Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Full Body Massage Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 19, 2023

Nic Roeg's "Full Body Massage" (1995) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Unearthed Films. The supplemental features on the release include TV version of the film; original trailer; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

You must be in your late forties or fifties and had your heart broken multiple times to understand exactly what Nic Roeg’s Full Body Massage attempts to reveal. If you do not meet these requirements, you are almost certainly going to be underwhelmed by it because it is not the intense erotic film that old and new promotional materials describe.

Mimi Rogers plays Nina, a very successful art dealer who lives in Southern California but owns and manages galleries across the country. She loves what she does but has evolved into a classic workaholic, which is why she regularly sees a young massage therapist (Christopher Burgard) at her posh home. Even an hour on his retractable table allows her forty-something body to continue performing as if it is twenty years younger. Sometimes it is the gentle rubbing that does the trick, sometimes it is entirely Nina’s mind because it temporarily activates the pleasure points of her body and then recharges its batteries. Despite all the gentle rubbing and sensual touching, however, the massage sessions never become unbridled sexual encounters.

But on a bright and sunny day, Nina’s favorite massage therapist surprises her by sending a replacement that looks nothing like him. Fitch (Bryan Brown) is an Australian in his fifties, fit but not athletic, polite but hardly attractive. Initially confused by the switch but then intrigued by Fitch’s directness and pragmatism, Nina decides to keep the appointment, and after a retractable massage table is placed in the middle of her house, takes off her clothes. Soon after, while Fitch expertly rubs her body, Nina makes several discoveries that force her to reconsider the rejuvenating effects of the massage treatments she has been enjoying as well as the life she has become used to living.

It is easy to understand why Full Body Massage has been promoted as an erotic film. Roeg’s camera does spend plenty of time observing several very beautiful naked bodies, one of which belongs to Rogers, and in a few sequences, the bodies engage in steamy sexual acts. However, using all of this material to conclude that Full Body Massage is a straightforward erotic film is like focusing on the culinary masterpieces in La Grande Bouffe and declaring that it is a food documentary.

The truth about Full Body Massage is that it is a very interesting character study of a heartbroken woman and a heartbroken man who have more time behind them than in front of them. The woman is very successful and is supposed to be happy but is not. The man is not as successful and has accepted that he can no longer find happiness. Despite her age, the woman is very attractive and desired by men. Perhaps because of his age, the man is not very attractive and is not desired by women. So, at least initially, it seems like they could not be any more different, heading in opposite directions as fast as their reality allows them. But once the massage session begins and in a seemingly casual conversation the two reveal bits about their previous relationships, something most interesting happens -- the two gradually realize that after sampling true happiness both have failed to retain it in their lives for the exact same reasons.

How is this possible? A woman and a man from different echelons of society, with different ambitions and goals, and with experiences from different relationships have failed in the game of life for the same reasons. Why exactly?

Full Body Massage produces multiple answers, and they are very, very interesting. Here’s a sample of how deep the film goes with them: There comes a point in it where Fitch conveys to Nina that her unhappiness is a byproduct of her unrealistic desire to have the people around her see and appreciate her as she expects, not as the person she is. Think about this, and how it may relate to you. What happens if your entire perception of happiness is defined by your inability to force everyone to see a version of you that only you approve of? It is a perfect recipe for disaster, and after the inevitable colossal disappointment, all you can do is manage the wounds produced by your self-inflicted misery.

Full Body Massage Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Full Body Massage arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Unearthed Films.

The release is sourced from a new 2K master, which I like quite a lot. It provides the film with a very healthy new appearance that produces consistently pleasing visuals. Delineation, clarity, and depth are almost always very good, while image stability is excellent. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Color balance is good. I think that the overall temperature of visuals should be slightly warmer, adding a bit more blue and warmer brown. (However, not to the extent that the brown appears on the upscaled TV version of the film that is included as a bonus feature). The current color grade occasionally welcomes more neutral primaries, which is why the outdoor footage can appear slightly undersaturated and cool, and some facial shots emphasize pink a bit more. (The sequences with Mimi Rogers in the jacuzzi and her conversation with the painter are supposed to be taking place during a hot summer weather). But there are no troubling anomalies. The entire film looks very healthy. All in all, this is the very best presentation of Full Body Massage that I have seen on a home video release to date. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Full Body Massage Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Full Body Massage has a very rich soundtrack that does very important work to created and sustain a desired atmosphere. Thankfully, the LPCM 2.0. track reproduces its native qualities very well. The dialog is always clear, sharp, and easy to follow. It is great that optional English SDH subtitles are included, but they are so small, I have to speculate that some viewers will find them extremely frustrating. I do not need subtitles, but when I tested them, I was quite surprised by their size. They reminded me of PC-generated subtitles.

Full Body Massage Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• TV Version - presented here is an upscaled TV version of Full Body Massage in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. With optional English and English SDH subtitles.

• Image Gallery - a small collection of original promotional materials for the film.

• Trailer - an original trailer for Full Body Massage. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Full Body Massage Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

They say that happiness is a state of mind, which is almost true. It is almost true because you cannot be genuinely happy if you do not have your health. But if you do, you are fully in control of everything that you need to discover happiness and retain it in your life. You just have to have realistic goals as you move forward, and make rational choices and decisions that will help you accomplish them. This is one of several truths that emerges in a fascinating discussion between a successful art dealer and a freelancing massage therapist in Nic Roeg's Full Body Massage, a refreshingly thought-provoking, wildly misunderstood film from the 1990s. This Blu-ray release from Unearthed Films introduces a lovely new 2K makeover of Full Body Massage, which is the best presentation of it that I have seen to date. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.