Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow wake up in bed together, having just met the night before. Much cautious circling of the one another ensues in the apartment, and as they go their separate ways, more anxious debating follows regarding whether they should get together again. Is Farrow the one for Hoffman, and what about the fact that he doesn’t even know her name?
This is a film that could only have been made in 1969 (unless your name is Woody Allen), what with its incessant interrogation of character neuroses and a very self-conscious attempt to present us with How Romance Works In The New Scene. The script is not as smart as it thinks it is, and a perfect example of this is the scene where are two characters first meet. The context is a disagreement over a movie that another character thinks is pretentious nonsense. The film, never mentioned by name, Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend. So the reference is lying there for film-savvy viewers to catch and feel superior to the characters, this is hardly a film that can justifiably be name-checking that corrosive satire. In two words, the film is pretentious and contrived. In one word, tiresome.
Audio
Mono and stereo options are present here, with very little to distinguish them. The stereo has a decently warm sound, but has no surround presence whatsoever, and given how quiet much of the film is, the difference between the two tracks really comes down to a nuance. The sound is warm, though, and free of distortion.
Video
The print is in excellent shape. There is some minor speckling, but no grain or other damage. The flesh tones, colours, contrasts and blacks are all very strong, and the image is sharp. The film may be very dated, but the look of the print and transfer are not.
Special Features
A trailer and some liner notes are accompanied by behind-the-scenes, production and publicity galleries.
Closing Thoughts
I’ll say this for the Cinema Classics Collection: it’s eclectic. But many of the choices aren’t really classics. This is a case in point.
Special Features List
- Still Galleries
- Trailer
- Liner Notes
