6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A sudden loss disrupts Carol's orderly life, propelling her into the dating world for the first time in 20 years. Finally living in the present tense, she finds herself swept up in not one but two unexpected relationships that challenge her assumptions about what it means to grow old.
Starring: Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, Mary Kay PlaceDrama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The longer one lives, the more one learns about life. The greater the experiences one accumulates, the more one comes to realize that the naive notions of youth are but an illusion that cloud the path of life's true direction. Long gone in advanced age isn't just that youthful agility but, more important, that feeling of invulnerability. Time brings with it a true harbinger of life's unalterable end destination. One begins to realize that life isn't simply a series of steady events but rather a gradual downward turn that's best on its spikes and nearly impossible on its plummets, but no matter how high or how low, it's always, ultimately, trending downward. It's inescapable, unavoidable, the "death" in "death and taxes." But it's about the stride, how one takes the journey, how deeply one cherishes the highs and how quickly one recovers from the lows that counts the most in maneuvering through life. It's also about how well one comes to understand how it works that makes the journey a little more bearable, the highs more joyous, the lows a little less painful. I'll See You In My Dreams tells the story of an aging widow whose journey through life isn't all that uncommon, but it's in that microcosm of how it all works that the film finds its strength. A poignant film but also, in many ways, an uplifting film, it acknowledges life's trends but does so with an elegance and grace, a simplicity in delivery that makes it an approachable little glimpse into what awaits and the best ways to take it all in the right stride.
A rare moment of absolute, closed-off contentment.
I'll See You in My Dreams features an enticingly crisp, detailed, and colorful 1080p transfer. It's effortlessly sharp and attractive, a touch pasty at times but revealing of intricately defined skin and clothes with pinpoint details evident on all variety of backgrounds. Facial features are effortlessly complex, whether wrinkles, thick makeup, pores, or facial hair. Clothes are marvelously sharp and detailed down to the finest fabric nuances, particularly evident on denim jackets. Colors are bold and attractive. There's an evident emphasis on blues and grays. Clothes, furnishings, and even bright blue water look terrific, popping with vibrant authority throughout. Other shades, such as a red seen on a jacket, also stand out nicely and evenly. Black levels are crisp and detailed while flesh tones are fine, if not ever so slightly pale. The transfer suffers from no discernible bouts of banding, noise, macroblocking, aliasing, or other maladies. Overall, this is a very strong presentation from Universal.
I'll See You in My Dreams arrives on Blu-ray with a naturally simplistic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is primarily dialogue intensive, with the spoken word presenting evenly and accurately with natural center placement. Mild background ambience is commendably satisfying, whether light waves splashing against a ship's hull, chirping birds, or a light breeze. Music is nicely crisp and accurate, with well defined notes apparent both in score and music heard at a karaoke bar.
I'll See You in My Dreams includes only one extra. A Look Inside 'I'll See You in My Dreams' (1080p, 3:28) examines the core story details, character basics, casting, and the importance of portraying the elderly in an honest light. Inside the Blu-ray case, buyers will find a DVD copy of the film in addition to a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.
I'll See You in My Dreams is a beautiful film, a rich film, a film with a purpose, a heart, and a confident know-how in its approach to complicated and emotional material. The movie is absolutely made by Blythe Danner's remarkable performance and a director who understands both the script's strength and his actor's ability to convey its deepest themes better than any technical tricks of the trade. This is cinema approaching its most beautifully simple and elegant and a movie that hits home with a core idea on what it means to live, even when life doesn't give many reasons to move on. Universal's Blu-ray release of I'll See You in My Dreams disappointingly lacks meaningful extras, but video and audio qualities satisfy. Highly recommended.
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