Sometimes magic is the only thing that’s real. Academy Award Winners Robert De Niro (The King of Comedy) and Meryl Streep (Silkwood) are together again for the first time since The Deer Hunter. In Ulu Grosbard’s Falling in Love, they play Frank Raftis and Molly Gilmore, two everyday people who meet first by chance, and later by choice. There’s just one thing standing between Frank and Molly’s intense, newfound love—both are already married. It’s a genuine modern dilemma, and De Niro, Streep and a fine supporting cast bring the story to life with flair and sensitivity. Falling in Love has been remastered from a new 4K scan of its original 35mm camera negative for this worldwide Blu-ray premiere.

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Video Quality

Falling In Love debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Fun City Editions with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that is derived from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. The presentation preserves the natural filmic look of the source with impeccable image stability and clarity. There are numerous environments presented that are rich for exploration from crowded book stores to construction sites, domestic spaces, and more. Each setting is preserved well on screen with great texture in the costumes and production design.

Colors are deftly saturated in the most pleasing manner with deep, natural hues coming through with unbeatable accuracy. The film bookends during the holiday season, and all of the festive colors are stunning. Highlights stay firm to avoid blooming, and black levels achieve a nice depth with no notable instances of crush or banding observed. Skin tones are natural and consistent with discrete features and makeup easily distinguishable. Virtually all instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have been eliminated. Everything appears to be natural to its intended appearance with no instances of unwanted clumpy grain frozen in the background. Fun City Editions knocks it out of the park this outing.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds amazing from beginning to end. One of the most identifiable aspects of the film is the score from Dave Grusin, and every note emanates with prime fidelity. We did not experience any deficiencies or signs of age-related wear and tear such as hissing or distortion. The track achieves everything it sets out to do for a sonically consistent experience. Each environment feels faithfully rendered to achieve a believable soundscape. Dialogue is a star element of this narrative, and every exchange comes through clearly. Fun City Editions has put forth the necessary care here. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film historian Jim Hemphill provides a solid commentary track that explores the production of the film, the careers of the talent involved, the themes of the feature, the location shooting, and much more that is worthwhile.

Image Gallery: A nearly seven-minute slideshow of stills and marketing materials.

Trailer (1:36): This is provided as an easter egg on the special features menu screen.

Booklet: There is a bound booklet included featuring essays by Mitchell Beaupre and Daniel Schweiger. These pieces explore the production of the film, the performances, the score, and much more that is enlightening.

Final Thoughts

Falling In Love is a film that challenges you to decide if you are willing to root for a couple that blooms out of betrayal. It does not let you off the hook so easily with partners who are toxic or problematic in overt ways. Real life does not always cut so black and white, and the movie presents this burgeoning connection on its own terms as performed perfectly by two of our greatest living performers. The film grows in estimation the more you sit with it and gain new experiences. It is a very good film that deals with thorny subject matter with great care. Fun City Editions has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring an outstanding A/V presentation and a worthwhile commentary track. Recommended

Falling In Love 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: Fun City Editions 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.