6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A portrait of actress, singer, and model Jane Birkin.
Starring: Alain Souchon, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Laura Betti, Jane Birkin, Charlotte GainsbourgForeign | 100% |
Drama | 60% |
Documentary | 25% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Confirmed on disc
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Agnes Varda's "Jane B. for Agnes V." (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Cinelicious Pics. The supplemental features include an original trailer for the film and exclusive new video interview with director Agnes Varda. Also included in the two-disc set is the rarely seen film "Kung-Fu Master!" (1988). In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The other Jane
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Agnès Varda's Jane B. for Agnes V. arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinelicious Pics.
The release is sourced from a new 2K restoration which was undertaken by Cine Tamaris and completed at Eclair Laboratory. The color grading was supervised by Agnes Varda. The sound was restored by L.E. Diapason from the original 35mm sound negative.
The restoration is excellent. Typically, depth and clarity are very good. There are a few segments where the imaginary memories overlap and small fluctuations emerge, but they are intended (see screencapture #4). Close-ups look sharp and well balanced. I feel that there is a slight push towards a warmer range of color tonalities, but I have never before owned a copy of this film and have not seen it in a theater and therefore do not know how it may have originally looked. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is outstanding. Debris, damage marks, scratches, and all other age-related imperfections have been carefully eliminated. My one and only criticism here pertains to the presence of some light compression artifacts that occasionally sneak in. They do not become distracting, but there are two, possibly three sequences where a few are rather easy to spot (see screencapture #19). My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The film does not have an elaborate music score, but from time to time different music themes can be heard in the back (there are simple but effective piano and flute solos). Rather predictably, dynamic intensity remains quite modest. Random sounds and noises are easy to identify, but the separation is natural, not carefully managed and mixed. The dialog/narration is stable, clean, and always easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report in our review.
Jane B. for Agnes V. is a dreamy experimental project that sets out to deconstruct the life and legacy of iconic actress and singer Jane Birkin, but in the process also reveals a lot about the creative genius of its director, Agnes Varda. Never before distributed in the United States, the film has been recently restored in 2K and is now available on a two-disc set with the equally intriguing Kung-Fu Master!. Fans of Birkin, Varda, and auteur cinema should not miss it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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