Single mother Julie (Laure Calamy in her second nomination for a Best Actress César) works a grueling job as a head chambermaid in a five-star Parisian hotel. Julie’s daily balance of commuting from her remote suburb into Paris, tenuous childcare and search for a new job to get her out of debt, becomes unmanageable during a paralyzing transport strike in Paris. Literally running from dawn to sunset to get to her job and back home in time to fetch her children, Julie is constantly on the verge of a breakdown. When she finally gets a job interview for a position more suited to her skill set, Julie has to walk a very tightrope between keeping her current job, and sneaking out while calling on co-workers to cover for her as more obstacles pile up in front of her.

For thoughts on Full Time, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Full Time comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer after we complained about the initial DVD-Only release a few months back, and we could not be happier with the upgrade. The cinematography of the film skews a bit on the darker side, but there are moments where bright colors shine through and really make an impression. Skin tones appear to be natural, and there are some excellent facial details present, especially in close ups.

There is a world of detail on display within the production design and clothing including subtle ripples of fabric. Elements such as compression artifacts or other unwanted digital anomalies are no longer a part of this feature thanks to the format upgrade. Black levels are also much improved with great shadow detail and no signs of crush. Colors are vibrant, especially in brighter environments and locations. While the DVD may have been acceptable with no other choice on the market, this Blu-Ray is the clear choice if you want to watch this film.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a likewise improved DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original French which brings this sonically dynamic film to life. Environmental sounds are a huge part of the soundscape such as background chatter or various city sounds which add a sense of vitality throughout the channels. There is pretty consistent activity in the film, and this track presents the movie exactly as it was intended with its frantic energy. The film is largely driven by dialogue, but the transfixing music gives the track an extra shot of life. Dialogue is mixed well and comes through clearly without ever being stepped on by the score or any sound effects. Directionality is rendered accurately so that sounds originate from all the natural spots. This is a formidable disc which gives the film the sonic life it deserves. The disc includes optional English subtitles.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Critic Samm Deighan provides a really rich commentary track in which she explores the themes of the narrative, the careers of the cast and creative team, the influences on the style of the feature and more.

Isolated Score: An option to watch the film with just the score audible in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio.

Sound Design Track: An option to watch the film with just the sound design elements audible in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio.

Interview with Director Eric Gravel: A three-and-a-half minute interview with the director in which he discusses why he wanted to tell this story, taking the point of view of a single mother, choosing Laure Calamy to play the lead role, playing at the French Film Festival and more.

Filmmaker Q&A From The French Film Festival: A 41-minute Q&A with director Eric Gravel which spends about the first seven minutes with the festival organizers discussing the festival before jumping into the introduction and post-screening Q&A in which he discusses what draws him to stories about working women, the place of the score in the narrative, the performance of Laure Calamy, the reserved dignity of the main character, the place of men in the narrative, the locations featured and more.

Theatrical Trailer: The nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.

TV Spots: There are nearly two minutes worth of TV Spots provided here.

Final Thoughts

Full Time is a prime example of how filmmaking can be wielded to get you deeply invested in seemingly low-stakes actions. Through its combination of deft editing and a tightly packed script, this human tale of trying to claw your way to a better life leaves you breathless. The lead performance from Laure Calamy is a knockout, especially since the character is not positioned to be flawless. This narrative does a great job of stirring up your anxiety, and you are all the more riveted because of that. Music Box Films and Vinegar Syndrome have released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation along with some new and previously released special features. If you like a pulse-pounding thriller that hinges on believable human stakes, this is the movie for you. Recommended

Full Time is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.

Disclaimer: Music Box Films Home Entertainment 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.