Our Day Will Come Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Our Day Will Come Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 12, 2011

Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Romain Gavras' directorial debut "Notre jour viendra" a.k.a."Our Day Will Come" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; three music videos directed by Romain Gavras, including the highly controversial Born Free; and a standard making of featurette. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

A new man

Romain Gavras’ directorial debut Our Day Will Come is about two strangers fed up with the world they are living in. One is a young and unemployed man who has fallen in love with a girl he has met in an online chatroom. The other is a middle-aged psychiatrist who has been driven to the edge by his patients.

Patrick (Vincent Cassel, Mesrine Parts 1 & 2 - Killer Instinct / Public Enemy Number 1, Brotherhood of the Wolf) offers to give Remy (Olivier Barthelemy, Sheitan) a ride after he sees him running on a desolate country road in the middle of the night. He jumps in his car and shortly after the two end up at a small internet café where fans of gothic culture gather -- Remy’s girlfriend has texted him from the cafe to let him know that she is going to end her life and he is on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown. But when he finally meets her, it turns out that she is actually a he (Jérôme Mazure).

After the unfortunate encounter, the film becomes very dark. Patrick, who at some point in his life must have been hurt just as badly as Remy, quickly convinces his heartbroken and disillusioned friend that they live in a world where one must always strike first to avoid being hurt. Remy believes him and the two go on a therapeutic trip of sorts, humiliating and hurting strangers.

Our Day Will Come is a seriously disturbing but at the same time surprisingly beautiful anarchist film that is effectively divided into two parts. The first has a lot in common with the long prologue in Denis Villeneuve's Polytechnique. Before Patrick and Remy meet, the viewer is offered glimpses of a small and quiet French town where it seems like everyone lives in harmony.

After Patrick and Remy leave the internet café, however, the tone and pace of the film drastically change. The two friends begin manipulating each other and later on expose their weaknesses - it is a masochistic game that for a while both enjoy because it numbs their pain and partially restores their confidence and self-esteem. Then their hatred consumes them.

Both Patrick and Remy undergo interesting character transformations. When they first meet, Patrick is the more authoritative figure. Later on, however, Remy becomes the aggressor and takes control of their unusual relationship. His energy and enthusiasm also convince Patrick to follow him to Heaven a.k.a Ireland.

Gavras does not produce any serious observations about alienation and violence. He simply lets the viewer get into the heads of the main protagonists until the end of their journey. Naturally, what they say and do does not always make sense, or at least not immediately.

Cassel is on fire. His anger outbursts remind of the dangerous character he played in Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine. And when he goes berserk, he does look scary. (The threesome scene is completely out of control). The film, however, belongs to Barthelemy, who plays the schizophrenic Remy with incredible intensity.

Though not as refined, Andre Chemetoff’s (Dog Pound) unique framing often reminds about the work of acclaimed cinematographer Christian Berger, Michael Haneke’s eye. The finale, in particular, is beautifully lensed.

Note: In 2010, Our Day Will Come was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Earlier this year, the film was also screened at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

Our Day Will Come Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and grated a 1080/50i transfer, Romain Gavras' Our Day Will Come arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.

Don't be discouraged by the fact that the high-definition transfer is encoded in 1080/50i, the film looks very good. The outdoor scenes, in particular, are remarkably crisp and vibrant, often conveying lovely natural colors. The close-ups are also excellent, boasting sharp but not harsh details. There are no traces of excessive noise reduction. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern either. During playback, motion-judder is also practically impossible to spot. Lastly, there are no stability issues to report in this review. All in all, Our Day Will Come looks very good, if not excellent, on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Our Day Will Come Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track adds plenty of depth to the film, especially during the shootouts. However, do not expect the wide range of intense dynamics Hollywood made blockbusters typically have; rather a less refined, rawer and realistic sound. There are no balance issues with Sébastien Akchoté's soundtrack. There are no pops, cracks, or sudden audio dropouts either. The English translation is outstanding.

Our Day Will Come Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Our Day Will Come. In French, with optional English subtitles. (2 min, 1080/50i).

• Videos - three music videos directed by Romain Gavras, including the highly controversial Born Free:
  
  -- M.I.A. Born Free. (9 min, 1080/50i).
  -- Justice. Stress. (7 min, 1080/50i).
  -- DJ Mehdi. Signature. (5 min, 1080/50i).

• Making of - a standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of Our Day Will Come. In French, with optional English subtitles. (19 min, 1080/50i).

Our Day Will Come Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Romain Gavras' Our Day Will Come is a very dark and angry but beautiful anarchist film by an incredibly talented and bold new director (you have to see his Born Free music video). It is not for everyone, but if you are looking for a film that does not play by the rules, then you don't want to miss it. I liked it a lot. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Optimum Home Entertainment, looks and sounds very good. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.