Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Perhaps Love Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 6, 2008

Talented HK director Peter Chan joins efforts with Bollywood veteran-choreographer Farah Khan in the Oscar nominated Pan-Asian hit "Ru guo • Ai" a.k.a. "Perhaps Love" (2005). Boasting impressive stage performances, lush decors and a soundtrack to die for, pic has earned plenty of comparisons with Baz Luhrman’s "Moulin Rouge" (2001).

Lin Jian Dong (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is an actor with a great career who has arrived in Beijing for the announcement of an exciting new project. In a sea of cameras and microphones, he is introduced to the local press immediately after Sun Na (Xun Zhou), a beautiful actress with an equally successful career. Nie Wen (Jacky Cheung), the director of the upcoming project, is thrilled with his cast. As the press-conference begins, Lin Jian Dong compliments his soon-to-be partner but she reacts only with a mechanical smile.

During the shooting of the film Lin Jian Dong is routinely ignored by Sun Na. Aside from their short interactions in front of the camera, the two hardly even speak. Nie Wen on the other hand is not only better accepted by Sun Na, but as the story progresses, we learn that she is apparently his lover.

Further into the film, we begin to understand why Sun Na ignores Lin Jian Dong. Many years ago, while studying in Beijing, the two were lovers. But it wasn’t meant to be, and Sun Na moved on to become an actress under Nie Wen’s supervision. Feeling betrayed and enormously hurt, Lin Jian Dong, who aspired to become a film director, would try to forget his lover. But instead of solace, he would find pain.

Heartbroken

A film of immense beauty, Perhaps Love blends the lush choreography Bollywood productions typically boast with the powerful vision of Peter Chan whose eye for detail here is impressive. From the opening scene, where Lin Jian Dong arrives on the set for his future film, to the final scene, where resolution is brought to this romantic yet powerful story, Perhaps Love tiptoes on the verge of being a full-blown musical with a sufficient amount of dialog.

As Peter Chan has clarified numerous times, however, Perhaps Love is mostly a love story. Told as a fractured collage of memory bits where the audience is given the opportunity to witness the birth of the love affair between Sun Na and Lin Jian Dong in Beijing, and at the same time follow the ex-couple’s struggle to remain professional on the set, Perhaps Love evolves into a dramatic emotional rollercoaster. As Sun Na gradually begins to warm to the man she once rejected, the thin line between the film the duo is shooting and reality becomes more and more difficult to recognize. In both, a woman must choose between past and present.

Technically, Perhaps Love delights with unparalleled imagination materialized through a lush color-scheme where the genius of Farah Khan is impossible to ignore. The complicated dance numbers are likely to force some of you into a dreaming mode as everything here screams finesse - the opening twenty minutes, for example, introduce multiple sets of group performances that will carry on the film's theme throughout. The duo of cinematographers Christopher Doyle (Ashes of Time Redux) and Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) does an outstanding job as well, proving that their talents are limitless.

Perhaps Love truly shines with its excellent music score. Peter Kam and Leon Co, both recognized by the Hong Kong Film Academy for their contribution, have given Jacky Cheung a terrific song used also as the film's main theme (in different variations), and I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the actor's terrific performance. The music theme of Perhaps Love remains with you long after the end credits roll, and certainly brings a bit of that classic vibe great love stories are remembered by.

Perhaps Love Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded in MPEG-4 AVC and granted a solid 1080p transfer, Perhaps Love has been released on Blu-ray via US dsitribs Tai Seng Entertainment.

The presentation is very pleasing - detail is extremely good, allowing the viewer to be truly immersed into a magic panorama of colorful visuals. From the snowy streets of Beijing to the full of lush colors stage performances, Perhaps Love is a breathtaking spectacle. The color-scheme, perhaps the film's most delicately addressed feature aside from its choreography, is dazzling. Everything here screams rich and lush, and I find it incredibly difficult to believe that anyone who sees Perhaps Love would not be moved by Peter Chan's grandiose vision. Film grain is kept intact and I did not notice any disturbing use of DNR. Furthermore, the master Tai-Seng Entertainment have used for this Blu-ray release must have been in excellent condition as the print is absolutely spotless - there aren't any scratches, specs, or dirt.

Perhaps Love Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Perhaps Love is arguably one of the best mixed Asian films to reach my desk thus far. It offers a Mandarin DTS-HD Master 7.1 track, Mandarin Dolby True HD 7.1 track, and English Dolby Digital 5.1 track.

While the jury is out on whether or not one could actually hear a difference between DTS-HD Master 7.1 and Dolby TrueHD 7.1, I am certain many have already made up their minds as to which one to opt for should they both appear on the same disc. My choice here is the DTS-HD Master audio; it truly brings forward the excellent soundtrack Perhaps Love boasts.There are excellent surround effects here, not loud and pushing the envelope but delicate and nuanced, and you will quickly notice how well the disc is mixed once the stage performances begin. The Dolby TrueHD track is just as good. It is potent, very well mixed and matching the clarity and impressive amplitude of the DTS-HD Master audio perfectly (for whatever reason, the DTS-HD Master mix is noticeably louder on this disc). Finally, I could not detect any hissing, cracks, or pop-ups. Optional traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, and English subtitles are provided. In addition, there is an extra English track that allows you to sub the songs.

Perhaps Love Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from the original HK theatrical trailer and the US pilot trailer for Perhaps Love, and the music video for the film's award-winning song, on this disc you will also find a "Behind The Scenes" featurette where the cast and crew add plenty of valuable comments about the production while "in action" footage is being offered. The best supplemental bit of material here, however, is the "Making Of" which is broken into two parts where director Peter Chan goes in depth describing his collaboration with Bollywood choreographer Farah Khan. I highly recommend that you take some time and look into it as more or less the film's terrific organization is addressed with excellent clarifications about the technical difficulties faced by the crew. Finally, there is a small gallery of TV spots for the main feature.

Perhaps Love Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A film of unparalleled imagination, Peter Chan's Perhaps Love arrives to US shores courtesy of Tai Seng Entertainment. The Blu-ray treatment, unlike what a few sites have reported, is of top-notch quality, truly complimenting the film's dazzling cinematography. The audio treatment, in particular, is a great reason to upgrade from SDVD to Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.