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directed by Pierre-Loup Rajot
France 2013

 

So light it's almost frothy, FRENCH AFFAIRS is an endearing romantic comedy about the importance of not putting your partner on a pedestal and becoming a martyr to your own perceived shortcomings. Celine (Céline Rajot) has been seeing therapist Astrid (Maria Caldera) because of her anxiety over the secrets she has been keeping from her travel agent husband Olivier (Eric Bonicatto, COMPASSIONATE SEX), the latest of which is that medical tests have determined that he is sterile. Stress of his business has left Olivier distant from Celine so she suggests that he see Astrid as well, but Astrid turns him away since she does not see related patients. When Olivier expresses a romantic interest in her, however, she is more willing to bend her principles due to the other secrets Celine has been keeping from her husband (who is reluctant to break things off with Celine since he sees her as pure and fragile). Astrid's moody teenage son David (Yoann Denaive, HOSTILES) takes an instant disliking to Olivier as he as with Astrid's few other romantic partners since he idolizes his absent father and resents his mother's over-involvement in his life. Although Astrid continues to discourage a personal relationship with Celine (no more so than ever), Celine takes it upon herself to help stressed out Astrid with David when the young man calls the business trying to book a ticket to Mexico to get away from his mother. An ex-prostitute (another secret she has been keeping from Olivier), Celine gleans the root of David's problem. David is dumbfounded not only to discover that Celine and Olivier are together, but she does not mind (or acknowledge) the possibility that her husband is cheating on her not just because of her past but also her philosophical outlook on human relationships. Rather than a ploy to keep her husband, Celine is considering finding a substitute to get her pregnant because she believes Olivier would be devastated to learn that they cannot have a child together. Things come to a head when the four come together for what seems like a pleasant dinner to toast life and all its "imponderables" and "uncertainties."

Eric Cotenas

Theatrical Release: 17 July 2011 (France)

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DVD Review: Cinema Libre - Region 0 - NTSC

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!

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Distribution

Cinema Libre

Region 0 - NTSC

Runtime 1:28:45
Video

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.72 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate

Audio French Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo
Subtitles English (burnt-in)
Features Release Information:
Studio: Cinema Libre

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 2:19)
• Trailers for 'Touch', 'The Little Bedroom', 'Now & Later', and 'The Beineix Collection'

DVD Release Date: December 16th, 2014
Amaray

Chapters 10

 

Comments

Cinema Libre's single-layer DVD offers a serviceable although edge-enhanced encode of this digital feature. Detail is only okay in long shots, but the film is shot in a rather rough and casual fashion and lit with mostly natural lighting. The Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track seems to be the original mix with its mix of live dialogue and minimal musical motifs (and very spare sound design). The English subtitles are encoded onto the image but not too intrusive. There are no extras except for the film's trailer and four other Cinema Libre trailers (which appear at the start-up but are also selectable from an additional menu).

  - Eric Cotenas

 

 


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DVD Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

 

 

Distribution

Cinema Libre

Region 0 - NTSC

 




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