Arousing curiosity from me at the Golden Globes where I’ve Loved you So Long was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress, It’s about time I get to actually watch this film. Very rarely do foreign films disappoint me, and one with so much nominations and awards to boot. While I’ve Loved you So Long didn’t take home the awards for the aforementioned nominations there is a general consensus that the film did in fact earn its place at the Globes.
Film
Kristin Scott Thomas plays Juliette Fontaine, who at the beginning of the film is released from prison after 15 years for the murder of her six year old son. Having nowhere to go and being incommunicado with her parents Juliette is taken in by her much younger sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein). Juliette moves to a small university town to live with Lea and her husband, his mute father, and their two adopted children. Lea being much younger than Juliette recalls very little of her growing up, and would not be allowed to visit her (because of their parents shunning). The film revolves around Juliette’s reintegration into society and her relationships with people she meets, and the developing bond between her and her nieces much to the fear of their father. More importantly the film deals with Juliette and her attempts to relate to people and feel like a human again. While she seems cold to others, her internal struggle to reconcile with her mother and family seems to motivate her actions. In the end through a series of flashbacks and some detective work on Lea’s part we learn the truth surrounding the murder of Juliette’s son.
While I already had some high expectations of the film coming into the film, I’ve Loved you So Long had no problem meeting them, but did little to surpass them. Let me elaborate; the film really was enjoyable and even unique, but did little to raise the bar or go the extra mile over a typical dramatic film. The story itself went places I hadn’t anticipated it would, and was rather suspenseful at times. But the interactions themselves (between the characters) and the rate of progression wasn’t the best. There were several moments (which I won’t divulge to avoid spoilers) that seemed to drag on, and add unnecessary complexity to the story. But really, other than a few minor complaints about the flow of the film and sometimes being to bleak the film was quite good.
The story was deep, and comes together beautifully in the end. Watching some of the relationships develop in the story was great and portrayed extremely commendably. Of course most notably by Kristin Scott Thomas who really did deserve her nomination, and perhaps even a win. You can really feel the torment and inner battle experienced by her character, all along knowing there is something more to the murder of her son.
Video
Presented in 1080p 1.85:1 aspect ratio and encoded in MPEG-4 I’ve Loved You So Long hits Blu-ray with some good but at times underwhelming results. From the opening scenes you can tell that Sony put a lot of care into the films transfer. The picture maintains a crisp amount of detail throughout the entire movie; with only a few shots looking soft and lacking detail.
The main problem I had with the transfer was the way the color was presented. Instead of a realistic skin tones we were given a dull blue palette. This could have been a filter added by the director but outdoor shots had a tendency to look overly vibrant.
The print is in perfect condition, with no artifacts or dirt on scene throughout the film. Nasty effects such as DNR or edge enhancement are also nonexistent, which shows Sony really did a good job with this transfer.
There is no denying that the Blu-ray offers a noticeable upgrade over the DVD version. Besides the problems with the color presentation and the odd soft looking scene the presentation left me satisfied.
Audio
Sony has included both French and English 5.1 TrueHD tracks with this release and both do a great job presenting the given material.
Dialogue is presented clearly through the front channels and although bass is almost nonexistent the track does not come off tinny or echoed. Balancing is also a non issue as the sound effects and music blend well with the dialogue.
For an independent drama it is hard to fault the given tracks for the reasons above. For people who have already seen the movie on DVD or in theatre the added TrueHD tracks will not disappoint.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes – We are given 7 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Director Philippe Claudel. At about 5 minute’s total none of these scenes have any bearing on the story, however Kristin Scott Thomas has a few very well acted minutes of footage.
Final Thoughts
A great story of redemption, love, family, and rehabilitation, I’ve Loved you So Long truly is a gem worth watching. I feel this movie should have been more widely received and is a great addition to any collection, especially for those of you who love dramas, or foreign films. The acting is great all around, which is noticeably great in the fact that I couldn’t even understand the dialogue but felt the emphasis and power of the language. Along with a great story and terrific performances I’ve Loved you So Long hits Blu-ray with a great video and audio transfer. The only downfall of this film’s release is the horrible selection of features. But regardless the film is worth purchasing for fans of the film, if you haven’t seen it I would recommend you do, but rent it before purchasing as it won’t be for everyone.
