Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Perfect Mothers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 18, 2013

Screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Anne Fontaine's "Perfect Mothers" a.k.a "Adore" (2013) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont. The only supplemental feature on the disc is a gallery of stills from the film. In English, with optional French and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"They are like young Gods..."

French director Anne Fontaine’s first English-language film Perfect Mothers follows closely two very good friends who live quiet lives in a stunningly beautiful small town somewhere on the Australian coast. Roz (Robin Wright, State of Grace, The Crossing Guard) is married to Harold (Ben Mendelsohn, Killing Them Softly), a drama teacher, who always seems to be working on an important project that takes all of his time. Lil (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive, The Impossible) is a widow who has not been in a serious relationship with another man since the tragic death of her husband. She often feels lonely, but isn’t interested in changing her life.

Roz and Lil’s grown-up sons, Tom (James Frecheville, The First Time) and Ian (Xavier Samuel, The Loved Ones), are also best friends. They love to surf together and occasionally also like to swim with their mothers.

After a friendly dinner Roz has a one-night stand with Ian. Tom sees his mother leaving Ian’s room and on the next day seduces Lil – it is the only revenge he can think of to even things with Ian. Later on, when Roz learns what Tom has done she confronts Lil at work, but instead of immediately ending what they have started with the boys the two women decide to keep them as secret lovers.

The casual affairs soon evolve into serious relationships. Ian falls madly in love with Roz and she seems perfectly happy keeping Harold in the dark. Lil also falls madly in love with Ian. The couples understand perfectly that their relationships are unusual but no one questions them. However, both Roz and Lil are well aware that one day their lovers will meet younger women and they will lose them.

Adapted from Doris Lessing’s novel The Grandmothers, which was apparently inspired by true events, Perfect Mothers is guaranteed to turn off just as many viewers as it is likely to impress. Why? Because it is so straightforward and so non-judgmental that it almost looks naïve.

But it isn’t. Instead of examining the morality of the relationships, Fontaine focuses strictly on the power of human desire and the dramatic character transformations it can inspire. This makes all the difference here as the temptation to point a finger at everything that is supposedly wrong is completely eliminated.

The cast is simply terrific. There are a lot of risky sequences in the film where even a whiff of melodrama would have made them impossible to take seriously. The first love scenes, in particular, could not have been better acted – the viewer can sense the desire but it is also easy to see that for each character the motivation behind it is different. The painful moments in the relationships are also appropriately subdued.

Fontaine and cinematographer Christophe Beaucarne shot the overwhelming majority of the film in and around Shelly Beach and Seal Rocks, New South Wales, Australia. The visuals are often stunning. The crisp panoramic shots from the beach where the two couples are often seen relaxing, in particular, are indescribably beautiful. (Fontaine and Beaucarne also collaborated on the elegant Coco Before Chanel).

Perfect Mothers is complimented by a wonderfully relaxing soundtrack courtesy of Christopher Gordon (Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Bruce Beresford’s Mao's Last Dancer).

Perfect Mothers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Anne Fontaine's Perfect Mothers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Gaumont.

The film looks absolutely spectacular in high-definition. Close-ups are exceptionally crisp and clean, always boasting tremendous depth, while the panoramic vistas literally look like moving portraits. Colors are vibrant and very natural. Contrast levels are stable. Serious transfer-specific anomalies, such as banding and aliasing, are not present. Overall image stability is also fantastic. When projected, the film remains tight around the edges and always looks remarkably sharp. All in all, this is indeed a very impressive presentation of Perfect Mothers that ranks amongst Gaumont's very best. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Perfect Mothers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional French and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless English 5.1 track is fantastic. The breeze, the sound of the ocean, and all sorts of other random nature noises are incredibly detailed and crisp. It is Christopher Gordon's beautiful music score, however, that makes viewing Perfect Mothers a very special experience. If you appreciate a wide range of nuanced dynamics, this is a disc you do not want to miss. The overall dynamic intensity will not test the muscles of your system, but the rich sound you will hear from it while playing the disc will put a smile on your face. The dialog is exceptionally crisp, stable, clean, and very easy to follow.

Perfect Mothers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Galerie de photos - a collection of stills from the film. Music only. (3 min, 1080p).

Perfect Mothers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Reactions to Anne Fontaine's first English-language film have been mixed in America. I urge you to completely ignore what has been written about Perfect Mothers, see it, and form your own opinion. It is the best romantic film I've seen in a very long time, featuring two truly outstanding performances by Robin Wright and Naomi Watts. In a perfect world, Perfect Mothers should earn at least two Oscar nominations. French label Gaumont's technical presentation of the film is outstanding. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.