6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
In a decript apartment, a young man watches as his father and a friend shoot an amateur porn film. Issues of morality, reality TV and friendship are explored.
Starring: Thorsten Flinck, Sanna Bråding, Goran MarjanovicForeign | 100% |
Drama | 87% |
Horror | 19% |
Erotic | 12% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Swedish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Swedish: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Arrow Video's The Lukas Moodysson Collection.
When The New York Times is touting someone as "Sweden's most praised filmmaker since Ingmar Bergman", attention should probably be
paid, even if some reading that description and then looking at the name of its referent might still be asking, "Lukas who?" Lukas
Moodysson achieved a fair degree of success right out
of the gate with his first feature Show Me Love (which had
a somewhat more visceral original title, as can be seen on the poster I've included as the "cover image" for that individual listing), but unlike
some "overnight successes", he has never seemed content to rest on his laurels, and has frequently thrown caution at least partially to the wind,
resulting in a rather audacious array of films that vary from bright and breezy to decidedly dark, dour and depressing (maybe that's where
the Bergman angle might be most relevant, and, yes, that's said in jest, at least kind of). Arrow Video has now aggregated a really appealing
collection of seven Moodysson films, along with the
label's usual penchant for some outstanding supplemental material, handsome packaging and non disc swag.
A Hole in My Heart is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Arrow lumps all of the films together on their page devoted to the transfers in the hardcover book included with this set, as follows:
All seven films in this collection are presented in their original aspect ratios (1.85:1 for Fucking Åmål, Lilya 4-Ever, Container, and We Are the Best!; 1.66:1 for Together; 1.78:1 for A Hole in My Heart; and 2.35:1 for Mammoth) with their original 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo audio mixes. Container is presented with both Swedish and English narration options in both 5.1 and 2.0.A Hole in My Heart has the least "filmic" look of the offerings in the Moodysson set, for good reason: it was shot with DVCAMs, and I suspect that somewhere in the workflow it was interlaced, as there are remnants of combing artifacts that can be spotted. There's also some footage that looks like it may have been upscaled (see screenshot 2), perhaps from stock footage. The detail levels here therefore are understandably not at the same degree of precision seen in more traditional shot on film efforts or more contemporary digital captures. The relatively "low res" appearance probably only subliminally supports the kind of tawdry story on display. The palette is decently saturated but never really pops in any meaningful way.
Fucking Åmål was restored in 2K by the Swedish Film Institute and approved by director Lukas Moodysson and cinematographer Ulf Brantås. The appearance of the film is the result of an unusual production process. It was shot on 16mm film prior to cutting and then to 35mm duplicate negative which was lit for the final screening copy. For the digital restoration, the original camera negative has been used as source material; this also meant that the optical printer work had to be cut and recreated.
Together was restored in 4K from the original camera negative by the Swedish Film Institute and approved by director Lukas Moodysson and cinematographer Ulf Brantås.
The high definition video masters for the other five films were supplied to Arrow Films by TrustNordisk in association with Memfis Film. Additional restoration work on the digital video master for Container was carried out by R3Store Studios, London.
A Hole in My Heart features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options in the original Swedish. This film also has the Moodysson staple of quite a bit of source cue underscoring, though perhaps not at the level heard in several of the other films in this set. With the bulk of the film taking place in rather claustrophobic confines, the difference between the surround and stereo tracks may in fact be mostly limited to the score, though. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
A Hole in My Heart shares a disc with Container, but after Choose Film is selected, this slate of supplements is accessible:
As an example of Lukas Moodysson's versatility, A Hole in My Heart is notable. As an actual film it may be decidedly more problematic, and I'm frankly not sure exactly what Moodysson hoped to achieve with this bizarre effort. Technical merits vary from acceptable (video) to fine (audio), and as with the other discs in this set, the supplements are very enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
2006
2009
Tillsammans
2000
2002
Vi är bäst
2013
Fucking Åmål
1998
Le souffle au coeur
1971
Smultronstället
1957
Scener ur ett äktenskap
1973
Skepp till Indialand / A Ship Bound for India
1947
Slipcover in Original Pressing
2009
Przypadek
1987
西鶴一代女 / Saikaku ichidai onna
1952
一一
2000
Deux jours, une nuit
2014
薔薇の葬列
1969
1962
Memorias del subdesarrollo
1968
L'avenir
2016
1993