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A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

Tu dors Nicole [Blu-ray]

 

(Stéphane Lafleur, 2014)

 

 

Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: micro_scope

Video: Kino Lorber

 

Disc:

Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:33:34.609

Disc Size: 24,709,108,010 bytes

Feature Size: 23,908,429,824 bytes

Video Bitrate: 27.18 Mbps

Chapters: 8

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: October 27th, 2015

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio French 2876 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2876 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 2034 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2034 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
 

 

Subtitles:

English, None

 

Extras:

• 2 Deleted Scenes (1:29 + 0:45)
Trailer (2:17)
Booklet essay by Vadim Rizov

 

Bitrate:

 

 

Description: Nicole (Julianne Cote) is adrift after college graduation, working a dead-end summer job in her small Quebec hometown and spending evenings with her best pal, Veronique (Catherine St-Laurent). When her older brother Remi (Marc-Andre Grondin) unexpectedly returns with his bandmates in tow, disrupting the girls half-baked summer, it becomes clear to Nicole that something must and will change. Shot on gorgeous black-and-white 35mm (A.A. Dowd, The A.V. Club), and infused with a sultry melancholy, Tu dors Nicole brilliantly captures that liminal stage where the fading yet familiar attachments of childhood still seem far more appealing, precious, and real than the sterility of the grown-up world.

 

 

The Film:

No explicit dream sequences occur in Tu Dors Nicole, even though the title informs the protagonist that she’s asleep. (Props to U.S. distributor Kino Lorber for recognizing that You're Sleeping, Nicole doesn't have the same poetic ring. Even the use of the familiar Tu Dors rather than the formal Vous Dormez carries meaning.) Instead, the entire movie takes place in what feels like a state of suspended animation. Anyone who’s spent a long, hot, lazy summer doing nothing much at all will be familiar with the vibe: By night, it’s hard to sleep; by day, it’s hard to move. The line between wakeful and comatose gets fuzzy. Tu Dors Nicole doesn’t indulge nostalgic clichés about adolescence, as epitomized by the phrase, “I was never the same after that summer.” It’s a tale of post-graduate malaise in which “that summer” stubbornly refuses to coalesce into more than a series of odd reveries, as if something magical is always just about to happen.

Excerpt from TheDissolve located HERE

 

The titular character of Tu Dors Nicole is a girl cut in two, as evidenced by director Stéphane Lafleur's compositions, with Nicole (Julianne Côté) often severed by the margins of the frame. She's a wayward twentysomething, caught between her tenuous desires for independence and a more forceful reluctance to forgo the sweet pangs of juvenilia. Lafleur has a percipient eye for irrigating these dilemmas without overtly sentimentalizing them, especially as the film flirts with diagnosing Nicole's desolation as mental illness, manifest through insomnia and habitual forms of self-sabotage.

Excerpt from Slant Magazine located HERE

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

The single-layered Kino Lorber Blu-ray of the black and white, 35mm, film Tu dors Nicole looks excellent. It is dual-layered with a high bitrate. Contrast is layered and the visuals are tight and pristinely clean. The many naturally lit sequences look very strong. There is no noise. This Blu-ray gave me a flawless HD presentation.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

Kino Lorber give us the option of DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 2034 kbps or a 5.1 surround at 2876 kbps (both 24-bit) in the original French language. There aren't many effects in the film (drums, sewing machine etc.) - and few separations - it's not that type of film. There is no score and the only music comes from the live band. It all sounds fine with clear consistent dialogue. There are optional English subtitles offered and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

 

Extras :

There are two short deleted scenes, a trailer and the package contains a booklet essay by Vadim Rizov.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Tu dors Nicole is a beautifully-made, simple and contemplative film. It is modestly paced and very Festival/Arthouse leaning with much of the theme in subtext following Nicole's daily routines. Some might consider it Rohmer-esque in that sense. Certainly less a mainstream expression. The black and white choice works perfectly, IMO. I enjoyed it very much. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray
provides a wonderful presentation in 1080P. Not for all tastes, but for those accepting of this simple, human film, subtly bonding to the character - this is very much recommended! 

Gary Tooze

October 13th, 2015

 

About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction.

Gary's Home Theatre:

60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD

Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD Player
Momitsu - BDP-899 Region FREE Blu-ray player
Marantz SA8001 Super Audio CD Player
Marantz SR7002 THX Select2 Surround Receiver
Tannoy DC6-T (fronts) + Energy (centre, rear, subwoofer) speakers (5.1)

APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V

Gary W. Tooze

 

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