What Time Is It? Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

What Time Is It? Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 23, 2011

Winner of Volpi Cup and OCIC Award at the Venice Film Festival, Italian director Ettore Scola's "Che ora è?" a.k.a. "What Time Is It?" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; video conversation with director Ettore Scola; video conversation with cinematographer Luciano Tovoli; and a video conversation with director Michael Radford. In Italian, with optional English, French, and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Father and son

Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni, La nuit de Varennes, The 10th Victim) is a busy lawyer from Rome who travels to Civitavecchia to visit his son, Michele (Massimo Troisi, Il Postino, Captain Fracassa's Journey), who has less than a month of military duty left to serve. They agree to have lunch in a small restaurant and then spend the rest of the day walking around the town.

While waiting for the food to be prepared, Marcello asks Michele if he has any plans for the future, a special girl he would want to create a family with, a career he would like to pursue. He has already picked a cozy apartment for Michele in downtown Rome which he is convinced is a terrific investment.

At first the questions confuse Michele because Marcello has never been particularly interested in his personal life. Then they irritate him because he realizes that answering them would be meaningless because his father has already decided where his future will be – in Rome, amongst people he has never been impressed with, and having a lifestyle he has always disliked.

Instead of answering Marcello’s questions, Michele begins questioning the important decisions his father made when he was his age. For Michele they were crucial mistakes that transformed their family. Life, Michele argues, could have been a lot more fulfilling if his father had followed his instincts instead of success. His relationship with his mother also would have been a lot more satisfying.

At first Michele’s criticism confuses Marcello because his son has never been particularly interested in his personal life. Then it irritates him because he realizes that explaining why Michele’s interpretations of his decisions are flawed would not change anything.

Eventually, the conversation moves to a more personal subject – the women Marcello and Michele love. Marcello reluctantly admits that he has started seeing a former lover, while Michele confesses that he has a new girlfriend. Shortly after, Marcello convinces Michele to introduce him to her.

Loredana (Anne Parillaud, Nikita, The Last Mistress) surprises Marcello. She is an intelligent but disorganized girl, the type he would have never imagined Michele would fall in love with. When she sends Michele to buy a box of truffles, Marcello asks her to tell him what kind of a man his son is.

Italian director Ettore Scola’s Che ora è? a.k.a. What Time Is It? is a very simple and unpretentious film that takes place over the course of a single day. It is about an aging father and his son who are trying to communicate after years of observing but ignoring each other.

There are no shocking secrets or unexpected twists in the film. Occasionally the conversations between Marcello and Michele become tense, but never surprise. So why see the film, then? Because neither Marcello nor Michele’s point of view is flawed, even though their arguments are clearly very different, and Scola effectively shows why.

Scola also shows that despite their disagreements and different priorities in life, Marcello and Michele are very much alike. But they don’t realize it because the ideals that have shaped up their lives belong to different eras. The more things change, the more they stay the same. True. But for some fathers and their sons, it isn’t easy to admit it.

Note: In 1989, What Time Is It? won Best Actor Award (Marcello Mastroianni/Massimo Troisi) and OCIC Award (Ettore Scola).

What Time Is It? Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ettore Scola's What Time Is It? arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont Films.

The high-definition transfer has been struck from a new master and unsurprisingly the film looks quite good in high-definition. I don't have it on DVD in my library to do some direct comparisons, but I don't think that such are actually necessary.

With the exception of one short sequence from Loredana's apartment where there is slightly more noise than usual (see screencapture #3 and 18), detail is very good. During the nighttime sequences clarity is also pleasing, while contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Some denoising corrections have been performed but the integrity of the film is kept intact. Admittedly, some of the fine grain is also mixed with light noise but its presence is far from distracting. Colors are warm and soft but never anemic. Additionally, edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern. There are no macroblocking patterns either. Lastly, the high-definition transfer is free of specks, large scratches, damage marks, and cuts. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to access its content regardless of your geographical location).

What Time Is It? Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Mono) and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Mono). For the record, Gaumont have provided optional English, French, and French SDH subtitles for the main feature.

There are a few episodes in the film where Armando Trovajoli's score is exposed but it is never prominent. Unsurprising, the dynamic amplitude of the Italian loseless track is extremely limited. However, the dialog is always crisp, stable, clean, and very easy to follow. For the record, there are no sync issues or audio dropouts to report in this review. The English translation is excellent.

What Time Is It? Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Vertiges du passe - a conversation with director Ettore Scola. In Italian, with optional French subtitles. (19 min, 1080/50i).

• A propos de Quelle heure est-il - a conversation with cinematographer Luciano Tovoli. In French, not subtitled. (21 min, 1080/50i).

• Massimo Troisi par Michael Radford - a conversation with director Michael Radford (The Merchant of Venice, Il Postino). In French, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080/50i).

• Bandes-annonces - trailers for La nuit de Varennes, Splendor, What Time Is It?, and Captain Fracassa's Journey. (1080p).

What Time Is It? Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ettore Scola's What Time Is It? is an excellent addition to French distributors Gaumont's impressive catalog of classic films. As far as I know it was never officially released on DVD, or VHS, in the United States. Needless to say, I am very happy to have it in my library. (Gaumont have also released on Blu-ray the following Ettore Scola directed films: La nuit de Varennes, Captain Fracassa's Journey, and Splendor). RECOMMENDED.