Hold Me Tight Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Hold Me Tight Blu-ray Movie Review

Hold Me Tight is a compelling character-study from actor-turned-filmmaker Mathieu Amalric. Though Amalric is better known stateside as an actor, Amalric has made a reputation in France for creating compelling dramatic narrative features. Hold Me Tight is the filmmaker’s sixth work as a director. Produced by Yaël Fogiel (Memoir of War, The Tree), Laetitia Gonzalez (School of Babel, Let It Be Morning), Olivier Père (High Life, Personal Shopper), and Felix von Boehm (Fabian: Going to the Dogs, The Audition), Hold Me Tight explores a unique tale of a woman going through a state of crisis – with a must-see performance by Vicky Krieps.

Clarisse (Vicky Krieps) packs up her bags and hits the road. A woman leaving her family behind, Clarisse is seemingly disappearing – and for reasons that aren’t quite clear. Yet as the film interweaves the tale with moments involving her husband Marc (Arieh Worthalter) and his attempt to look over their two kids. Exploring the boundaries of narrative with an interpretive tale that will leave viewers guessing to the ending, Hold Me Tight is a compelling character study of a woman in a state of crisis. A unique and haunting portrait.

Vicky Krieps delivers an incredible performance in Hold Me Tight. This is certainly the best element of the film and what helps it to stand out so much. Krieps certainly delivers a nuanced performance – a stunning and revelatory one that taps in to the character and her struggles. For an independent and introspective drama, Hold Me Tight relies heavily upon Krieps for the film to succeed. It is no wonder that the film works so well. Krieps is enormously devoted to the filmmaking and delivers a worthwhile performance that helps the entire effort to excel all the more.

The production elements are impressively realized, too. The production design by Laurent Baude (The Worst Ones, Burning Ghost) is one of the best elements of the film. The subtle and authentic style is something that gives a potency to the filmmaking and makes it more grounded in reality. This is an element that is certainly appreciable and it makes the storytelling even more compelling. Without introspective design elements like these, Hold Me Tight may not have worked so well.

The costumes by Caroline Spieth (The Night Eats the World, This Summer Feeling) are worthwhile and effective. The designs feel well thought-out for each of the central characters in the production. The designs aren’t the most glamorous compared to some productions – instead focused on realism in showcasing the type of day-to-day clothes that an ordinary family might wear and this is an excellent element of the film (as it helps ground it all the more).

The cinematography by Christophe Beaucarne (Coco Before Chanel, Mood Indigo) is perhaps my favorite aspect of the production. The cinematography is outstanding. Beaucarne may be one of the most gifted cinematographers in France. The effort displayed here is terrific and the cinematographer has a great assortment of credits to their name. Hold Me Tight looks breathtaking and the vivid cinematography certainly helps to make the viewing experience all the more rewarding.

Edited by François Gédigier (Dancer in the Dark, On the Road), Hold Me Tight is well paced. The film has a compelling sense of rhythm that is sometimes surprising given how sparse the filmmaking sometimes feels. Yet the editing is spot-on and there doesn’t seem to be a wasted frame. An excellent effort from Gédigier.

Written by Claudine Galea, from the scenario by Mathieu Amalric, Hold Me Tight is a compelling tale of human struggles. The script is well written and it does a good job of providing excellent dialogue and exchanges. Galea understands the importance of the narrative focusing on the characters – and the essential importance of showing the journey of Clarisse. These aspects help the script stand out.

Mathieu Amalric (The Blue Room, Barbara), does a great job in the director’s chair. Hold Me Tight is such a compelling showcase for the filmmaker that one can’t help but wonder why the director is not more well known in the United States. Amalric is a talented filmmaker with a keen visual sensibility. With a dramatic feature such as this one, I am reminded of why I sometimes feel like directors are not so far removed from screenwriters – filmmakers who write with the lens rather than a pen. Hold Me Tight has beautiful filmmaking.

Hold Me Tight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Hold Me Tight is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The presentation comes from a DCP. The high-definition visuals are outstanding on the release. This is a near-perfect transfer of the film.

The encoding looks absolutely lovely on the release and detail is exceptional throughout the video presentation. The digital photography is beautiful and organic looking (without having a too-artificial or digitally processed aesthetic during the presentation). The results are simply excellent on the release. A naturally sharp transfer and one that doesn’t suffer from compression issues (such as egregious banding and other anomalies). Kudos to Kino Lorber for providing an excellent presentation.

Hold Me Tight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The release includes English subtitles for either audio presentation. The English subtitles are excellent and are free from any glaring spelling or grammatical errors.

The lossless audio encoding is exceptional (and is especially noteworthy in surround sound). The 5.1 surround sound mix adds some extra ambiance and depth to the audio presentation. The surrounds are often sparse and minimalistic but when the surrounds are engaged the ambiance provided adds some extra immersion to the viewing experience and the clarity of the track is excellent on the release.

Hold Me Tight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary by director Mathieu Amalric (in French with English subtitles)

Interview with director Mathieu Amalric and star Vicky Krieps (HD, 28:59)

Photo Galleries:

Roger Arpajou (HD, 3:54)

Charles Paulicevich (HD, 10:06)

Christophe Offret (HD, 2:36)

Q&A with Mathieu Amalric and Vicky Krieps at the Angelika Film Center (HD, 18:24)

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:50)

Hold Me Tight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hold Me Tight is a compelling dramatic feature with an outstanding lead performance by Vicky Krieps. There are several excellent reasons to see this feature – including the breathtaking cinematography by the great Christophe Beaucarne (Mood Indigo, Coco Before Chanel) and the artistic direction of Mathieu Amalric (Barbara, The Blue Room). Cineastes who enjoy seeing independent and thought-provoking character studies told with a unique prism will enjoy Hold Me Tight.

The Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber includes an excellent video and audio presentation. The release also includes several compelling supplemental features – including feature-length audio commentary featuring director Mathieu Amalric (presented in French with English subtitles). The release also includes an interview with director Mathieu Amalric and leading actress Vicky Krieps. Fans of the film should consider the release well worth owning. Highly recommended.