Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video (both):

Audio:

• Audio commentary with director Andrew Haigh and producer Tristan Goligher
• Q + A with Charlotte Rampling , Tom Courtenay, Andrew Haigh and producer Tristan Goligher (11:09)

• Trailer (2:04)

• Audio commentary featuring Haigh and producer Tristan Goligher
• New documentary featuring interviews with Haigh, Goligher, actors Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, editor Jonathan Alberts, and director of photography Lol Crawley (36:42)

• New interview with David Constantine, author of the short story on which the film is based (13:14)
• Trailer (2:07)
PLUS: An essay by critic Ella Taylor

Bitrate:

Description: Kate Mercer (Charlotte Rampling) is planning a party to celebrate her 45th wedding anniversary. One week before the celebration, however, a letter arrives for her husband, Geoff (Tom Courtenay), containing news that reawakens troubling and long-hidden memories.

Though Kate continues to prepare for the anniversary, she becomes increasingly concerned by Geoff s preoccupation with the letter and the ensuing revelations about his past. By the time the party comes round, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate. Anchored by sensational performances from Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, 45 Years is an intimate, moving and beautifully restrained portrait of a marriage shaken to its core by things left unspoken. Winning Best Actor and Best Actress awards at this year's Berlinale Film Festival, Andrew Haigh's (Weekend, Looking) 45 Years is British filmmaking at its very best.

***

In this exquisitely calibrated film by Andrew Haigh (Weekend), Charlotte Rampling (The Night Porter) and Tom Courtenay (Billy Liar) perform a subtly off-kilter pas de deux as Kate and Geoff, an English couple who, on the eve of an anniversary celebration, find their long marriage shaken by the arrival of a letter to Geoff that unceremoniously collapses his past into their shared present. Haigh carries the tradition of British realist cinema to artful new heights in 45 Years, weaving the momentous into the mundane as the pair go about their daily lives, while the evocatively flat, wintry Norfolk landscape frames their struggle to maintain an increasingly untenable status quo. Loosely adapting a short story by David Constantine, Haigh shifts the focus from the slightly erratic Geoff to Kate, eliciting a remarkable, nuanced portrayal by Rampling of a woman’s gradual metamorphosis from unflappable wife to woman undone.

 

 

The Film:

Excerpt from Eye For Film located HERE

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

45 Years gets a solid dual-layered transfer to Blu-ray from Curzon / Artificial Eye.  It has a high bitrate for the 1.5 hour feature. Contrast is at the lower-end - possibly an intended look. The 1080P looks excellent in-motion. The transfer frames the film at the accurate 1.85:1 ratio. Colors may look a shade dullish. Indoor, low-level lit sequences show no noise and it's, predictably, pristinely clean showcasing some pleasing hi-def detail. This Blu-ray probably is a respectable representation of the theatrical version of the film.

You can see that the Criterion has richer and darker black levels and it really does improve the image. The Criterion is cited as a "High-definition digital transfer, supervised by director Andrew Haigh". To my eye it looks better - superior contrast brings out more detail... Criterion win on the visuals - but it is a slight advantage.

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

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

 

More Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Captures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The AE Blu-ray of 45 Years offers a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 3623 kbps and the option of a stereo linear PCM (both 24-bit). There really isn't much requirement for separation as the film is, predictably, dialogue-driven. It sounds quite rich and deep via the uncompressed. Nothing but positives here for the audio transfer. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.

Criterion's DTS-HD Master surround track is indistinguishable from the same one on the UK disc, although Artificial Eye add the option of a stereo track - also in lossless. There is a wonderful mixture of music from Dusty Springfield, Aaron Neville and The Moody Blues to Mozart. Criterion also include optional English (SDH) subtitles but their Blu-ray disc is region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

 

Artificial Eye - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

 

Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Absolutely brilliant film. 45 Years probes deep into the heart of a relationship with some astounding surprises from the past. It is deft filmmaking and Haigh again justifies his lauded, story-teller, abilities. The film carries much in what is not said (pained looks, furtive glances, and guilt-ridden lack of eye contact) - as much as what is.  The Curzon / Artificial Eye Blu-ray provides a solid a/v presentation with added value with the commentary. I had an absolutely marvelous viewing and give this one of our highest recommendations!

 

Still a magnificent film upon revisitation. It stuns you emotionally and Criterion nudge ahead, as many expect, but I think as opposed to quibbling too much about the differences - this is a film that should just be seen. It's a masterpiece. Don't miss it!   

Gary Tooze

January 9th, 2016

January 31st, 2017

 

Being released on Blu-ray by Paramount in the US in April 2022: