kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 4:23 pm Post subject: Certified Copy [Blu-ray] |
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Another reference disc!
Certified Copy (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2010)
(Hover over link for price, click to purchase and support our forum at no extra cost to you)
| Quote: | I really don't know how to describe the way I felt watching this movie. It's quite the experience, because you're not really sure what's going on the entire time it's happening. Yet the conversation they have is so natural and personal you can't help but be sucked in. Your mind runs wild with ideas about their past. It's a film that engages your brain on the deepest levels. With its great looking video and surprisingly awesome audio, along with a nice helping of special features, is it any wonder this Criterion release comes highly recommended?
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'Certified Copy' was shot completely digitally using RED cameras. Even though it was shot this way, the movie doesn't have a very digital look to it. Instead, with the setting in Italy, the film looks rather cinematic in nature. As the couple walk along the streets of Italy you may be surprised how clear and detailed their surroundings are. The centuries-old cobblestone streets are worn with age, so are the individual bricks of the city buildings which bare scuffs and scratches that are easily discernible here.
The movie is alive with visual detail that surrounds the characters every time they turn another corner. Using natural light the entire movie feels just as organic as the conversation. At times the sun casts stark shadows, but they're never crushing. There was a few moments at the beginning of the movie where the image periodically darkened and lightened without much reason of why it was doing so. Using natural light it could've been cloud cover moving across the sun, but it seemed to be happening in perfect intervals. It became a little distracting, but soon dispersed once the two of them were walking around the city.
Facial detail is beautiful. Both Binoche and Shimell go for a very natural look here. That's the point. There's no embellishment needed at any point during the movie. The detail available here is paramount to conveying the character's feelings. So many fleeting glances, so many furrowed brows, and they all mean something different. Watching each facial tick, wondering what the characters are thinking, feeling, is part of the fun. It's a good thing you can see everything going on, even the minutest facial movement. It's like you're there observing them, only a few feet away.
Colors are strong and beautifully rendered, from the earthy tones of the surrounding buildings in Italy to the dark magenta lipstick that Elle applies later on. Everything here looks great. It's how you'd expect a Criterion film to look that was just released last year.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track was even more impressive I thought. I expected the movie to look great going in, but with a talkative feature such as this I didn't expect that the audio mix would be all that invigorating, I was wrong.
Just like everything in this movie, the audio mix is as natural as possible. The most impressive part of the track is how it captures the life of the Italian city that they stroll around in. The rear channels are alive with chirping birds which fly overhead whenever they want. People mill about looking at art and statues and you can hear their voices slowly traveling behind you in the rear speakers.
The track isn't bombastic or explosive, but its subtlety is what really scores points here. It's just so natural, so effective, that you don't even feel like you're listening to a movie. Dialogue is always clear and easily intelligible. Directionality works perfectly. For example, James has to take a few calls while they are out on their walk and he usually walks away so he can take his call. You hear his voice trail off as he slowly walks out of frame and you realize that's exactly how it would've sounded had you been standing right there. |
Kal
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