|
|
|
Search Movie Review
Archives
|
|
|
| |
| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
|
|
“The Barbarian Invasions”
|
 |
Reviewed
by: |
Wayne A. Klein |
| Genre: |
Drama |
| Video: |
2.35:1 Anamorphic
Widescreen |
| Audio: |
Dolby Digital
Surround 5.1 |
| Languages |
English |
| Subtitles |
English |
| Length |
99 minutes
|
| Rating |
R For Language,
Sexual Dialogue And Drug Content |
| Release Date |
7/13/04
|
| Studio |
Disney |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
None |
| Featurettes:
|
“Inside The Barbarian
Invasions |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
None |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Remy Girard,
Stephanie Rousseau, Marie-Jose Croze, Marina Hands Dorothee
Berryman, Johanne Marie Tremblay, Pierre Curzi, Yves Jacques
|
| Written
By: |
Denys Arcand
|
| Produced
By: |
Denise Robert,
Daniel Louis |
| Directed
By: |
Denys Arcand
|
| Music:
|
Pierre Aviant
|
| The
Review: |
Every event we experience invades
our lives. It may be uncomfortable, unfashionable, fun, exciting,
troubling but it really is an intrusion that disrupts the
status quo. That’s what living really boils down to. It’s
while walking that fine line between life and death, the process
of dying, that we realize how much we value these invasions
of our solitude because, really, no matter how close we are
to others we live isolated lives trapped in our own little
heads. That’s really what “The Barbarian Invasions” is all
about. It’s also about reconciling the difference between
what we would have liked to do with our lives to our loved
ones, what we actually did and how we try and pull it all
together to make sure that we paste together as many of the
lives that we’ve disrupted over the years. It’s about dying
but it’s not. It’s really about if we really live our lives
the way we meant to. ***
Academy Award winner for Best Foreign
Language Film, this Canadian film looks at the ties that bind
whether they be love or hate and a terminally ill college
professor who tries to make right the many wrongs of his life.
He tries to patch up his relationship with his rich estranged
son, meets with his wives, former lovers and faces the world
with the full understanding for the first time that each precious
moment needs to be enjoyed as much as possible. His son arranges
for a heroin junkie acquaintance to get her supply of drugs
provided she makes sure that his father feels no pain from
the progression of his cancer. From there the film shifts
to the relationship that develops between the woman administering
his heroin and the professor. Surprisingly funny and touching
“The Barbarian Invasions” won’t be for everyone but it’s an
enjoyable and invigorating look at how dying changes us but,
more importantly, those around us. ---
|
| Image
and Sound: |
A surprisingly
rich, attractive transfer “The Barbarian Invasions” looks quite
good on DVD. The slightly off kilter colors (it has a most distinctive
yellowish color to many of the scenes set in doors as the cinematographer
tries to capture the look fluorescent glow of hospitals and
old police stations. The picture looks sharp and clear throughout
without few if any analog or digital flaws. The sound is crystal
clear and nicely balanced. The score by Pierre Aviat reminds
me quite a bit of something Philip Glass might write and sounds
particularly rich in this nice transfer. --- |
| The
Extras: |
We get
only a single featurette with the movie. It’s an interesting
promotional featurette and it’s unique approach of using stills
from the film, it’s voice over narration (which, by the way,
is in French with subtitles) with behind the scenes footage
shot after production make it a bit unique. The actors also
discuss the themes and plot while enjoying a group dinner.
You probably won’t watch it more than once or twice. ---
|
| Commentary:
|
No commentary
track |
| Final
Words: |
A fascinating,
touching film that won’t be for everybody “The Barbarian Invasions”
touches on a large range of themes from family to how we view
ourselves through the eyes of others. The nicely textured transfer
looks quite good and, while there’s only a single featurette”
on the making of the film it runs about 50 minutes long and
uses a unique format to discuss the making of the film. |
|
|
