6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
A young businesswoman plots a murderous revenge after her boss and mentor steals her idea.
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Paul Anderson (XVIII), Karoline Herfurth, Dominic RaackeErotic | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 84% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Noomi Rapace doesn’t just have one of the most distinctive names in contemporary film, she has one of the most unusual looks as well. Not traditionally beautiful—at least in the “normal” Hollywood glamour-puss way—Rapace nonetheless has one of those faces it’s hard to take your eyes off of. Her strangely flat features, with a nose that barely erupts from the plane of her elegant cheeks, and her wide spaced, almond shaped eyes, give her an almost alien aspect at times, something that suited her breakthrough role as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo perfectly well. Brian De Palma’s 2012 thriller Passion perhaps more fancifully casts Rapace as a seeming wallflower who nonetheless becomes virtual catnip to not one, but two, traditionally gorgeous women, including Rachel McAdams, who is about as close to Golden Era Hollywood ideas of star beauty as anyone in the film business today. De Palma has often been accused of being a second rate hack whose best material actually belongs to others—usually attributed to Hitchcock. That assessment may not be entirely fair, but even champions of De Palma’s work may find parts of Passion derivative, though in this case De Palma seems to be cribbing from himself. That’s not an entirely bad thing, however, for the director invests this film with some of the stylistic flair that energized some of his best early work. Passion is a problematic film on several levels, but as with Rapace’s unusual appearance, it’s hard to look away from it.
Passion is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Entertainment One with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is a fantastically sharp and well detailed looking high definition presentation the benefits from some really vividly saturated colors (despite the alabaster skin of the two leading female performers). Reds especially pop dramatically throughout this film, whether it be the slash of lipstick Christine paints on Isabelle's lips, the insane platform heels Isabelle dons at one point, or the bright sweater Christine wears in one board room scene. Fine detail is also exceptional, revealing seemingly every thread of the often luxe outfits Christine wears (or, for a non-costume example, take a look at Rapace's face in the second screenshot accompanying this review). Fine detail and shadow detail are very minimally compromised by De Palma's use of heavy blue color grading once the drug issue becomes a plot point. Many scenes feature cigarette smoke snaking seductively through the sides of the frame, and those elements resolve without any issues whatsoever.
Passion's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is rather low key at times, but Pino Donaggio's score wafts through the surround channels magnificently, and a couple of fantastic set pieces, including a large party scene, and an ostensibly "quieter" scene featuring the nonstop ringing of an important (but hidden) phone feature superb spatial placement and immersion. Dialogue is very cleanly presented and there is no damage or any other problems to report on this well modulated track.
There seems to be a newfound interest in De Palma (yet again), due perhaps in part to the remake of his legendary Carrie. The director's fortunes have waxed and waned through the years, and Passion was met with at best mixed reviews when it played theatrically. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this film to longtime De Palma aficionados, for it revisits some of his favorite themes in an often excitingly visceral ways. Those who aren't quite so well acquainted with some of De Palma's eccentricities may find the film occasionally laughable, though even those folks will more than likely be transfixed by the performances of McAdams and (especially) Rapace. This Blu-ray offers great video and audio, and even without much in the supplements department, comes Recommended.
2009
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1993
1992
35th Anniversary
1987
40th Anniversary
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2013
1972
20th Anniversary Uncut Director's Edition
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2013
2016
1992
2006
Limited Edition to 3000
1977
Unrated Director’s Cut
2013
Dangerous Obsession / Il miele del diavolo
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1975
2016
Slipcover in Original Pressing
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2016