
• New tour of the film’s key locations with the directors (36:47)
• To Be an I, a new video essay by critic Kent Jones (8:32)
• Trailer (1:53)
• PLUS: An essay by critic Girish Shambu

Bitrate:

Description: Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard (Contagion, Midnight in Paris, Inception, La Vie en Rose) plays Sandra, a young woman assisted by her husband, who has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job. Directed by The Dardenne Brothers (The Child, Rosetta & The Silence of Lorna), who are the most celebrated and decorated filmmaking partners in the world, boasting five Cannes wins and countless other international awards. Two Days, One Night was in competition for the Palme d'Or at this years Cannes Film Festival.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from Manohla Dargis at The Guardian located HERE

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

Two Days, One Night gets an impressive transfer to Blu-ray from Artificial Eye.  It sneaks into dual-layered territory and has a supportive bitrate for the 1.5 hour feature. Colors are brighter and truer than SD could relate and there is no noise in the darker sequences. The 1080P supports solid contrast exhibiting healthy, rich black levels and some highly apparent depth in the 1.85:1 frame.  It's pristinely clean showcasing some hi-def detail and there are really no flaws with the rendering. This Blu-ray provides a wonderful presentation.

There are slight differences but nothing to quibble over. Criterion provide a similarly strong transfer and video presentation, without bringing out the magnifying glass, it looks exactly like the Artificial Eye in terms color, contrast and detail.

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

 

1) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

1) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP 2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dardenne films may be noted more for their impacting silent pauses - the AE Blu-ray of Two Days, One Night offers a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 3028 kbps. It has hints of separation but everything is of a subtle nature with only one notable aggressive instance. There is also a linear PCM stereo track and, while no 'score' per-se, La Nuit N'en Finit Plus, Van Morrison's Gloria, The Cousins' Kili Watch and more sound crisp via the lossless. Nothing but positives here for the audio transfer as well. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.

Another 24-bit DTS-HD Master in 5.1 surround sounding as close as my ears can tell to the UK audio transfer. Criterion also offers English subtitles but their Blu-ray disc is region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

Thankfully Artificial Eye add some worthy extras - we get a dozen minutes with the Dardenne Brothers discussing the evolution of the film and 2 interviews with Marion Cotillard, a little over 10-minutes in total, talking about her selection for the role and working with the brothers. There is also a trailer.

Criterion stack the supplements starting with a new 50-minute interviews with the Dardennes discussing production details of Two Days, One Night. It was recorded by Criterion in April 2015, as was a 22-minute interview piece, first with Marion Cotillard in English followed by Fabrizio Rongione in French with English subtitles. There is a new, 37-minute, tour of the film’s four key locations with the directors demonstrating their approach during the shoot. When Léon M.’s Boat Went Down the Meuse for the First Time (1979) is a 38-minute documentary by the Dardennes containing the seeds of the brothers' later fictional worlds. Through a combination of archival footage and contemporary testimonials, they investigate the general strike that paralyzed Belgium during the winter of 1960 and attempt to piece together the fragmented history of their country's working class. Also included is a new 20-minute introduction to that short in the form of an interview with the directors as they discuss their early documentary work - in particular When Léon M.’s Boat Went Down the Meuse for the First Time - and its impact on their later fiction filmmaking. To Be an I is a new 9-minute video essay by critic Kent Jones looking back at their early fiction features focusing on the recurring themes and ideas - most importantly the central theme of 'hope' that pervades their work. There is also a trailer plus in the package is a liner notes booklets with an essay by critic Girish Shambu.

 

 Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray 

 

 

Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Once again the Dardennes create cinema at its purest, most emotionally sublime, level. Two Days, One Night is gut-wrenching realism. Marion Cotillard is perfect as Sandra. Nice to see Dardenne regulars Fabrizio Rongione and Olivier Gourmet as part of this impressive production.  The Artificial Eye Blu-ray provides an excellent a/v presentation with some decent supplements. These guys represent two of my favorite filmmakers and Two Days, One Night is brilliant.

 

Criterion win as the best overall package with their complete supplements inclusions. A/V is as good as the AE - and as authentic as it can probably get. As typical with Dardenne brothers films - it only gets better with repeat viewings. Our highest recommendation!  

Gary Tooze

January 20th, 2015

August 1st, 2015

Coming out on Blu-ray in Germany in March 2015: