A Sunday in the Country Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

A Sunday in the Country Blu-ray Movie Review

A quiet journey that has heart in spades

A beautiful ode to life itself, A Sunday in the Country is a charming and whimsical experience that has surprises in store for audiences the world over. The film was adapted from the novel by Pierre Bost (Forbidden Games, The Clockmaker of St. Paul). With a rich tapestry of outstanding visuals and impeccable performances delivered from the ensemble cast, A Sunday in the Country is a quietly fascinating gem that offers audiences more contemplation than first meets the eye.

Monsieur Ladmiral (Louis Ducreux) is a quietly charming gent who lives the life of an artist. Having dedicated his life's passion to painting, Ladmiral is now in his twilight years and living a peaceful and serene existence on the countryside. On a beautiful and laid-back Sunday, the painter's family comes to visit for an appetizing lunch: the son Gonzague (Michel Aumont) and daughter Irène (Sabine Azéma) pay him a much-needed visit.

As the idyllic day at Ladmiral's beautiful country abode passes by with relative ease (as the hours move forward), the story delves into unexpected territory as Ladmiral starts to connect with his son's spouse, Marie-Thérèse (Geneviève Mnich) over his career as an artist. The events of the day are full of surprises. Indeed, life itself is full of surprises.

Art in motion: the majesty of cinema.

There is something unmistakably remarkable about the production of this film. There are so many intricate aspects to the filmmaking. Nothing is flashy about the filmmaking. Yet the artistry on display is impeccable. It is almost as if the film is a work of art framed alongside a gallery art-room itself. Every crevice of the story is realized with the serene cinematography by Bruno de Keyzer (The Princess of Montpensier, 'Round Midnight) elevating the storytelling to greater heights.

This is a visually sumptuous experience and one that audiences will carry with them long after the credits. The outdoor greenery and the beautiful tapestry of the abode of Monsieur Ladmiral manage to enchant with an intoxicating spell. The production design is far superior to a typical drama and gives the design efforts of Patrice Mercier (The Double Life of Véronique, The Trail) a moment to shine bright. The costumes by Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle (The Lover, Vatel) are similarily well-crafted throughout and suited to each of these characters.

Bertrand Tavernier (Captain Conan, It All Starts Today) directs A Sunday in the Country with a clear understanding of the foundations inherent in filmmaking. The film is directed as if it is a moving-painting and this is a unique quality which makes the cinematic landscape so much more richly rewarding. Tavernier wrote the screenplay with co-screenwriter Colo Tavernier (Story of Women, Beatrice) and their collaboration succeeds at creating compelling characters around a story that is a slice-of-life experience from start to finish. A Sunday in the Country is all about the little moments in life: the story is about a care-free and laid-back day and these moments in time are explored with a sensitivity that is impeccably realized. A fascinating glimpse into the lives of these characters, the film is a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us all. A must-see gem.

A Sunday in the Country Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A Sunday in the Country features a gorgeous 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original 1.66:1 widescreen theatrical aspect ratio. The film has such remarkable cinematography throughout and the scan used for this Kino Lorber presentation is a terrific one. The film looks radiant and serene from start to finish. The peaceful and idyllic visuals are a perfect match for the tone of the film.

The presentation is free from any distracting issues with dirt, debris, and scratches to the print. This is a high-quality scan of the film that makes the end results look altogether superb. Color reproduction is equally excellent and the fine detail on display brings forth the best of the filmmakers ambitions. This is a top-notch effort which shouldn't go overlooked.

A Sunday in the Country Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release has received a DTS-HD Master Audio mono audio soundtrack. This is a laidback, serene, and care-free mono audio track which is never flashy or over-the-top. For a period-drama with such serene landscapes, A Sunday in the Country has a soundstage which fits the production like a glove.

Throughout the serene sound-mix, the audio track capably handles dialogue and music reproduction while never drawing attention to itself. The audio track has excellent fidelity which helps to bring the film to even more majestic dramatic-depths. There are no egregious issues with hiss, static, pops, and other distractions on the track. A superb audio presentation. In French with optional English subtitles. The provided subtitles are superb and are free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

A Sunday in the Country Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary featuring director Bertrand Tavernier

A Sunday in the Country Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:47)

Trailers promoting other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber: Camille Claudel (SD, 2:07) and Buffet Froid (SD, 2:17).

A Sunday in the Country Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cinema is an art form that offers audiences an opportunity to reflect on themselves and the world that surrounds us all. It sometimes takes a quiet gem like A Sunday in the Country to remind us of the undeniable power that cinema has: film is a language all-its-own that bypasses real-world barriers. A quietly moving experience that shouldn't go missed, A Sunday in the Country is a worthwhile drama that fans of world-cinema should seek out. The Blu-ray release features an excellent presentation and is worth a pick-up for fans.