Synonyms Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Synonyms Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 22, 2020

Nadav Lapid's "Synonyms" (2019) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an original U.S. trailer for the film; video interview with the director; and Q&A session with the director that was recorded at the NYFF. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Come on in. The gates are open.

It won’t take you long to figure out that it does not matter if everything that comes out of Yoav’s (Tom Mercier) mouth is true. What does is that he believes it, and that he has permanently altered his life because of it.

But what exactly is the ‘it’?

Is it an unusual state of mind, an old-fashioned case of reality-bending frustration, or simply a mix of half-truths and lies the young man is dispatching at an alarming pace? It is hard to tell -- at least initially. The only thing that he admits and is quickly proven true is that he left Israel and came to France because he wanted to become a Frenchman.

The entire film chronicles Yoav’s desired transformation, which is so fractured and so surreal that from time to time begins to look like a bizarre dream. It starts in an empty Parisian apartment where Yoav loses his clothes and possessions and nearly freezes to death. The couple that accidentally saves him, Emile (Quentin Dolmaire) and Caroline (Louise Chevillotte), then turn out to be eager listeners and Yoav instantly begins overwhelming them with stories about his miserable years in Israel and how he plans to become a new man.

Initially, it looks like Yoav's recollections could be the tiny pieces of a big and fascinating puzzle, full of strange failures and unexpected triumphs. But the more passionate and detailed they get, the clearer it becomes that there isn’t a puzzle -- only an avalanche of chaotic memories about a murky past the young man detests.

In the present, Yoav’s experiences also begin to overlap with an intensity that confuses and frustrates. Another Israeli rebel with an anger management problem reveals to Yoav how he tests the locals to see if they are prejudiced, while a much more composed Israeli security expert warns him that it is only a matter of time before his idyllic new reality crumbles again. A trip to a local ‘artist’ who demands that he fingers himself before his camera provides Yoav with some food for thought, but his hatred for his past and homeland quickly pull him back in his preferred state of mind.

By the time Yoav approaches Emile and offers him his ‘stories’ so that he can incorporate them in his upcoming novel his transformation evolves into a giant psychotherapy. (Or maybe it is precisely what it was from the get-go). He has the listeners and his mind keeps unloading ‘memories’ and ‘stories’ that make him feel better. It does not matter if the real and the imaginary continue to merge and the therapy isn’t progressing in a conventional fashion. It is working for him and he continues to widen the gap between his past and his present.

But what about you, the viewer? What do you get from this apparently very intimate therapy? You follow Yoav, you witness his progress, and then what? The things he says and does are so random that you cannot establish the contact that is needed for you to care. You can be sympathetic and perhaps even try to imagine how you would have reacted if your frustration forced you to start a new life in a different country, but it would happen long after the final credits roll. While you are with Yoav and following him around you will feel like an intruder, a nosy spectator that is trying to figure out a young man that prefers to be left alone. It isn't just an odd feeling, it is an awful feeling.

Synonyms Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Synonyms arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

My guess is that there is a digital master for this film that was approved by its creator, Nadav Lapid, because it handles daytime and nighttime footage with striking precision. Yes, it is not exactly surprising that a modern film would look so good in high-definition, but this particular film looks really good. Indeed, the basic characteristics of the master are very solid -- clarity, depth, and fluidity are all solid. Colors are natural and wonderfully balanced. Image stability is terrific as well. Great technical presentation. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Synonyms Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with a few lines of Hebrew). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the film with the 5.1 track. Clarity, depth, and stability are outstanding. There isn't an elaborate music score that can introduce nice dynamic nuances, but separation and overall dynamic balance are excellent.

Synonyms Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• U.S. Trailer - original U.S. trailer for Synonyms. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).

• Interview with Nadav Lapid - in this program, director Nadav Lapid discusses the nature of the journey that is at the center of his film as well as the casting of Tom Mercier and the quality of his performance. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (13 min, 1080p).

• NYFF Live: In Conversation - this Q&A session features director Nadav Lapid and is presented courtesy of Film at Lincoln Center. In English, not subtitled. (55 min, 1080p).

Synonyms Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I found it absolutely impossible to connect with the main protagonist in Synonyms. He is a rebel who is undergoing a transformation that is supposed to be a wild trip, but throughout the entire film I felt like I was forced to endure a very personal psychotherapy of an unorthodox patient that wants to be left alone. Initially I was frustrated, then I became bored with the 'experiment'. The film did not work for me. If you have already seen and liked the film, you will be pleased to hear that Kino Lorber's technical presentation is outstanding.