Claire's Camera Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Claire's Camera Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 30, 2018

Hong Sang-soo is a prolific director, and not one to spend too much time refining his cinematic poetry. In “Claire’s Camera,” there’s not much more than a central crisis between three people and a woman who studies the unrest with aid from her titular device, with the action basically regulated to conversations in cafes, apartments, and on French beaches, with the tale taking place around the time of the Cannes Film Festival. “Claire’s Camera” is simple work, offering those who typically enjoy these minor forays into ennui a chance to embrace the helmer’s special way with sparseness, humor, and repetitive anxiety.

Performances carry “Claire’s Camera” with ease, bringing life to an otherwise flat-looking picture, with cinematography uneventful to secure low- budget needs. The cast is tasked with managing scripted forays into psychological gamesmanship and passive deception, while Claire is the philosopher, using her camera as a way to explore the human experience, freezing lives with every click of her device. Potent questions about personal conduct and trust are raised, and there’s some travelogue aspects of the film to give it visual variation, with the director making use of Cannes to the best of his ability, seemingly creating the movie on the go.

Claire's Camera Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.89:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a sharp and defined viewing event for "Claire's Camera." The HD-shot feature handles distances superbly, offering a dimensional look at the French locations, while detail is great overall, securing a look at facial surfaces and textured clothing, while shops and apartments are open for study. Colors are excellent, with bright primaries adding to the European mood, and beach interactions deliver blue skies and water. Delineation isn't challenged, remaining communicative.

Claire's Camera Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix accurately captures the sound design of "Claire's Camera," but true dimension isn't inherent to the listening experience. The production doesn't pay the closest attention to the nuances of room audio, creating echoed interiors and busy exteriors, with buses and rushing waters often intruding on dialogue exchanges. All of this is intentional, with the track sustaining the helmer's vision, which is to shoot a movie as fast as possible. Surrounds aren't explored in full, but scoring efforts deliver a wider presence, and some beach atmospherics are circular. Low-end isn't utilized.

Claire's Camera Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Directors Dialogue" (48:27, HD) is an extended interview with director Hong Sang-soo.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:38, HD) is included.

Claire's Camera Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Claire's Camera" doesn't seep into the senses, trading emotional firepower for a more deadpan delivery, also engaging in maddening repetition, with questions posed from one character to another met with an echo response. This happens far more than it should, hinting that the picture was largely made up on the spot. "Claire's Camera" is specialized storytelling from a practiced filmmaker, and there are charms to be found and human evolution to follow, it's just not in any hurry to share its pleasures.