The
Color Of Lies (1999/Cohen Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: C Film: B
Cohen
Film Collection presents the 1999 French film The Color of Lies,
which is directed by Claude Chabrol, for the first time in this
stunning Blu-ray release. While the extras may not be too plentiful,
the film looks better than ever and has been digitally remastered.
(This is the first film that the film has been made available in the
U.S. on Blu-ray.) The film stars Sandrine Bonnaire and Jacques
Gamblin. Some have compared the film to Hitchcock in terms of its
carefully crafted characters and plot, par for the course in all
Chabrol's work, even if many disagree.
In
a small town in Brittany, a 10-year-old girl is found murdered. The
last person to see her alive was her art teacher and professional
artist René (Gamblin). He soon becomes the primary suspect in the
murder investigation spearheaded by the new chief of police
Frédérique Lesage (Bruni-Tedeschi), which destroys his life as
people in the small town believe that he is the killer although there
is no hard evidence. René is completely dedicated to his wife
(Bonnaire), a nurse whose perpetual happy mood is the polar opposite
of his personality. Meanwhile, Frederique becomes better acquainted
with the eccentric residents of the town, including an arrogant
television journalist (de Caunes), a small-time crook who fences
stolen goods (Marlot), and a bizarre pair of married shopkeepers
(Ogier and Simsolo).
Director
Chabrol, who was one of the most successful members of the French New
Wave, breathes life into this suspenseful film, which was one of his
last and brings quiet subtlety, irony, well-crafted characters, and
humor. The Color of Lies is rather than a whodunit mystery
more of a sociological experiment on the ramifications of suspicion
and assumed guilt in an isolated, almost hermetically sealed, village
environment that weaves a tale that is very interesting not unlike
Sam Raimi's The Gift.
The
picture and sound on the film are superb with an AVC encoded 1080p
high definition transfer (with an aspect ratio of 1.66:1) and a 2.0
LPCM audio track that enriches the French language and the world of
the film.
Special
Features include Audio Commentary by Film Critics Wade Major and
Andy Klein, and a 2014 Re-Release Trailer.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv
