7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Ann is trapped in a sexually and emotionally unfulfilled relationship with her husband, John, a successful but unpleasant lawyer who is sleeping with her sister, Cynthia. The underlying tensions in the couple's marriage rise to the surface when Graham, a friend of John's from college who's been drifting for nine years, returns to town and videotapes Cynthia and Ann as they talk about their sexual desires.
Starring: James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, Laura San Giacomo, Steven BrillDrama | 100% |
Erotic | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
movieIQ
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Being happy isn't all that great.
Few motion pictures both push the known boundaries of the art of filmmaking and at the same
time weave a fascinating character-driven tale that, despite its vicarious tone, intimately draw its
audience into the experience, creating a cinematic masterpiece that goes beyond celluloid and
into the realm of the surreal. Sex, Lies and Videotape is one of those pictures, an
organic work of art that meshes a palpable sense of realism with an understated but wholly
implied exploration into the deepest depths of the human condition, an examination of the most
raw and basic of desires: the place of intimacy in the lives of four interconnected
individuals and how their sexualities come to affect not only their relationships but their very
essences as they explore deeply-rooted feelings, pains, pleasures, and everything in between,
with the resultant aftermath not necessarily focusing on the physical but instead on the internal
human psyche. Though its name might imply otherwise, Sex, Lies and
Videotape
engenders more of a mental stimulation, the film a wonderfully compelling and rich experience
that both challenges and captivates the mind, a reflection of the film's exploration of how
external pleasures influence the entire spectrum of the human condition.
The Sony Handycam...perfect for finding the truth behind the sex and lies on videotape.
Sex, Lies and Videotape winds onto Blu-ray with an exceptional 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Featuring a newly-minted transfer approved by Director Steven Soderbergh (more information available via a wonderful and hopefully soon-to-be standard extra entitled Notes on Remastering and Restoration that explains in-depth the processes behind creating the video and audio transfers appearing on the Blu-ray), the film looks fantastic in every regard, featuring a strong sense of depth and sharp, crisp details that accentuate every nuance of the film's set design and wardrobe. Both Ann and John's house and Graham's apartment appear inviting and naturally detailed, the image revealing a nice texture on walls, the wrinkles and creases in paper wall hangings, and chips in the paint on a door frame inside Graham's apartment. Color is neutral but pleasant; no one shade seems over-pumped or underdeveloped, whether those seen in the warm interiors or in several brighter exterior shots. This is certainly not an eye-popping sort of transfer where color and detail are concerned, but then again it's not meant to be, either. With good blacks, stable flesh tones, and a pleasant layer of film grain that remains intact over the entirety of the image, Sex, Lies and Videotape looks wonderful on Blu-ray, and considering the fact that it's director-approved, it's hard to find fault with what is another first-class effort from Sony.
Also remastered as part of this Blu-ray release, Sex, Lies and Videotape's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is rather unconventional in tone, but it's hard to argue with director approval and intent. The film isn't particularly music-heavy, but several instances of musical playback throughout deliver a thoroughly satisfying, room-filling, and altogether rich and inviting presentation that enjoys stellar clarity across the entire dynamic range. Still, the track is more memorable for its unique approach to sound design, and the results as presented here are excellent for what the soundtrack wishes to accomplish. The entire process is detailed in the above-referenced supplement, and the soundtrack audibly reflects the basics conveyed in the text; there's little rear-channel or LFE presence, and dialogue -- while occasionally a bit rough around the edges and sometimes slightly lost under a few ambient sound effects -- is generally strong and free of distortion, another direct result of the extensive revitalization the mix underwent in preparation for what is described as a "definitive" version of the Sex, Lies and Videotape soundtrack.
Sex, Lies and Videotape's Blu-ray release contains several extras, most notable among them a commentary track with Writer/Director Steven Soderbergh and Neil Labute, Director of In the Company of Men. They discuss the film's simplistic visual style, likes and dislikes about the film in hindsight, filmmaking techniques, anecdotes revolving around the casting of the roles, and plenty more. An affable and insightful track, fans of the film and the intricacies of low budget filmmaking will want to listen to this one. 20 Year Reunion at the Sundance Film Festival (480p, 3:26) features cast and crew speaking of the film prior to an anniversary screening. Next up is a deleted scene (480p, 3:26) with optional director commentary. Steven Soderbergh on the Trailers is a three-part feature that contains an interview with the director (480p, 1:29) speaking on the assembly of two trailers, and both trailers -- Soderbergh's original (480p, 1:33) and Miramax's in-house version (480p, 1:37) -- are included. Steven Soderbergh on 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' (480p, 8:11) features the director offering a bit more of an in-depth insight into his style, the film's quasi-autobiographical nature, the performances of the cast, the film's thematic elements, the title, and more. Also included is the aforementioned text-based notes on the remastering process; BD-Live functionality; Sony's "MovieIQ" that offers live, up-to-date details about every scene, including cast and crew filmographies and biographies, soundtrack listings, and more; and 1080p trailers for Obsessed, Damages: Season One, Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code, and A River Runs Through It.
Sex, Lies and Videotape delivers a simple story packed with rich complexities that make the film a masterwork of cinema. Its difficult subject matter is handled expertly via Writer/Director Steven Soderbergh's magnificent script and equally engaging direction that, like the story, takes on an existence of its own as it delivers a superficially simple tone but with underlying complexities that make it a dazzling example of what splendid direction and a strong sense of creativity -- particularly on a small budget -- can do for a film. Also featuring incredible performances from Andi MacDowell and James Spader, Sex, Lies and Videotape is a complete motion picture experience that's required viewing for students of cinema and connoisseurs of first-rate filmmaking. Another outstanding Blu-ray release from Sony, Sex, Lies and Videotape delivers strong and director-approved visual and sound presentations in addition to an assortment of bonus materials. Highly recommended.
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