Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Alps Blu-ray Movie Review

A bizarre mind-trip from the director of The Lobster and The Favourite

Sometimes one experiences a work of cinema which is so distinctive it stands out from the crowded sea of productions: Alps is a perfect example. While reflecting the stylistic flourishes which have become the staples of Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster), the storyline is still so uncommon that one becomes entirely absorbed by the world explored. There is almost nothing out there like it. The filmmaking defies easy categorization.

The central story is one of the most peculiar ones I have ever seen. The central character, a nurse (Angeliki Papoulia) is part of a cult-like group which take the place of deceased loved ones for experiences with family members during their moments of grief. Meanwhile, the story intersects between a emotionally abusive coach (Johnny Vekris), who becomes involved with the nurse, and a gymnast (Ariane Labed) who is determined to prove her worth at performing with “pop songs” while struggling to find the way to overcome the negativity of her coach.

This is a visually sumptuous production which features stunning cinematography by Christos Voudouris (Before Midnight, Complete Unknown). The startlingly crisp digital photography and its luminous shades of color make the experience feel more engaging and enriching. The film has a somewhat dark and subdued tone which is pitch-perfect in matching the story and it's unusual style. It's a hypnotic experience: one can't just shake it off.

Can you dance to pop music?

The film also has some fascinating costumes designed by Thanos Papastergioiu (The Morning After) and Vasileia Rozana (Attenberg). The fact that a filmmaker like Lanthimos could bring some great collaborators to the fold with the costume designs should come as no surprise to anyone who saw the high artistry on display with the costumes in The Favourite.

Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the most peculiar and eccentric filmmakers working today. Anyone who has seen his efforts (including his Academy Award winner, The Favourite) knows to expect both the unexpected and the surreal with one of his pictures. There should be little doubt that Lanthimos's eccentricities are unlike the work of any other filmmakers today.

There's something inherent in Lanthimos's approach which is one-hundred percent his own and which no one else can even remotely come close to duplicating. The screenplay by Efthymis Filippou and director Yorgos Lanthimos is both experimental and thematically complex. This is not the easiest of narratives and the journey it takes viewers on will leave viewers with more questions than answers. Yet the experience taken is both highly satisfying and philosophical. The film explores grief and loss in an unusual way but somehow these elements manage to make the film even more compelling, thought-provoking, and memorable. It will stay within viewers memories as if one is recalling a strange dream unlike any other. A must see.

Alps Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber for the first time worldwide, Alps features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation. The feature is presented in the original 2.35:1 widescreen theatrical aspect ratio. What a joy it is to see such a beautiful transfer preserving the film with a capable encode. The 23.98 mbps bit-rate encode works fine for the largely dramatic filmmaking on display. Though higher bitrate transfers are sometimes a necessity for big action features and films featuring a lot of fast motion, Alps is certainly capably preserved at this encode rate.

Alps was produced using the beloved Red One Camera (the same one championed by visionary Steven Soderbergh) which produces some of the most striking digital photography possible. The film manages to look startlingly crisp throughout while retaining a filmic appearance even with digital photography as the realm. The sheen of the digital photography gives the film a sophisticated appearance and the transfer capably presents Lanthimos's artistic vision.

The presentation looks radiant from beginning to end. From the location-specific sequences occurring in a gym to the outdoor moments (which have excellent brightness and detail), the film consistently looks splendid in high-definition. Kino has capably preserved the filmmaking. The cinematography by Christos Voudouris shines. Fans of the film and director Lanthimos will not be disappointed.

Alps Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Alps features a Greek language 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound presentation. Dialogue clarity is superb throughout the presentation. Naturalistic sound effects are preserved with stunning levels of detail (from the outdoor sounds of thunder during a storm to the environment surrounding these characters).

The music soundtrack accompanying the film is also capably rendered and has great bass reproduction and dynamic highs. Though there are many sequences in the film which are quiet, the track also impresses with a nice range for the surround sound speakers and the mix is creative and engaging. Optional English subtitles are provided. The quality of the subtitles are superb and they are free from any distracting spelling or grammatical errors.

Alps Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by film historian Amy Simmons

Yorgos Lanthimos Theatrical Trailers: Alps (HD, 1:01) & Dogtooth (HD, 1:36)

Alps Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A remarkably bizarre and unusual film which is exactly the type of work that audiences have now come to expect from the mind of director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite), there is nothing ordinary about this film. The experience is at once exhilarating, mystifying, and sometimes disturbing. The performances are uniformly superb. Audiences are in for a mind-trip that is full of surprises.

The Kino Blu-ray release features an exceptional quality transfer and first-rate audio presentation. Supplements are slim but fans of the film and its eccentric filmmaker should consider this to be a worthwhile release. Alps is an extraordinary work of art. Recommended.