Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Buffet Froid Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 17, 2020

Bertrand Blier's "Biffet Froid" a.k.a. "Cold Cuts" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival interview with the director; exclusive new audio commentary by critic Nick Pinkerton; and vintage trailer. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by Gavin Smith and technical credits. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The neighbors

At this point, it is probably impossible to see Bertrand Blier’s Buffet Froid completely unprepared, but if you can, do so. If you already know a few things about the film then at least avoid old reviews from popular critics that tried to explain how it brilliantly targets and satirizes the many faults of the contemporary Western society. This film isn’t a distant relative of The Rules of the Game, and Blier never conceived it as such. It is a wild trip that finds plenty of humor in the idiotic, so only an idiot would argue the opposite.

What happens once the opening credits disappear is difficult to accurately describe because it defies conventional logic. Gerard Depardieu steps before the camera and becomes Alphonse Tram, an unemployed loner with an attitude who seems stuck between two nightmarish worlds -- one in which he keeps bumping into odd characters that then 'unexpectedly' die of unnatural causes, and another in which goofy cops and other suspicious strangers frequently make circles around him. Alphonse does not like the uncertainty and from time to time looks determined to figure out the mystery of his existence, but there is always something that distracts him.

In the underpopulated high-rise that he calls home Alphonse attempts to report a crime to his neighbor, the alcoholic Inspector Morvandieu (the director's father, Bernard Blier), and when he refuses to hear his story they meet another loon (Jean Carmet) who apologizes for killing his wife. Despite their incompatible personalities the three then quickly warm up to each other and begin investigating a series of bizarre occurrences inside and around the high-rise.

The best way to enjoy this very, very strange film is to let it transport you to the Wonderland where its kooky characters reside, and then get comfortable in their company. If you question its intentions from the get-go or try to discover the logic that explains the madness that will unfold before your eyes, you will kill a lot of precious brain cells and grow incredibly frustrated.

Of course, you can ignore my suggestion and do some careful deconstructing of the madness to find out if Blier’s bizarre creation is in fact a brilliant contemporary Bunuel-esque satire, as some supposedly very intelligent critics have argued it is. I very much doubt you will spot the connection to Bunuel's masterpieces, but this is the kind of film that can make some people feel supersmart. Just keep in mind what the great Abraham Lincoln said a long, long time ago: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”

The performances are unique, to say the least. A fit Depardieu routinely looks as if he is communicating with a whole bunch of different voices in his head, so a lot that happens before him tends to genuinely surprise and confuse him at the same time. Blier’s behavior is equally peculiar, but the script insists that he is the sharpest tool in the shed. Carmet is simply superb as the classic introverted loon who ‘accidentally’ kills people and then feels miserable because he could not resist the urge to do so. Though his time before the camera is limited, Bernard Crombey also leaves a lasting impression as a horny doctor who has to fix a female patient with a serious condition.

Blier worked with cinematographer Jean Penzer, whose choices of colors and light give the film a very interesting sterile yet chic appearance.

The soundtrack was created by arguably the greatest living French film composer, Philippe Sarde, whose credits include such classics as Barocco, The Things of Life, and Tess.

Buffet Froid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Buffet Froid arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was provided by StudioCanal. I believe that it is the same master that Optimum Home Entertainment worked with in 2007 to produce this R2 DVD release. (I have it and up until now it offered the best English-language presentation of the film).

The master is pretty good. It does not have any traces of compromising digital work; it is healthy as well. Before testing the Blu-ray release I was a bit concerned that the darker footage -- which is a lot -- could look weak on a larger screen, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it holds really well. Yes, in some areas it is easy to tell that shadow definition isn't optimal, but even there plenty of healthy nuances are retained. So, for the most part depth is very pleasing, and in backgrounds clarity remains pretty good. During brighter footage some of the highlights can be better balanced, but there are no serious anomalies that will negatively affect your viewing experience. The color grading is very good. A brand new master will improve saturation and expand nuances, but if done right I don't believe that the difference will be substantial. The bigger and more meaningful improvements will be in the darker areas where some nuances will be better balanced and other better exposed, ensuring overall superior delineation and fluidity. Image stability is very good. (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).

Buffet Froid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

The lossless track is pitched correctly, so if up until now you have been using the old R2 DVD of the film you should notice quite a difference. (I am very sensitive and the elevated pitch on Gérard Depardieu's voice, for instance, used to bother me a lot). When the master was created the audio was transferred properly, so there are absolutely no traces of age-related anomalies. It is very solid.

Buffet Froid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage international trailer for Buffet Froid. In French, printed English subtitles. (3 min, 1080p).

• Interview with Bertrand Blier - in this vintage interview, Bertrand Blier explains how the idea for Buffet Froid materialized, how the different parts of the film grew, and how it was shot. Also, there are some good comments about the relationship between the main characters and the film's tone. In French, printed English subtitles. (25 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - critic Nick Pinkerton offers his thoughts on Buffet Froid, its reception and success, and the career of its creator. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Kino Lorber.

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring Gavin Smith's essay "The Decline of Western Civilization" and technical credits.

• Additional trailer - additional trailers for the following Kino Lorber releases:
  
  1. Going Places
  2. Intimacy

Buffet Froid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Beware of intelligent people that wish to explain Bertrand Blier's film Buffet Froid to you. They are neither smarter than you nor with a superior sense of humor. The opposite is true. This film actually very carefully baits these people to deconstruct its madness and then does a wide range of tricks that make them see things that don't exist. It is why the film is such a wild trip -- it's got a special sense of humor that pokes fun at the usual suspects while they connect with it for all the wrong reasons. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of Buffet Froid is sourced from an older but nice master that was provided by StudioCanal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.