Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

A New Leaf Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 2, 2017

Elaine May's "A New Leaf" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary by film scholar Maya Montanez Smukler; brand new video interview with director Amy Heckerling; and brand new video interview with assistant editor Angelo Corrao. The release also arrives with a 14-page illustrated booklet featuring "The Green Heart" by Jack Ritchie, the source material for Elaine May's script, and an essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

"The point, Mr. Graham, is that you don't have any money. The capital and the income are exhausted and you no longer have any money."

Maybe A New Leaf was meant to be a quirky comedy. In fact, I am sure a lot of moviegoers saw it as such in 1971, when it was released in theaters across America. In 2015, however, Elaine May’s directorial debut also strikes me as a painfully honest film, and this is very sad because the troubling attitudes on display in it and the ridiculous logic that they typically support are things many of us have witnessed during the last decade. Many of us have also become immune to them and have started treating them as a fact of life.

Walter Matthau is Henry Graham, an incredibly obnoxious aging bachelor who truly believes that everyone around him owes him something. For years he has been living the good life thanks to a large inheritance, but now he has run out of money and started discovering that people get treated differently when their bank accounts are empty. So what now? Henry can’t just find a job and start supporting himself. Work is for losers, and Henry isn’t one of them.

The bachelor decides to find a rich wife that would instantly solve his financial problems. The plan of course is not to spend the rest of his life with her. Henry will marry the dummy, kill her, and enjoy her wealth.

At a party Henry meets Henrietta (director May), an extremely shy and very awkward but surprisingly rich botanist. He acts like a true gentleman and quickly earns her admiration; then a few days later he proposes to her. Henrietta can’t believe her luck. The wedding is a total farce, but they sign the proper paperwork just on time so that Henry can return a rather large sum of money which he has borrowed from the shady Uncle Harry (James Coco).

During the final act Henry and Henrietta make two very important discoveries that force them to reevaluate their lives. These things tend to happen in films like A New Leaf. In the Craiglist era we live in a man with Henry’s problem would have simply executed Henry’s original plan and found a way to walk away free. Nowadays, these things definitely tend to happen a lot.

A New Leaf is a dark and very sarcastic film which was clearly way ahead of its time. There is a lot of romance in it, but I would not describe it as a romantic comedy. It just sees life from a very unusual for an early 1970s film angle that makes you think about a lot of different things -- and, honestly, romance isn’t one of them.

The two leads are very good. May does appear a bit too goofy at times but there is something unusually charming about her awkwardness. Matthau exudes the type of cockiness that men like him are typically known for. George Rose is also quite wonderful as the bachelor’s trusted butler.

According to different sources, the original version of A New Leaf was approximately 3 hours long. However, after the film was delivered at Paramount Pictures it was apparently recut by Robert Evans. The version of the film found on Olive Films' release, which is the only version that has been in circulation, is approximately 102 minutes long.

A New Leaf Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Elaine May's A New Leaf arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K remaster that was prepared by Paramount Pictures. This is not the same master that was licensed to Olive Films for the first release of the film in 2012, and Eureka Entertainment's Region-B release in 2015. There are plenty of very noticeable improvements, but the most substantial ones are in terms of density and depth. Close-ups and wider outdoor panoramic shots now boast all-around better delineation, and in a number of different sequences clarity is also dramatically better. Rather predictably, grain is much better exposed and resolved, though there are native density fluctuations that are retained (see screencapture #23). There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Colors are stable, looking healthy and good ranges of nuances. However, there are a couple of indoor/darker sequences where balance is a bit shaky and black crush almost sneaks in. Still, overall balance is better. Image stability is very good. There are no large distracting cuts, debris, damage marks, or stains, but a few tiny flecks can be spotted. All in all, though not immaculate this upcoming release represents a very strong upgrade in quality over the previous budget release. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

A New Leaf Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (dual Mono). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I compared the lossless track to the one from the Region-B release. It does not appear that the new track was meticulously restored, but it was likely remastered in some way because it is cleaner. However, I feel that there is room for further touch up and rebalancing work. Still, clarity, depth, and overall stability are very good.

A New Leaf Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for A New Leaf. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• The Cutting Room Floor: Editing A New Leaf - in this brand new video interview, assistant editor Angelo Corrao recalls how he was hired to work on A New Leaf and discusses the notorious three-hour cut of the film that was initially done, Elaine May's working methods, and the rhythm and tone of the film. The interview was conducted exclusively for Olive Films in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• Women in Hollywood: A Tragedy of Comic Proportions - in this brand new video interview, director Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless) discusses the many obstacles she faced while trying to establish herself in Hollywood, Elaine May's similar career path, A New Leaf and Henrietta Lowell's unique personality, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Olive Films in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080p).

• Ode on a Grecian Nightgown - presented here is a new essay by critic, editor, and film programmer Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. In text-format.

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, film scholar Maya Montanez Smukler offers an in-depth analysis of A New Leaf (with excellent observations about the balance between comedy and drama/satire in it), and discusses its production history and the careers of its most prominent cast and crew as well as the socio-cultural environment in which the film emerged. Fantastic commentary.

• Booklet - 14-page illustrated booklet featuring:
• "Ode on a Grecian Nightgown" by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.
• "The Green Heart" by Jack Ritchie, the source material for Elaine May's script for A New Leaf.

A New Leaf Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An obnoxious bachelor runs out of money and, to solve his financial problems, decides to marry a very awkward but surprisingly rich botanist in Elaine May's deliciously witty directorial debut, A New Leaf. Olive Films' upcoming Signature Edition is sourced from a recent very nice 4K remaster of the film that was prepared by Paramount Pictures. The release also offers a good selection of exclusive bonus features, including a terrific new audio commentary by film scholar Maya Montanez Smukler. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.