MovieFreak.com - Read My Lips DVD Review

DVD REVIEW

Read My Lips (Sur mes lèvres) (2001)

Starring: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Devos

Director: Jacques Audiard

Rating: R

Studio: Columbia Tristar

Release Date: 7.22.03

Review Posted: 7.22.03

Spoilers: Minor

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

Carla (Emmanuelle Devos) is beginning to chafe at the limitations of her career and is looking to move up. But as a 35-year-old woman with a hearing deficiency, she is not sure how. Into her life comes Paul Angeli (Vincent Cassel), a new trainee. At 25, he is completely unskilled, but Carla covers for him when the need arises because of his other qualities - he’s a thief fresh out of jail, very good-looking and maybe of some use to her.

Critique

Read My Lips is an attentive, engaging, and clever little thriller. Calling it a little thriller is not a bad thing, however. Director Jacques Audiard places two completely opposite characters in a fast-paced environment, which creates an interesting and workable relationship. Carla and Paul make an unconventional couple, but it is exactly this unconventional technique that makes Read My Lips pay off. The script, by Jacques Audiard and Tonino Benaquista, is not too original, but it makes the relationship between Carla and Paul more interesting. It deals each character a subplot that needs to be resolved. For Carla it is to find a boyfriend, someone she can socialize with and talk to. For Paul it is to redeem himself in the eyes of the authorities and find an income. When they first meet, nothing really happens between them. However, as they spend more and more time together at the workplace something sparks. Their relationship holds together the plot, which in the second half turns into a caper of sorts. The second half doesn’t move as fast as the first, but what’s on screen satisfies the direction of the story.

Additionally, Read My Lips benefits from the work and talents of the key crew. First up is Mathieu Vadepied’s intoxicating cinematography. He places the camera up close and personal, which evokes a sense of realism. At times shaky, the camera captures every scene with a sense of importance. Also noteworthy is the original music score by Alexandre Desplat. It occurs at all the right moments and sounds just beautiful. Emphasizing Carla’s hearing deficiency is the fading out of sound when she adjusts her earpiece, which works really well. Surely, Read My Lips benefits the most from the performances of the two lead characters. Emmanuelle Devos might not have the looks of a model, but her performance is both strong and exotic. Vincent Cassel (The Crimson Rivers) turns in a commendable performance, too, although his role is nothing new. Still Cassel pulls off an interesting spin to his character. Looking back at the script, it’s not too original but it puts a nice spin on relationships and capers. All that’s left to say is that while Read My Lips is a fine, clever, and engaging little thriller.

8 out of 10

The Video

Columbia Tristar presents Read My Lips in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is not that bad. I didn’t notice any problems with the print, although grain and dirt shows up in a few instances. There are a variety of nice colors here, most of which look nice. Color detail is not too specific, but accurate enough. Dark tones and black levels are fine for a film like this. Read My Lips looks pretty decent and overall presents a good presentation.

8 out of 10

The Audio

Columbia Tristar presents Read My Lips in French Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Some of the sound effects come across nicely, but not on any great level. Dialog scenes are fairly clear and easy to understand. Alexandre Desplat’s score is accentuated quite well. Surround usage is not particularly evident or hard at work, since most of the noise comes from the front speakers. The overall presentation is fairly decent and works fine for the film’s artistic purposes.

7 out of 10

The Extras

The only extra is the film’s Theatrical Trailer and bonus trailers for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie and Double Vision. You can select to view the film with optional English subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated. The 119-minute feature is organized into twenty-eight chapters.

1 out of 10

Overall

Read My Lips is an effective and engaging thriller that benefits from the performances of the two lead actors as well as the talents of the key crew, such as the director, cinematographer, and composer. Video and audio quality is pretty good. There are no extras, which kind of sucks. Still, Read My Lips is recommended, so make it a definite rental.

RATINGS SUMMARY