Cosmos Blu-ray Movie 
Kino Lorber | 2015 | 102 min | Not rated | Nov 15, 2016
Movie rating
| 6.1 | / 10 |
Blu-ray rating
Users | ![]() | 0.0 |
Reviewer | ![]() | 4.0 |
Overall | ![]() | 4.0 |
Overview click to collapse contents
Cosmos (2015)
Two friends discover mysterious items in a countryside guesthouse, including a hanging cat.
Starring: Sabine Azéma, Jean-François Balmer, Johan Libereau, Ricardo PereiraDirector: Andrzej Zulawski
Foreign | Uncertain |
Drama | Uncertain |
Surreal | Uncertain |
Mystery | Uncertain |
Dark humor | Uncertain |
Comedy | Uncertain |
Specifications click to expand contents
Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Subtitles
English
Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Playback
Region A (B, C untested)
Review click to expand contents
Rating summary
Movie | ![]() | 4.0 |
Video | ![]() | 4.5 |
Audio | ![]() | 4.5 |
Extras | ![]() | 3.0 |
Overall | ![]() | 4.0 |
Cosmos Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 4, 2016Writer/director Andrzej Zulawski is perhaps best known for his 1981 endeavor, “Possession,” an authentically bonkers feature that’s breathtakingly nightmarish and unhinged. “Cosmos” welcomes the helmer back to a similar playground of madness, making a return to filmmaking after a 15 year absence. “Cosmos” is also Zulawski’s final movie (he passed away earlier this year), but it’s another doozy. Replacing horror with a macabre mystery, the effort successfully braids the unexplainable with the unknowable, transforming a simple visit to a country house into a carnival of warped behavior.
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Zulawski makes specific films, and “Cosmos” is no different. An adaptation of the famous 1965 novel by Witold Gombrowicz, the picture aims to capture literary liberation, laboring to find a balance between demands of the story and the whimsy of the director. There’s a plot to act as a lighthouse in the dark, concerning a hanged bird, but narrative momentum isn’t the goal here. Zulawksi wants a full immersion into fried minds and combative behavior, lovingly detailing the erosion of sanity. Sometimes it’s subtle work, most times “Cosmos” fires up a Bat Signal of despair, but it does so with a wily sense of humor and occasional shock value, superbly orchestrated by the helmer.
Cosmos Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 
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The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides a bright, dimensional viewing experience for "Cosmos." Detail is sharp and inviting, handling the strange textures of the cinematography with ideal clarity. Make-up work is especially appealing, while interiors also remain crisp. Colors are distinct, with powerful primaries, and skintones are natural. Delineation remains communicative despite some intense evening sequences.
Cosmos Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 
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The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't excitedly immersive, but surround activity is present for musical moments and atmospherics, handling outdoor adventures with distances. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, with a full sense of drama and hysteria without distortive extremes. Soundtrack selections and scoring are compelling, with clean instrumentation.
Cosmos Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 
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- Booklet (10 pages) features an essay by film critic Glenn Kenny.
- Commentary features film historian Daniel Bird.
- Introduction (7:32, HD) offers a pre-screening appearance from producer Paulo Branco, director Andrzej Zulawski, and various cast and crew.
- Making-Of (7:43, HD) is a brief overview of the production's daily life and artistic challenges, including the preparation of dead animal props, make-up application, and the fine-tuning of performances.
- Video Essay (12:18, HD) is an intricate overview of "Cosmos" by filmmaker David Cairns.
- An International Trailer (1:40, HD) and Theatrical Trailer (1:42, HD) are included.
Cosmos Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 
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To embrace "Cosmos" takes a special type of concentration and patience with the concept of cinematic aimlessness and all the virtues of abstraction. Amazingly, the feature is seldom dull, always maintaining nervous energy, even with a few missteps with overbearing actors and overlength issues. "Cosmos" isn't for everyone, and I'm not entirely convinced Zulawski was actually making this picture with an audience in mind. It's a distinct mission of delirium that's always eager to cross cinematic boundaries and challenge perception, capping the director's career with a film that poetically sums up his moviemaking interests.