Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie

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Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie United States

Ma Loute
Kino Lorber | 2016 | 122 min | Not rated | Sep 12, 2017

Slack Bay (Blu-ray Movie)

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Movie rating

6.5
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users0.0 of 50.0
Reviewer4.0 of 54.0
Overall4.0 of 54.0

Overview

Slack Bay (2016)

Summer 1910. Several tourists have vanished while relaxing on the beautiful beaches of the Channel Coast. Infamous inspectors Machin and Malfoy soon gather that the epicenter of these mysterious disappearances must be Slack Bay, a unique site where the Slack river and the sea join only at high tide. There lives a small community of fishermen and other oyster farmers. Among them evolves a curious family, the Bréfort, renowned ferrymen of the Slack Bay, lead by the father nick-named "The Eternal", who rules as best as he can on his prankster bunch of sons, especially the impetuous Ma Loute, aged 18. Towering high above the bay stands the Van Peteghems' mansion. Every summer, this bourgeois family - all degenerate and decadent from inbreeding - stagnates in the villa, not without mingling during their leisure hours of walking, sailing or bathing, with the ordinary local people, Ma Loute and the other Bréforts. Over the course of five days, as starts a peculiar love story between Ma Loute...

Starring: Fabrice Luchini, Juliette Binoche, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Jean-Luc Vincent
Director: Bruno Dumont

Foreign100%
Dark humorInsignificant
ComedyInsignificant

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 2.41:1
    Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

  • Audio

    French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

  • Subtitles

    English

  • Discs

    Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie3.5 of 53.5
Video4.5 of 54.5
Audio5.0 of 55.0
Extras2.5 of 52.5
Overall4.0 of 54.0

Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 27, 2017

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what “Slack Bay” is, and I’m sure that’s exactly how writer/director Bruno Dumont likes it. Strange doesn’t even begin to cover this comedy about class struggle, cannibalism, levitation, and young love, but Dumont commits to every single frame, concocting a deliberate journey into oddity that’s sure to polarize viewers, especially those expecting another tender Juliette Binoche period piece.


The year is 1910, and order is about to be disrupted at a seaside area, home to lowly laborers, inbred bourgeoisie, and two cops, one obese, the other skinny, who are on the hunt for a murderer. During the summer season, emotional damage is inflicted and physical pain is endured, along with adolescent characters experiencing the turbulence of forbidden attraction. Dumont initially offers slapstick as a welcome mat for the feature, but darkness is quick to swallow the work, taking it down some unsavory avenues as true natures and survival needs are exposed, sold with a social commentary that contrasts the mania of the haves and have nots.


Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.5 of 5

The AVC encoded image (2.41:1 aspect ratio) presentation handles superbly, with deep detail leading the viewing experience. Distances are important to "Slack Bay," and seaside locations are preserved, permitting viewers pick out environmental particulars and character activity. Close-ups are fresh and bright, identifying the ruin of poverty and incest. Textures are also vivid on costuming. Colors are sharp, with lush greenery and water, while clothing brings out compelling primaries. Delineation is satisfactory. Mild banding is briefly detected.


Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  5.0 of 5

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA is notable for the presence of weather, with gushing winds carrying through almost every scene, reinforcing the harsh conditions of the setting. Surrounds aren't utilized in full, but atmospherics are active. Dialogue exchanges are crisp and detailed, picking up on distinct performances and specialized timing. Sound effects are enjoyably pronounced.


Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  2.5 of 5

  • Interview (8:09, HD) with Juliette Binoche (in English) discusses her participation in "Slack Bay," fielding questions about themes and creative risks. Binoche is prepared with rehearsed junket-style answers, but her take on the picture's cannibalism subplot and Dumont's efforts to create a commentary on contemporary France are interesting. Amusingly, this chat appears to have been recorded at a neutral location, as a tourist wanders into frame, gently pulled out of view.
  • Interview (3:36, HD) with Bruno Dumont covers his philosophy of comedy, the use of taboo subjects in "Slack Bay," and his filmmaking approach.
  • A Theatrical Trailer (1:53, HD) is included.


Slack Bay Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  4.0 of 5

At two hours, "Slack Bay" is far too long, but Dumont scores laughs before fatigue sets in, and his cast is frightfully game to reach the level of exaggeration he's after. Binoche in particular is rarely this broad on camera. "Slack Bay" is specialized cinema, but it's original and superbly crafted, finding beauty in extremes of fantasy and horror, but also making room for pure silliness.