Farewell Amor Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Farewell Amor Blu-ray Movie Review

Coming to America.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 6, 2023

Tanzanian filmmaker Ekwa Msangi makes her debut with Farewell Amor, which follows a newly reunited family adjusting to life in New York. We're told dad Walter (Ntare Mwine) has been there for 17 years, and he's finally secured enough money and squared away the paperwork to bring dutiful wife Esther (Zainab Jah) and teenager Sylvia (Jayme Lawson) to live in his one-bedroom apartment. But with the reunion comes a steep re-learning curve: absence hasn't made their hearts grow fonder, as each of the family members has changed greatly since their last time together in Tanzania and Angola. There are signs that Walter's had at least one affair and Esther is now a full-time zealous Christian, while little Sylvia has grown all the way up and enjoys dancing despite her mother's complete disapproval.

It's an effective story told with skill and passion and, taking the characters and their nationality into account, one would assume that the backbone of Farewell Amor is at least partially autobiographical. There's a strong sense of authenticity and naturalism here, from the acting to the cinematography, and these capably anchor the film as it bounces around (more on that later) on its way to a turbulent but ultimately hopeful resolution. Walter struggles with infidelity and the thought of reconciling with his "new" wife", Esther likewise makes attempts to re-light the fire while being strangled by faith (which includes sending money to her home church), while Sylvia has trouble adjusting to school while being stuck in the middle of her parents' rocky marriage. All three characters play well off one another, from one-on-one exchanges to group scenes and even their independent time apart in the big city, with each of them eliciting genuine sympathy from the viewer during this strange new chapter in their lives. In short, we want them to make it here.

Supporting characters are very limited -- this is, after all, an intimate examination of a three-person family -- and, appropriately enough, limited to one per main character. These include Linda (Nana Mensah), a nurse who lived with Walter before his family's return; neighbor Nzingha (Joie Lee, in fine form), who helps Esther get her groove back; and DJ (Marcus Scribner), a student who takes Sylvia under his wing before an upcoming dance contest.

Farewell Amor remains engaging during the bulk of its brisk running time, with only two small but nagging roadblocks along the way. The first is its reliance on a gimmicky chapter-based narrative sequence early on, where the opening days of this family reunion are repeated from each character's perspective. Although the formula reveals a few small and important details as this story unfolds, it's drawn out by padding and doesn't work any more effectively than a standard linear approach. The second roadblock is Sylvia's story -- which is unfortunate, since it's probably the most closely tied to the director's own life experiences -- as it soon falls into clichéd territory, culminating in a dance-off that should be cathartic but instead feels like a watered-down combination of Save the Last Dance and 8 Mile. Luckily, the primary focus of Farewell Amor -- Walter and Esther's past, present, and future relationship -- is handled extremely well, and the captivating performances of both lead actors greatly support its overall effectiveness.

Making its home video debut on Blu-ray from Criterion, Farewell Amor makes a good-sized splash with this well-rounded package. A/V merits are strong enough for this all-digital production, and the collection of director-focused bonus features -- which includes a full audio commentary -- help to push it into solid "blind buy" territory.

Farewell Amor Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's included booklet doesn't go into specifics, only explaining that Farewell Amor was "completed in a fully digital workflow" which also applies to the soundtrack. Even without delving into camera types and native resolutions, this is a solid-looking 1080p presentation with a moderate amount of fine detail, visible textures, and a nicely rendered color palette with many scenes filtered for dramatic effect. Yet Farewell Amor still retains a consistent appearance from start to finish, one with its own visual identity that's stylish but naturalistic at the same time, which thankfully doesn't distract from the visual storytelling. Trace amounts of macro blocking and crush could be spotted along the way, and black levels rarely dip into extremely deep territory, but within those boundaries it's a smooth but not processed effort that has a lot of character. All in all, great news indeed for a low-budget film's home video debut.

Farewell Amor Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Equally impressive if not more so Farewell Amor's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, which coveys a suitably organic and lived-in "you are here" atmosphere that's livened up with occasional crowded locations (a nightclub, a church service, school, a cozy restaurant, the dance contest, etc.), other sounds of the city, and more than a few stylish sonic touches which extend to the original score by Osei Essed as well as occasional diegetic music cues, including several percussive songs heard by Sylvia through her headphones. These varying textures add their own brand of character to the audio experience, complementing the visuals without overwhelming listeners or sounding overcooked. It's a perfectly natural effort overall that been cleanly preserved on this capable lossless surround track. Optional English subtitles are also offered during the main feature, as well as during select extras for translation purposes only.

Farewell Amor Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in Criterion's typical stocky keepcase with an interior print and a fold-out leaflet with technical specs, cast/crew credits, and the essay "Coming Over" by Tiana Reid. Roughly half of the bonus features concern director Ekwa Msangi's other work but several tie in nicely to the main feature.

• Audio Commentary - This full-length track pairs up director Ekwa Msangi and director of photography Bruce Francis Cole and was recorded by the Criterion Collection in 2022. It's a fairly subdued but enjoyable track that covers a lot of ground, from casting and shooting locations to the characters (including their "chapters"), actors' performances, themes, the original score, editing and post-production, visual motifs, and more.

• Farewell Meu Amor (10:06) - Essentially an immediate prequel to Farewell Amor (albeit starring a different leading man), this 2016 short film by Ekwa Msangi follows a middle-aged man on the morning of a long-awaited reunion with his exiled family, which includes the heartbreak of parting from his lover.

• The Market King (22:15) - Another short by Msangi, this more comedic piece concerns a well-intentioned dad who takes his daughter to the market for hair-braiding, a location usually reserved for women.

• Suspense (11:47) - The third and final short film by Msangi included here, Suspense tells the fictional story of a young man and woman working for an underground liberation movement. It's set amid the real post-election violence in Kenya only a few years before it was made. In Swahili with forced English subtitles.

• The Actors (24:00) - Newly created by the Criterion Collection in 2022, this featurette includes interview clips with key actors Ntare Mwine (Walter), Zainab Jah (Esther), and Jayme Lawson (Sylvia), all recorded separately, who reminisce about making the film and speak about how their own lives influenced the performances.

• Deleted Scenes (13:12 total) - Eight short deleted scenes, each one briefly described but with no bookends, including a subdued alternate ending which kinda-sorta changes the tone of the film completely.

• Trailer (1:54) - This promotional piece from IFC Films can also be seen here.

Farewell Amor Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ekwa Msangi's Farewell Amor is a confident debut from the Tanzanian filmmaker, one with a solid emotional story at its core that's slightly watered down by a structural gimmick and one of the three central characters. But this is a film well worth watching if only for its unique perspective, not to mention the lead performances and effective technical merits. Criterion's Blu-ray edition offers solid support for the latter, as well as a nice collection of bonus features that focus on both the film itself and some of the director's earlier work. Firmly Recommended to the right audience.