7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Paul Exben is a success story - partner in one of Paris's most exclusive law firms, big salary, big house, glamorous wife and two sons straight out of a Gap catalog. But when he finds out that Sarah, his wife, is cheating on him with Greg Kremer, a local photographer, a rush of blood provokes Paul into a fatal error. Standing over the corpse of his wife's lover, Paul knows that his perfect life has gone for good. But by assuming the dead man's identity and fleeing for an isolated part of former Yugoslavia on the beautiful Adriatic coast, Paul gets another shot at being himself and, at last, seeing the big picture.
Starring: Romain Duris, Marina Foïs, Niels Arestrup, Catherine Deneuve, Ashley HayesDrama | 100% |
Foreign | 61% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and nominated for Cesar Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Writing - Adaptation, Eric Lartigau's "L'homme qui voulait vivre sa vie" a.k.a "The Big Picture" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original UK theatrical trailer; video interview with director Eric Lartigau and writer Douglas Kennedy; making of feturette; and a video interview with actors Romain Duris and Marina Fois and director Eric Lartigau. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
So many possibilities...
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC anbd granted a 1080p transfer, Eric Lartigau's The Big Picture arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.
The film favors a variety of cold and warm colors, and as the action movies from France to Montenegro, contrast and sharpness levels fluctuate. But, obviously, these are intended tonal changes that enhance the tense atmosphere. Detail, however, is consistently pleasing, with many of the close-ups conveying good depth (see screencaptures #1 and 4). There are beautiful panoramic vistas from the small town in Montenegro that also look notably fluid. Aside from a few tiny artifacts popping up here and there, there are no serious technical flaws to report in this review. There are no traces of problematic digital tinkering either. All in all, this is yet another strong Blu-ray release of a contemporary European film by Artificial Eye. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B "locked" or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with small portions of English and Serbian). For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.
The French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is potent and boasting a wide range of nuanced dynamics. Evgueni and
Sacha Galperine's beautiful ambient music score, in particular, benefits enormously from the loseless treatment. During the final third of the film, after Paul is forced to leave Kotor, there are a few sequences with pleasing surround activity as well. Still, the French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track will not test the muscles of your audio system. For the record, there are no sync issues or problematic audio dropouts to report in this review. The English is excellent.
Eric Lartigau's The Big Picture begins as a thriller and then evolves into a very different type of film. It is terrifically acted and wonderfully lensed. It is also complimented by an excellent ambient soundtrack. I liked it. As usual, Artificial Eye deliver a solid Blu-ray release. At this point, I just wish they would start releasing all of their films on Blu-ray. Great distributors with a great catalog of classic and contemporary films. RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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