The Clockmaker of St. Paul Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Clockmaker of St. Paul Blu-ray Movie Review

The Clockmaker of St. Paul is a crime-drama with a compelling narrative at the forefront of the gritty filmmaking. Based on the novel The Watchmaker of Everton by Georges Simenon, The Clockmaker of St. Paul explores a dark crime-riddled tale buoyed by good performances. Produced by Raymond Danon (The Widow Couderc, Shock Treatment), The Clockmaker of St. Paul stars Philippe Noiret and Jean Rochefort.

Michel Descombes (Philippe Noiret) begins to contemplate and recontextualize his entire life after his son becomes a wanted murderer. Now struggling with complex and philosophical questions about his role as a father to his son and how this could have happened, Michel is haunted by questions he never before considered as a parent. The police inspector Commissaire Guilboud (Jean Rochefort) leads the murder investigation and asks Michel for help with the case. As the truth begins to slowly unravel, it appears as though Michel perhaps didn’t know his son as well as he once believed. Can Michel find redemption as a father – if he is even to blame?

Philippe Noiret carries the show. Noiret delivers a first-rate performance in the production. The role was one that is perfect for the actor. The actor sinks in to his role with a clear dedication to the role and the result is something that is complex, dramaturgic, and haunting. The performance is certainly one that provides a strong backbone to the entire foundation of the film. The inner struggle of the character is showcased through the performance.

The film benefits from a number of compelling aesthetic elements as well. The Clockmaker of St. Paul is a nice showcase for realistic designs. The production design by Jean Mandaroux (Elevator to the Gallows, Letters from My Windmill) never feels false or out-of-style. There is a gritty aesthetic; everything feels complex and even lyrical from a design standpoint.

The costumes by Yvette Bonnay (Time Bomb, A Week’s Vacation) provide the film with some effective design elements too. The costumes by Bonnay aim for realism and still provide a theatrical flavor that enhances the production. A solid effort by Bonnay.

The cinematography by Pierre-William Glenn (Death Watch, Terminus) is one of the most impressive elements of the filmmaking. Glenn is a noteworthy cinematographer with a good sense of how to enhance the production with striking visuals – the grittier the better, in this case. The mood of The Clockmaker of St. Paul is dramatically enhanced as a result.

Edited by Armand Psenny (‘Round Midnight, Death Watch), The Clockmaker of St. Paul is well- paced even though it has a slow-burn element. The editing is solid. Psenny understands the narrative and explores it through the tight editing of the film.

The score composed by Philippe Sarde (The Tenant, The Judge and the Assassin) adds a subtle but effective undercurrent to the production. The music works well within the film. Sarde delivered a worthwhile score.

Directed by Bertrand Tavernier (A Sunday in the Country, ‘Round Midnight), in their feature-film debut, scripted The Clockmaker of St. Paul alongside Jean Aurenche (The Judge and the Assassin, Let Joy Reign Supreme) and Pierre Bost (Forbidden Games, Gervaise). It is surprising that The Clockmaker of St. Paul is the debut of Tavernier because the filmmaking is already so assured. Tavernier is a talented filmmaker with a keen sensibility as a director and the artistic flavor of The Clockmaker of St. Paul is something undeniably compelling and unique. It is no wonder Tavernier went on to even bigger successes as a director. The Clockmaker of St. Paul is confident filmmaking – the results are outstanding.

The Clockmaker of St. Paul Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, The Clockmaker of St. Paul is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original 1.66:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The release presents The Clockmaker of St. Paul with an exceptional scan of the film. The quality of the print (from the master used for the release) is in excellent condition and the filmmaking looks exceptional as a result. There are some occasional soft shots and these elements appear source-related.

Color reproduction appears excellent and detail in the presentation is superb. A nice layer of natural film grain is preserved as well. Though not noted as being sourced from a new restoration, the print looks excellent and fans of The Clockmaker of St. Paul will be enormously pleased with the results.  Kino Lorber has done well with the encode.

The Clockmaker of St. Paul Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio on the release is certainly impressive. The quality of the presentation is noteworthy – with good clarity and detail overall. A presentation that capably preserves the soundstage of the film. Though an often sparse and quiet soundstage, the audio is well reproduced. A solid audio presentation from Kino.

The Clockmaker of St. Paul Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

19-page booklet featuring excerpts from Tavernier's forthcoming memoir

Audio Commentary by Director Bertrand Tavernier

New Introduction by filmmaker Walter Hill (HD, 2:17)

Interview with director Bertrand Tavernier and star Philippe Noiret (2001) (HD, 42:21)

Interview with Tavernier (2008) (SD, 48:09)

Trailer (HD, 3:17)

The Clockmaker of St. Paul Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Clockmaker of St. Paul is a compelling and evocative film with a strong performance from Philippe Noiret. There is a complexity to the filmmaking. Director Bertrand Tavernier (A Sunday in the Country) impresses with this directorial debut – it is no wonder that the filmmaker would go on to become an acclaimed auteur. The filmmaking of Tavernier was assured from the beginning.

The Blu-ray release features a strong video and audio presentation. The presentation is highly satisfying. The release also includes a nice selection of bonus features, including a 19 page booklet with a excerpt taken from Tavernier's memoir alongside a audio commentary with Tavernier, an interview with both director Tavernier and star Philippe Noiret, and a solo interview with Tavernier. The release is well rounded. Highly recommended.