Winter in Paris. BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE, tells the tale of a passionate love triangle. Jean (Vincent London) and Sara (Juliette Binoche) have been living together for 10 years. When they first met, Sara was living with François (Grégoire Colin), Jean’s best friend and an admirer from back when he played pro rugby. Jean and Sara love each other. One day, Sara sees François in the street. He does not notice her, but she is overcome by the sensation that her life could suddenly change. François gets back in touch with Jean. For the first time in years. He suggests they start working together again. From here on, things spiral out of control.

For in-depth thoughts on Both Sides Of The Blade, please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Both Sides Of The Blade debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio that brings this visually sumptuous movie to life. The transfer provides a sterling amount of detail and clarity, especially in distinct aspects of the environment, clothing and production design. Objects hold up well in the shadowy environments and retain their depth with banding rarely showing up in any capacity. The movie features black levels of great depth that hold together nicely without crushing. The highlights of the movie are stable with no blooming or clipping. The movie itself has a crisp, natural palette that stands out on screen with hues popping off the screen. No damage or digital noise was detected that would detract from this transfer. RLJE and IFC Films deliver a top notch disc for this one.

Audio Quality

The film comes to Blu-Ray with an effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original French which never falters. Surround channels get some striking activity during the exterior scenes in the water and when in mixed company. The movie fleshes out environmental sounds to make the locations feel more three dimensional. The low end adds some terrific texture that enhances the atmosphere. The dialogue and sound effects are balanced well with the lovely score where nothing gets lost. There is not a thing to complain about on the audio front. There are English subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on the disc.

Final Thoughts

Both Sides Of The Blade is a film that requires patience, but those who fall under its spell will really luxuriate in all of the subtle devastation it has to dole out. Claire Denis intricately crafts a reserved tale that makes the most minute moments seem like primetime events. This would not be possible without the committed performances of the core leads, who never fail to keep you invested even during the slower moments. IFC Films and RLJE Entertainment have released a Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation but no special features. If you are a fan of the talent involved, you should at least seek it out to see where you fall on it. Recommended

Both Sides Of The Blade is currently available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.