Alain Resnais: A Decade in Film [4 Discs]

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 4
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vistavision)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Interview with producer Marin Karmitz on the making of I Want To Go Home and working with Resnais
  • Interview with producer Marin Karmitz on the making of Melo, and on working with director Alain Resnais
  • Interview with Star Pierre Arditi on making of Love Unto Death and collaborating with the director Alain Resnais
  • "Resnais est un Resnais" a documentary on the making of Life Is a Bed of Roses

AWARDS

• French Academy of Cinema

•     Won Best Actress - 1986 (Sabine Azéma)
•     Won Best Supporting Actor - 1986 (Pierre Arditi)

• Venice International Film Festival

•     Won Osella for Best Screenplay - 1989 (Jules Feiffer)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Adolph Green - Joey Wellman
       Fanny Ardant - Christiane Levesque
       Geraldine Chaplin - Nora Winkle
       Andre Dussollier - Jerome Martignac
       Jacques Dacqmine - Dr. Remy
       Genevieve Mnich - Anne Jourdet
       Catherine Arditi - Yvonne
       Caroline Sihol - Dora Dempsey
       Andre Dussollier - Raoul Vandamme
       Anne Roussel - The tired woman

• Director:

  Alain Resnais

• Producer:

  Marin Karmitz, Philippe Dussart

• Screenwriter:

  Alain Resnais

• Play Author:

  Henri Bernstein

• Screenwriter:

  Jules Feiffer, Jean Gruault

• Cinematographer:

  Agfa-Gevaert Color, Charlie van Damme, Sacha Vierny, Bruno Nuytten

• Featured Music:

  Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms

• Composer (Music Score):

  Philippe Gerard, John Kander, Hans Werner Henze

• Editor:

  Albert Jurgenson, Jean-Pierre Besnard

• Production Designer:

  Jacques Saulnier, Enki Bilal

• Art Director:

  Enki Bilal, Jacques Saulnier

• Set Designer:

  Jacques Saulnier, Philippe Turlure

• Costume Designer:

  Catherine Leterrier

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Jean-Claude Laureux, Jean-Paul Loublier, Pierre Lenoir

• Makeup:

  Dominique de Vorges

• Camera Operator:

  Philippe Brun

• Costume/Wardrobe:

  Enki Bilal

REVIEWS:

• Exactly what Alain Resnais is trying to say in the delightful but dense La Vie Est Un Roman is anybody's guess, but viewers shouldn't let the obscurity of its message prevent them from experiencing this unique and often fascinating piece of cinema. It doesn't matter whether the filmmaker is saying that human desire for domination is its downfall or that progress and destruction are inevitably linked or any of the many other messages that an individual may take away from viewing Roman. What's more important is what the individual viewer makes of it, and what's even more important is not getting hung up on the message but giving in to the weird and entrancing vision of this most curious of directors. Resnais' sense of style is in full flower here, and he's fully in command of his resources, creating stunning images, disconcerting bursts of song, and wildly imaginative homages to other directors and genres. And it's all fun -- if one sits back and simply lets it wash over one. The cast is also a dream; if no one actor is given the chance to dominate due to the film's triadic structure, they all play together extremely well as an ensemble, with perhaps Fanny Ardant, Vittorio Gassman, and Geraldine Chaplin standing out slightly. Approached in the right frame of mind, Roman is an engrossing experience. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
• Fans of director Alain Resnais will desperately search I Want to Go Home to find a gem hidden beneath its obnoxious surface, but it's doubtful that even the most dedicated searcher will be able to convince himself that the extremely talented Resnais did not come a cropper with Home. Home is not totally devoid of interest, for it has an antic, bizarre atmosphere about it that in small doses is appealing. And one does admire the director and writer Jules Feiffer for attempting to create a situation in which their over-the-top leading characters can become so outrageous as to transcend their total lack of appeal. Unfortunately, they fall far short of finding that transcendence, with the result that Home boasts two of the most unpleasant and irritating leading characters to be found in cinema -- and the supporting characters are not really very far ahead of them in the personality department. Things wouldn't be so bad if the screenplay were wittier more incisive or even if it just were better plotted. But Home is pretty much a mess. There are some wonderful moments in that mess, such as the sight of Linda Lavin and Gerard Depardieu dressing up as Olive Oyl and Popeye, but they're not enough to make Home a winner. The cast isn't to blame; they all do exactly what they've been asked to do, including Adolph Green and Laura Benson as the two most annoying of the characters. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi