JASMÍNINY SLZY – Blu-ray

It's been more than half a year since Woody Allen's last film was released. Of course, in that time, I also wrote a review of the film's theatrical release. Our editor Karolína Černá has done the film review. So here are a few quotes from the review:

The screenplay was written by Woody Allen himself, as he did with most of his films. Women are his inspiration, no doubt about it. The story of Jasmine and Ginger is not too complicated and is very close to reality. Allen proves his excellent knowledge of women who are navigating the world of wealth while at the same time becoming increasingly out of touch with the real world. The relationship with money, the relationship with their partners, knowing the difference between the world of dreams and reality and above all knowing how to handle critical situations is what sets the two sisters apart. It's not just experience and luck, but their ability to overcome problems and the art of learning from their mistakes. It is no longer just a story of one woman and her problems, but a demonstration of a dual approach to life.

The world of practical Ginger, on the other hand, is imperfect, with jobs, little money and men who drink beer and watch TV. It seems so ordinary that Jasmine hates it. However, her sister Ginger doesn't understand her opinion. What can anyone have against her suitor. "He's sexy and he doesn't steal," she says in his defense. It's short and to the point.

The full review is here.

Now, a bit on the Blu-ray. It's a great shame that the digital medium contains only the film, no bonus features. So for the price of less than 500Kč we get what went on in the cinema. Of course, there is a Czech dub, which uses established voices, i.e. Simona Postlerova for the main character Jasmine played by Cate Blanchett. The other actors in this film aren't that well known, so it's not a great loss that they aren't dubbed immediately by the most established dubbers. Alec Baldwin is voiced by Zdenek Mahdal, and of course there's the participation of dubbing chameleon (Alien Alsatian) Bohdan Tuma.

The analogue source of the film is beautifully visible in the image, so I'm very glad that the film has film grain on Blu-ray as well. It works to the benefit of the whole picture. It's a joy to behold, knowing that Woody Allen is still shooting on camera with the old film. Though let's admit that the film has undergone a few color corrections that have tinted the image a golden yellow. You can see it all in the film's screenshots.

So for fans of Woody Allen, the film is a must-see, even at a price of around £500. It's a shame, though, that the Blu-ray comes with no bonus features, so more people will surely buy it if the price is lowered a bit.