My Best Part Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

My Best Part Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 13, 2022

Nicolas Maury has been acting for a few decades now, perhaps best known to international audiences from his turn in 2018’s “Knife + Heart.” Creating an acting opportunity for himself, Maury co-writes and directs 2020’s “My Best Part,” which puts him front and center in a drama about a long- suffering actor trying to take some type of control of his seemingly spiraling life. A thespian showcase is exactly what “My Best Part” is, allowing Maury to stretch as a screen presence, bringing in French film industry legend Nathalie Baye for support as he undertakes a character study with elements of dark humor and drama, questing to generate an appreciation for an emotionally wounded man and his many experiences with rejection and depression.

“My Best Part” stars Maury as Jeremie, a man who struggles with often overwhelming feelings of jealousy and paranoia, which has poisoned his relationship with Albert (Arnaud Valois), his longtime lover and a man fed-up with such destructive behavior. Jeremie also has a rough time with his acting career, trying to land parts with his special gifts, only to come up short. Forced to deal with the suicide of his father, Jeremie returns to the company of his mother, Bernadette (Nathalie Baye), who watches as her son manages difficulties both real and self-created, with the pair rekindling their relationship as they deal with challenges to their happiness.

Jealousy is a major issue for Jeremie, who attends a support group to help manage his intensity, but life as he currently knows it just doesn’t offer the comfort he desires. He’s dealing with Albert, sensing his boyfriend has moved on to another man in secret, and there’s a general lack of employment, finding his career going nowhere despite his desire to perform in any way imaginable. This commitment to drama seeps into his everyday life, and “My Best Part” gifts Maury many opportunities to showcase his range, portraying a concerned man who can’t conquer his fears, with the writing presenting many challenges to Jeremie’s stability. While there’s a fine layer of humor here, “My Best Part” is mostly dramatic, staying with the main character as he comes into contact with memories, feelings, and awareness while reuniting with his mother, who’s also wrestling with complicated emotions.

My Best Part Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.38:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a clear understanding of frame particulars. Detail is strong throughout the viewing experience, exploring skin surfaces and fibrous costuming. Textures are also found with interiors, surveying decoration. Exteriors retain ideal depth. Primaries are crisp, with clothing choices and greenery compelling, and skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Some banding is detected.

My Best Part Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix remains a largely frontal affair, securing sharp dialogue exchanges with distinct emotionality. Scoring cues are fresh, with clear instrumentation, and soundtrack selections are equally crisp. Atmospherics are present but not urgent, and low-end isn't challenged for this sensitive drama.

My Best Part Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A U.S. Trailer (1:43, HD) is included.

My Best Part Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"My Best Part" offers a compelling psychological study, with Jeremie's experiences detailing universal feelings of inadequacy, and family time also brings something to the story, capturing the confusion of loss and the peculiarities of long-term relationships. Maury keeps himself front and center, and it quickly becomes clear that the picture could use more judicious editing, finding the director all too happy to give the actor time to shine, which doesn't help the movie's pacing. It's not a bad performance, but Maury is too showy at times, and he indulges other cast members, including Laure Calamy, who portrays a fellow actor going through rough times, sharing her breakdown for minutes of screen time. It's a terrible scene but, mercifully, the only real low point of the effort, which is boosted by Baye's innate grace and a sense of exploration from Maury, who's interested in Jeremie's journey as a man working to better his personal life while endeavoring to decode it, clearing through years of mental health neglect to find himself again. The feature isn't a sharp as it could be, but it offers interesting sensitivity when it comes to a delicate nature of life's challenges.