7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A pious nurse becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient.
Starring: Jennifer Ehle, Morfydd Clark, Turlough Convery, Lily Knight (II), Lily FrazerHorror | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 29% |
Mystery | 27% |
Drama | 6% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The recently reviewed Devi from Satyajit Ray is a devastating deconstruction of the dangers of overly zealous religiosity and/or belief, in that particular case Hinduism. For those wanting a more Westernized Christian take on some of the same underlying ideas, Saint Maud might be a "good" place to start, albeit unlike the Ray film, this debut entry from writer and director Rose Glass traffics in horror aspects more overtly than Devi. The narrative in Saint Maud is also just a bit more disjunctive, which was probably done intentionally, but which can lead to a bit of uncertainty in terms of piecing together what exactly is going on, and what in fact went on prior to the film's main story to bring focal character Maud (Morfydd Clark) to the breaking point. Maud is a nurse who helps with so-called "palliative care", aiding those in the final days of their lives. She has been assigned to care for a woman named Amanda Köhl (Jennifer Ehle), a kind of Martha Graham type who was the toast of the dance world before cancer attacked her spine. She's largely confined to either her bed or her wheelchair now, and as a departing nurse informs Maud when Maud arrives at Amanda's rather luxe mansion, Amanda can be a bit of a -- well, let's just say problem, though the departing nurse uses a more colorful (and potentially objectionable) term.
Saint Maud is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists Arri Alexa Mini cameras and a 2K DI as relevant data points (there's also some clear shots of Arri cameras in the making of featurette included on the Blu-ray as a bonus item). This is an interesting looking transfer, one that attempts to mimic a more traditionally "filmic" appearance at times, and which therefore has a bit more of an intentional texture rather than the smooth, glassy sheen that often accompanies digital capture. As can probably be gleaned in several of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, a lot of the film takes place in either dimly lit or drab environments, and in fact Glass in some of the supplements on this disc mentions how she wanted characters to repeatedly emerge from and disappear into shadows, which certainly occurs throughout the film. As such, shadow detail is a bit hazy at times, though perhaps by comparison, when the film briefly darts out of doors a couple of time during daytime, things pop really well. Detail levels are generally excellent throughout, offering precise renderings of some of the Deco inspired production design at Amanda's house. Glass talks about the cost of CGI these days, which may account for a relative dearth of the technique, but late in the film there are some special effects that are rather nice looking, if ultimately disturbing.
Saint Maud features a nice sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The film benefits from an interesting score from Adam Janota Bzowski, which is admittedly not hugely innovative, but which still provides immersive washes of low end synths that pan through the surround channels and contribute mightily to a feeling of dread throughout the film. A lot of the story plays out as a virtual "two hander" between Amanda and Maud, and as such some surround activity can be limited to background ambient environmental effects, but in both some outdoor material as well as admittedly brief sequences like a climactic party where Maud understandably loses her cool, there is good engagement of the side and rear channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available, and one very brief English subtitle for one line delivered in Welsh right at the end of the film is forced.
Those of you who keep up with releases for the UK market may have seen my relatively recent review for Dementer, a rather interesting independent horror film which kind of audaciously cast the writer and director's "special needs" sister as the object of a quasi-nurse's obsession, and which might make for an interesting double feature with this film. Saint Maud is probably more thought provoking than Dementer, though it shares some of that film's disjunctive narrative qualities. Rose Glass is certainly a talent to be reckoned with, and she was lucky to get viscerally effective performers like Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle in her first feature film. Technical merits are solid, and the supplements, while not bounteous, are enjoyable. Recommended.
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