Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Détective Blu-ray Movie Review

A creative film which succeeds on its breathtaking visuals

A unsolved murder mystery lingers on the mind of Detective William Prospero (Laurent Terzieff) as he shuffles about the halls of the magnificent hotel: the beautiful, luxurious, and grand hotel which carries an aura of mystery and occupies his every breathing moment. Produced by Christine Gozlan (The Piano Teacher) and Alain Sarde (Mulholland Drive), Jean-Luc Godard's Detective is a noir-infused throwback to an earlier era of cinema and it plays with filmmaking techniques every bit as much as an early Godard.

The hotel is a prime destination spot for residents and tourists alike and brings together an eclectic mix of occupants which range from the newly involved Inspector Neveu (Jean-Pierre Leaud), a intelligent professional brought in as a specialist to try and solve a still-unsolved murder mystery to Neveu's beautiful romantic partner, Arielle (Aurelle Doazan). Each of the hotel's many distinctive characters comes to this hotel for their own distinctly unique reasons: a manager deals with some work-related chaos, a boxer struggles with his job's uncommon rhythms, and a young musician practices with her flute.

Detective is armed with an all-star cast which includes the likes of Nathalie Baye, Emmanuelle Seigner, and a young Julie Delpy. In many regards, Detective is a smorgasbord of stories and events which lead to a unexpected conclusion. Though the film is largely plotless and is mostly driven by the characters and their interactions with one another the film has a intelligent aura which radiates throughout the work. Throughout the filmmaking one can't help but appreciate the subtle nods to classic cinema's world of film noir.

Art is Cinema. Cinema is Art. Magic is in the cinema.

The film finds little moments throughout which give characters interesting monologues and exchanges. It's always set against a dream cinematographic backdrop by Louis Bihi, Pierre Novion, and Bruno Nuytten. One can't help but become transported by the wonderful vistas in the film: the neon signs from outside of the hotel and the beautiful interior views from within the grand hotel. Detective is a beautiful film which is unmistakably crafted with the kind of vision only an auteur like Godard could bring to the table.

Adaptated by Jean-Luc Godard, Alain Sarde, Anne-Marie Mieville, and Philippe Setbon, Detective has a screenplay written by Alain Sarde and Philippe Setbon. The script has great character moments and lively dialogue but from a storytelling perspective the film feels somewhat in shambles and finds its weakness. It's a messy story-line broken into disconnected sequences strung together by the hotel location. If viewers approach the film purely for a narrative that's compelling, audiences will walk away disappointed.

Instead, Detective is best approached by viewers as an experience designed to mystify and intrigue with the unique charms of Jean-Luc Godard's directorial style. There is nary a moment in this film that feels as if it is fleeting or without thought. Godard and his cinematographers find a way to frame each moment with the upmost level of care and the end result is a cinematic painting which viewers can appreciate for its finer artistic qualities while pondering what exactly it's trying to say. It certainly is a film which feels open to interpretation. While neither a gem nor a disaster in Godard's filmography, Detective is nonetheless an interesting experience which fans of the filmmaker should consider exploring for themselves. Even when the film is sometimes mystifying it still finds ways to pull one back in.

Détective Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray for the first time from distributor Kino Lorber, Detective features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation. The feature is presented in the original full frame image and has received a superb transfer of the film which has excellent clarity and fine film grain. Color reproduction is excellent and the transfer does a superb job of reproducing naturally filmic 35 mm cinematography. In looking further at the image quality, the radiant colors of the hotel and the outdoor vistas stand out as particularly impressive visuals. The viewing experience is greatly enhanced by the high quality of the transfer.

Détective Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Presented with a lossless high resolution DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track, Detective has an engaging and creative stereo track which capably reproduces the dialogue and the many selections of classical music which accompany the film. As is the norm with a Godard production, the audio actually has a rather creative style which is not as typical as your standard production. The track has exceptional clarity and reproduces the sound beautifully. This was a highly satisfactory audio presentation which is not going to disappoint fans of the film. English subtitles are provided and are free from any distracting grammar or spelling errors.

Détective Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Inside of the packaging is a booklet featuring an essay written by Film Comment editor Nicholas Rapold about the film production as well as the original reactions from critics and audiences.

Audio Commentary on select scenes with James Quandt, the film programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF Cinematheque).

These select audio commentary sequences focus on the following scenes:

Scene 1: The Beginning (16 min. 50 sec.)

Scene 2: Mafia Don (2 min. 54 sec.)

Scene 3: The Tempest (6 min. 54 sec.)

Scene 4: Finale (12 min. 28 sec.)

Theatrical Trailer (SD,1 min. 9 sec.) presents an interesting preview for Detective which is an original promotional video without any scenes from the actual finished film. The trailer included on this release is definitely worth a look for its unique approach to film marketing.

Trailers are also provided for other Jean-Luc Godard films available from Kino Lorber: Film Socialisme (HD, 1 min. 17 sec.), Goodbye the Language (SD, 1 min. 27 sec.) , Helas pour moi (SD, 33 sec.), and The Image Book (SD, 1 min. 38 sec.)

Détective Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Without any doubt in my mind, Detective is an interesting detour in Godard's cinema. Flashy, creative, and experimental, the film has enough style and quiet charm to remind audiences why the filmmaker became world-renowned in the first place. Though the storytelling may leave something to be desired, the filmmaking on display feels first-rate and its gorgeous cinematography enthralls. The Blu-ray release has a superb transfer and a high-quality audio track that capably presents the film with a worthwhile release. This film absolutely deserves to be experienced and explored. Godard enthusiasts should take note.