Mon Roi Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mon Roi Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 22, 2017

Winner of Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Maïwenn's "Mon Roi" a.k.a. "My King" (2015) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include collections of deleted scenes and bloopers. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Alone

As I was watching Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot, A Tout de Suite) struggling to recover, I started wondering how much of what has been happening in my life I have been taking for granted. I used to think that there wasn’t much, or anything at all really, but now I am not so sure. I think that I might have been unintentionally ignoring a lot that has made my life what it is -- and believe me, there is plenty there that means the world to me.

In the film Tony begins to reevaluate her entire life after a horrific skiing accident. She seriously injures her leg and then spends long hours remembering the special moments she shared with Georgio (Vincent Cassel, Our Day Will Come). Various long flashbacks reveal how happy they were together and how everything in her life had a meaning. Some of the overlapping is very abrupt, but it makes the contrasts between the good and the bad that much more striking. It is a single moment really that destroys Tony’s happiness and quite possibly her entire life.

The most disturbing flashbacks are the ones where Tony is with Georgio and her friends. She appears relaxed and calm there, very much like someone that belongs where she is. But because the film shows early the drastic transformation after the accident, it is very difficult to watch. It is clear how much she has lost, how disastrous the sudden change in her life has been.

The film is firmly grounded in reality, but it is not one of those miserabilist European dramas that spend a great deal of time trying to convince you that you also have to suffer with its protagonist. It does precisely the opposite; it gives you plenty of time to be alone with your thoughts. There are plenty of these quiet moments where you can think about how you would have reacted if you were facing the same dilemmas Tony does.

There is something else that I really liked about this film. It shows how vulnerable people can be when they are given a chance to fall in love again in a very simple but very effective way. When Tony begins seeing Georgio she becomes like a girl who has been kissed for the first time but can’t quite believe what has just happened. It is so clear how overwhelmed she is and how the realization that she is falling in love with someone that truly wants to be with her is instantly having a profound impact on her life. It is beautiful to watch, and of course later on quite painful because all of this true magic is irreversibly lost.

Maïwenn has directed four films to date and it is clear now that authenticity is a key element of her chosen style. There is also sincerity and purity in her films that make it remarkably easy to connect with their characters. (Maiwenn’s excellent thriller Polisse is available on an English-friendly release in France via local distributors TF1 Video).

Mon Roi Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Maiwenn's My King arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The film was shot digitally and its transition to Blu-ray is practically flawless. Indeed, the visuals boast outstanding clarity and depth is as good as it can be. Colors are rich and wonderfully saturated, supporting a very good range of gentle nuances. Image stability is excellent. Even if you project on a large screen, you will be pleased to know that there are no digital anomalies that would affect your viewing experience. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Mon Roi Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film almost certainly has a fully digital soundtrack because the lossless track is phenomenal. For example, Stephen Warbeck's gentle motifs have quite a range for a contemporary drama without any big action material, and in the few segments where surround activity is present separation is outstanding. The dialog is very clean, stable, and always easy to follow.

Mon Roi Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes - a collection of deleted scenes. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (32 min).

• Bloopers - a collection of bloopers. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (15 min).

Mon Roi Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This film stayed with me for a number of days after I viewed it and much like its protagonist I actually spent some time reevaluating a few things in my life. There is an important reminder in it, which is that life is a rollercoaster and the ride isn't always as predictable and enjoyable as we expect it to be. StudioCanal's technical presentation of the film is excellent. RECOMMENDED.