‘Duet For One’ Blu-Ray Review – Julie Andrews Bares Her Soul In Heart-Wrenching Drama

The iconic Julie Andrews (Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie) takes on the most challenging role of her career as Stephanie Anderson, a world-famous violinist suddenly afflicted with multiple sclerosis. Forced to watch helplessly while her talent ebbs away, Stephanie discovers that her marriage is crumbling too, when her composer-conductor husband (Alan Bates, Women in Love) escapes into an affair with his secretary. Convinced that her life is now worthless, Stephanie drifts into a world of bitterness and isolation, ignoring the advice of her psychiatrist (Max von Sydow, Needful Things) and continuing on her self-destructive course. Alone and desperate, she finally has no choice but to confront and conquer her despair—or die trying. Finely directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (Maria’s Lovers, Runaway Train), Duet for One reveals new dimensions of Julie Andrews’ breathtaking brilliance in a rare and touching drama. The all-star cast also includes Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding) and Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List).

For thoughts on Duet For One, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/7HBwkgADakk?t=725]

Video Quality

Duet For One comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 courtesy of Kino Classics from a new 2K master that is quite lovely. There has been a great amount of effort put into cleaning this one up as it exhibits minimal signs of damage or digital tinkering. The mild bits of speckling are unobtrusive and unlikely to lessen anyone’s experience. The transfer looks clear and detailed for the majority of the runtime with only a couple of moments exhibiting density fluctuations in the grain field. 

Image quality is great with some terrific detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Colors are saturated with a notable vibrancy to them that captures all the visual nuances of the palette. Black levels are strong in their depth, even if a few moments struggle with depth and delineation. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are not a common occurrence at any point. The new presentation is unlikely to displease any fans who have been waiting for an upgrade. 

Audio Quality

Kino Classics brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that capably captures the soundscape of this one. With music being such an important part of the identity of the main character, it is welcome news to say the score from Michael Bishop holds up with remarkable fidelity. Dialogue likewise comes through very nicely, never overshadowed by the music or worldly noises. The environmental effects are not distributed in a showy manner, but they are delineated nicely within the channels. This is not a movie that engages its low end on a frequent basis, but it complements with some texture all the same. Kino Classics has delivered a fine audio experience here. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses how this fits into the career of Andrei Konchalovsky, his tenure with Cannon Films, the background of the production, the shooting locations, the real-life inspiration for the narrative, the talent on screen and much more that is a great listen. 

• Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided for Duet For One. There are also trailers provided for Maria’s Lovers, Runaway Train and Thoroughly Modern Millie. 

Final Thoughts

Duet For One is a fairly captivating drama thanks to the fearless performance of Julie Andrews. The men around her are mostly fine, although Alan Bates does not really register as particularly special portraying her husband. But it is Andrews that provides the only reasonable reason to embark on this journey, which is actually not as heartbreaking as it could have been if it was trying to be cruel. The character dynamics are layered and the emotional payoff lands. Kino Classics has brought this film to Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a new commentary track. If you love anyone in the ensemble, this is worth seeking out. Recommended   

Duet For One is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.