6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Set on the French Riviera in the summer of 1915, Jean Renoir -- son of the Impressionist painter, Pierre-Auguste -- returns home to convalesce after being wounded in World War I. At his side is Andrée, a young woman who rejuvenates, enchants, and inspires both father and son.
Starring: Michel Bouquet, Christa Théret, Vincent Rottiers, Thomas DoretForeign | 100% |
Romance | 46% |
Drama | 18% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Renoir is certainly one of the few—and perhaps the most iconic of—surnames that was able to migrate from the world of painting to the world of cinema. Pierre-Auguste Renoir is considered one of the most important painters in the Impressionist movement, one whose celebration of the female form created some of the most iconic paintings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But Renoir père bequeathed more than “only” art to the world—he also fathered three sons who would go on to considerable artistic achievement of their own. Eldest child Pierre Renoir went on to a long and varied film career as an actor, including a well remembered role in Marcel Carné’s Children of Paradise. Youngest son Claude Renoir, nicknamed Coco, achieved fame as a ceramic artist, but he also assisted on a couple of films by the Renoir who would go on to arguably the most notable career of the Renoir sons: middle child Jean Renoir, who traversed both the Gallic and American film industries, and who was the guiding force behind two films that are generally conceded to be among the greatest of the century, La Grande Illusion and The Rules of the Game. Jean obviously didn’t suffer from “middle child” syndrome, though some accounts suggest a certain loneliness fostered by long years at boarding schools where he was kept from the sylvan environment of his father’s estate in Essoyes. Renoir, an incredibly beautiful 2012 film written and directed by Gilles Bourdos (Afterwards ), links father and middle son in a languorous story of beginnings and endings, playing out amidst the calm, nurturing breezes of the gorgeous French countryside. The film opens in 1915, with the aging Auguste (Michel Bouquet) suffering from debilitating arthritis but determined not to let that stop him from creating. (“Pain will pass, beauty remains forever,” he states at one point.) A headstrong young girl named Andrée Heuschling (Christa Theret) shows up at Renoir’s estate one day, claiming that Mrs. Renoir had recommended she drop by to model for her husband. She’s met by young Coco (Thomas Doret), who initially shows her to the main house’s door but then screams at her that she’s a liar since Mrs. Renoir is dead.
Renoir is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinedigm with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. This film is, in a word, sumptuous, filled with an incredible interplay of light, shadow and gentle color that is beautifully rendered in this high definition presentation. Director Gilles Bourdos and cinematographer Mark Ping Bing Lee favor light passing through items like tree leaves or smoke or haze, and it creates a diffused, gauzy appearance that some may mistake for a soft transfer. That manifestly is not the case, as a cursory review of the excellent fine detail will show. Take a look, for example, at herringbone pattern of the elder Renoir's coat in the first screenshot accompanying this review, or the webbing of the hat Andrée wears in screenshot 11). A lot of the film is dripping in a golden honey color, which contrasts beautifully with Andrée auburn-orange hair, but the film indulges in an incredibly wide palette, much of which obviously intentionally echoes the work of Renoir père. Contrast is strong and black levels are very consistent throughout this presentation. This is simply one lovely looking film which benefits immensely from this high definition presentation.
Renoir features a subtle but quite effective lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in the original French (with optional English subtitles, which are generally quite faithful to the dialogue). The film is quite quiet almost all of the time, but there is still some very nice surround activity—listen, for example, the gentle rustle of the breeze through the trees in several outdoor scenes. A longer sequence by a river features some nice immersion, with gurgling water noises spilling through the side channels. Dialogue is very cleanly presented, and Alexandre Desplat's haunting score, which traffics in minimalist ideas with none of the usual pretensions of that genre, sounds fantastic.
Renoir may not fully engage those who may want more drama between father and son as they seek to establish their roles with the beautiful and headstrong young Andrée. But for those who are willing to let an admittedly slow, deliberate film unspool at its own pace, there are manifold pleasures to be had here. The performances are excellent, and there is simply no way the film's visual beauty won't appeal to anyone who loves Renoir's paintings. I'll be surprised if this ends up snatching the Oscar (if it even makes the short list), but for those who love art films (literally and figuratively), Renoir comes Highly recommended.
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