Love with the Proper Stranger Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Love with the Proper Stranger Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 3, 2017

The real question of 1963’s “Love with the Proper Stranger” isn’t a will they/won’t they situation concerning marriage, but are the filmmakers capable of making a feature that highlights extended conversations about abortion seem warm and cuddly by the end credits? The answer is no, but there’s plenty of charm to enjoy and two strong lead performances from Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood, who supply vivid takes on young opposites forced to make critical decisions about their lives when a one-night stand makes plans to bond them forever.

Directed by Richard Mulligan, “Love with the Proper Stranger” isn’t an issue movie, but it does take a hard look at abortion in the 1960s, finding temporary lovers Angie (Wood) and Rocky (McQueen) confronted with the reality of sex long after their coupling has been erased from memory. While the picture tries to soften some edges with get-to-know-you banter and distinctly ethnic family life in New York City, “Love with the Proper Stranger” does get fairly dark at times, certainly when Rocky and Angie believe they’ve found a viable abortionist to solve their troubles, only to encounter a chilling back alley-style arrangement inside an empty apartment. Most features would have difficulty recovering from such a subplot, and Mulligan doesn’t quite find his footing, but he never loses sight of the production’s primary resource: the actors. They are terrific here, turning broadness into subtlety, with the director wisely remaining on silent reactions to profound issues.

Love with the Proper Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation claims to be a recent HD remaster and largely looks it. The viewing experience is bright and clear, with strong facial particulars throughout, delivering textured close-ups to go with touchable fabrics. Distances are dimensional, and set decoration is open for study. Delineation is sharp and true, and whites are stable. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in decent shape, with some visible cigarette burns and speckling. Main titles show wear and tear, but it clears up quickly.

Love with the Proper Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles agreeably, putting emphasis on dialogue exchanges, which sound crisp and loud, managing various accents and dramatic displays. Scoring is appealing, with warm instrumentation, and jazzier soundtrack selections are comfortable. City and department store atmospherics are basic but agreeable, adding to the moment.

Love with the Proper Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Kat Elinger and Samm Deighan.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Love with the Proper Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Love with the Proper Stranger" is best with tentative interactions and realistic hesitations, studying two people who once chose to be together now forced to interact, learning to love from a different perspective. The picture strives to exit on a traditional romantic note to keep audiences from rioting, but the challenging material, the confusion of responsibility, is far more compelling and perhaps more universally appreciated than the fairy dust Mulligan is trying to spread around the climax.