Cosmos Blu-ray Movie

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, 2016

Writer/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.

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 

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 

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 

• 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 

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.