7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A detective investigating a man's death in the mountains meets the dead man's mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing.
Starring: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Jung-hyun, Go Kyung-Pyo, Kim Shin-youngForeign | 100% |
Drama | 93% |
Mystery | 16% |
Crime | 6% |
Romance | 6% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Korean: Dolby Atmos
Korean: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Filmmaker Park Chan-wook is perhaps best known in the U.S. for Oldboy, a tense, bizarre, jaw-drop revenge thriller that might just be one of the finest of its kind the world over. Decision to Leave, though, is Oldboy's polar opposite: a slow-boil game of cat and mouse that twists as often as it turns but does so with almost serpentine shrewdness and disarming guile. The fundamentals are exceptional -- cinematography, music, performances and the like -- but it's the calculated nature of its narrative, deceptive as it is unnerving, that gets under your skin, tickles the back of your neck, and leaves you breathless by the film's heart wrenching end. There's no hammer-swinging hallway violence, no gore or stomach-turning beats to speak of, nor much more than a murder mystery whose solution is addressed so early you may be left wondering what's left to do. But that's where Park Chan-wook finds his footing, transforming a whodunit or a howdtheydoit into a dark dual-character study as much about love and loneliness as it is about murder and betrayal.
Decision to Leave's 2160p 4K UltraHD Blu-ray video presentation is, in a word, stunning. Colors are exceptionally convincing, with bright, vivid punctuations of primary power; lovely, lifelike skin tones; rich, inky blacks and vibrant, consistent contrast leveling. Even the coldest paletted scenes have piercing hues, particularly reds, oranges and yellows, which jab at the viewer via crime photos in the background, luscious apples in an otherwise monotone living room, an autumn coat or a pair of crime scene gloves. Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong doesn't shy away from color but embraces it, lending the image a beauty that simultaneously suggests the presence of danger at all times. The presentation's detail is remarkable too, with the crispest of filmic edge definition, perfectly resolved fine textures (that never appear artificially sharpened, despite their striking clarity), and flawless shadow delineation. If Park Chan-wook or Kim Ji-yong want a detail revealed in the darkness, it is. Concealed? It is. Vague? The same. In fact, the merging of artistic intent and encoding prowess is evident from the get-go, with nothing in the way of artifacts, banding or errant noise creeping in to spoil the picture. Decision to Leave's transfer is quite simply a gorgeous offering from MUBI.
It would be easy to pass over MUBI's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track with lesser praise, but that wouldn't convey just how effective Decision to Leave's lossless experience is. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible at all times, even when hushed or whispered. Likewise, ambient effects, however subtle they sometimes may be, create a convincing sense of place and space, whether it be in an apartment, a larger home, a windy clifftop, a bustling marketplace or a beach complete with crashing waves. The rear speakers are active and engaging at all times, even if only to add a small buzz or florescent light hum into an interrogation scene. On other occasions they spring to more obvious life, allowing tense scenes to accentuate the suspense or desperation of its characters. LFE output is subdued, yes, but also exactly whatever it's called upon to be. There are moments of aggression and the low-end channel handles each superbly. Dynamics are terrific and both the quietest and loudest sequences in the film are handled with the utmost respect for the filmmakers' intentions.
Decision to Leave is an incredibly subdued film, yet somehow just as powerful as Park Chan-wook's splashier thrillers, a la Oldboy. Confident, deliberate and tense, it's a romance wrapped in moral quandary and murder, asking questions it's poor protagonist struggles to answer. MUBI's 4K Blu-ray release is just as easy to recommend too, thanks to a stunning 4K video transfer, an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a solid selection of bonus content. A commentary or two would have gone the extra mile but there's plenty here to make this a must own for fans of Park Chan-wook and South Korean cinema... or really anyone who enjoys a good flick.
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