In this bittersweet, often funny, semi-autobiographical period drama, director Diane Kurys (PEPPERMINT SODA) reimagines the post-War years of her parents and the passionate friendship between two women. We first meet Léna (Isabelle Huppert, playing a role modeled after Kurys’ mother) in 1942, a young Jewish woman in an internment camp run by the Vichy authorities. She accepts a proposal of marriage by one of the camp workers in the hopes of escaping deportation to Nazi Germany. They escape on foot, crossing the Alps to Italy, and settle in Lyon after the war to raise two daughters. At a school event she meets another mother, Madeleine (Miou-Miou), a charismatic artist, and the two form a special bond that offers the promise of escaping the mundane domestic life they’ve grown dissatisfied with. “A bittersweet domestic epic that reconciles feminism with femininity.” – Time

For thoughts on Entre Nous, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/tZ_w9yoCx1s?t=1090]

Video Quality

Entre Nous comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 2.35:1 OAR derived from a 4K restoration. While not without some brief flaws, the new restoration looks really excellent throughout most of the runtime. There are occasional minor specks of print damage that do not really bother since overall clarity and detail is so impressive. The shots inside various interiors are packed with little details in the production design that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer.

Black levels hold up favorably with strong details in the shadow and very little in the way of crush. Digital noise is mostly avoided throughout. There can be a slight loss in fine detail in some faster moving moments, but this does not register as a persistent issue. Colors are nicely saturated in a way that makes environments really pop, although you do get some variances in color temperature in a few spots. Skin tones are natural and consistent with distinct facial features easily noticeable in closeup. This new presentation is fetching and likely looks better than it ever has before. The Cohen Film Collection has done a fantastic job with this one.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a very capable LPCM 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French with forced English subtitles. The dialogue is the main focus here as it stays firmly planted in the mix without threat of being overwhelmed by competing sounds. The track maintains a strong balance with all competing elements so that dialogue comes through clearly. The score sounds very pleasant throughout the duration of the film, as it settles you into the emotions of the narrative. Environmental sounds such as car noises or weather effects are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any major instances of age-related wear and tear. This audio presentation offers a good representation of the film.

Special Features

Interview with Director Diane Kurys: A 38-minute interview with Kurys in which she discusses the personal nature and motivations for making the film, the relationship between true friendship and love, getting the details of the war from her parents, the collaboration during production and more.

Final Thoughts

Entre Nous is a very layered and sensitively told story that radiates authenticity thanks to the elements that director Diane Kurys incorporates from her own experiences. The performance from Isabelle Huppert is as strong as you would expect from an actor of her caliber, and Miou-Miou complements her quite favorably. With a feminine voice behind the camera, this story is allowed to be told in a manner that is rich with complexities that makes it a really rewarding experience. Cohen Media Group and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a really good A/V presentation and an insightful interview. If you are interested in complex portrayals of women or Huppert in particular, this film is definitely worth your time. Recommended

Entre Nous is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

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

Disclaimer: Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.