6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Debra Winger and Tracy Letts play a long-married, dispassionate couple who are both in the midst of serious affairs. But on the brink of calling it quits, a spark between them suddenly reignites, leading them into an impulsive romance.
Starring: Debra Winger, Tracy Letts, Aidan Gillen, Melora Walters, Tyler Ross (I)Romance | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Years ago my wife and I were on a double date of sorts with another married couple, and it turned out they were actually celebrating their anniversary, something they hadn’t previously disclosed to us. On the way home, the typically clueless husband asked his wife how many years they were celebrating, and his wife said, “Ten years of married bliss.” In an obviously joking riposte, the husband sighed and countered, “Wow, it seems like a lot more bliss than that.” It will perhaps not come as a complete surprise to divulge this couple later divorced. Anyone who has stayed married, and probably even most people who eventually decided to end their marriages, will admit (perhaps under duress) that a certain lethargy can creep into long lived relationships, and some married couples seek to avoid that creeping numbness by indulging in extramarital affairs. The Lovers posits a long married couple named Michael (Tracy Letts) and Mary (Debra Winger), both of whom have in fact reached out to “touch” partners other than their spouse. While both Michael and Mary would seem to be well beyond “let’s wait until the kids grow up” rationale in terms of divorcing each other, as evidenced by the fact that their son Joel (Tyler Ross) is already an adult, that is in fact one thing they tell their paramours, in a ruse that fools no one, least of all Joel. With two extramarital lovers nagging them to finally dissolve their marriage, and with their son due soon for a visit with his girlfriend Erin (Jessica Sula) in tow, The Lovers plays on its title’s implied ambiguity by suggesting that just when it seems a marriage is well and truly dead, resurrecting sparks can ignite the flames of passion and maybe even love.
The Lovers is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.84:1. This film was "captured by Alexa", as a closing credit logo proclaims, and it has the typically excellent levels of detail this technology affords, despite a somewhat drab and tamped down palette that only really springs to life in a few isolated outdoor sequences. Much of the film takes place in interior locations, some of which aren't especially bright lit. The best indoor moments from a detail perspective are in the respective offices of Mary and Michael, where bright lighting conditions prevail. Some of the bedroom material is pretty murky looking, but some extreme close-ups help counter this. This isn't a showy film from a visual perspective by any stretch of the imagination, but this is a solid transfer of a workmanlike presentation and I doubt anyone will have any serious issues with its quality.
Similarly to the video presentation, The Lovers' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is completely competent but will probably fail to overly inspire anyone to heights of fervor. Several outdoor sequences offer decent detailing of ambient environmental effects, and the film's score regularly wafts through the surround channels, but otherwise this film relies almost entirely on "two hander" scenes where dialogue is prevalent and there simply isn't that much potential for amazing immersion. Fidelity is fine throughout this presentation, with no problems of any kind to report.
The Lovers has a few stumbles along the way, including the weirdly melodramatic meltdown for Joel late in the film, but overall it's a very smartly written and extremely well performed piece that tackles a well worn subject matter from an invitingly unique perspective. It's also commendable to see a film not resolutely centered on the under 30 crowd. Technical merits are strong if inherently not producing much "wow" factor, and The Lovers comes Recommended.
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