Criterion use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround at 3842 kbps (24-bit) in the original English. There are few aggressive effects - and the lossless easily handles everything the film dishes out with little separation (some tennis ball hits). The score by Britta Phillips (Nadia in Frances Ha) and Dean Wareham (Spencer in Frances Ha). You may also hear snippets of Bryan Adams, Lou Reed, Luba, The Cars, Pink Floyd, some Brahms - all sounding decent in the uncompressed. There are optional English subtitles on the Region 'A' Blu-ray disc - but this is being released in region 'B' Blu-ray two weeks later.

Criterion add new supplements from the 2006 DVD release. There is a new 1/2 hour interview with Baumbach from August 2016. he discuss his writing process and main some interesting comments about the evolution of the project. There is a new 20-minute documentary entitled 'Revisiting The Squid and The Whale. and has Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, and Laura Linney discussing their participation in the film. There is also a separate interview with an animated Jeff Daniels for just under 8-mintutes. Some may enjoy the 14-minute conversation about the score and other music in the film between Baumbach and composers Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips. Behind “The Squid and the Whale,” is a 10-minute, 2005, documentary featuring on-set footage and cast interviews. I was interested to see some of the audition footage (Walter and Frank - 3:10, Do You Like Franz Kafka? - 3:17, Not an Intellectual - 3:59, Don't Be Difficult - 2:42, I Know It's Over - 7:31) and lastly on the digital front are a few trailers. The package contains a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Kent Jones and a 2005 interview of Baumbach by novelist Jonathan Lethem.

After I saw the DVD, I jokingly, lent it to a friend saying it reminded me of his family (they were tennis players and have two young boys.) Needless to say he understood my joke as the obviousness of this dysfunctional Berkman family was pretty amusing. It's a good film and I'm glad I revisited it but it's no masterpiece now that I have seen it again (I loved it the first time I saw it) - but still very worthwhile viewing and well written. It's short length seemed just right. I always enjoy Linney who is comfortable in multiple genres. Criterion produce another great Blu-ray package. Recommended!

***

ON THE DVD: For a new film this is kind of an unremarkable transfer with poor bitrate. It is very dark, which I understand is how it appeared theatrically but it does exhibit some glossiness that I can't put my finger on. It's very flat. Subtitles are ghastly yellow and the advertised 'commentary' runs less than an hour to still images of the film - so it is not a commentary in the sense that you might expect. The 40 minute conversation with Baumbach is very good and the film itself is enjoyable - recommended.

Gary W. Tooze