Clara (Penélope Cruz) and Felice struggle to raise their three children in 1970s Rome. The eldest, Andrew, is transgender and yearns for another life where he gets to live as the boy he knows himself to be. Clara instinctively strives to protect her son by escaping into their imaginations to defuse family tensions. L’immensita is a creative and moving film about growing up and breaking the mold.
For in-depth thoughts on L’Immensita, please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its original festival debut here.
Video Quality
L’Immensita comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation in its original 2.39:1 that captures the film impeccably. This is a gorgeous film that conjures the ‘70s time period with a great deal of care. Throughout the film, you are treated to locales and landscapes where you can see an impressive amount of detail. Faces appear to be very textured and natural all around. The transfer retains the nostalgic look of the aesthetic intention quite favorably with no dips even in the shadowy elements of the screen.
The film is replete with natural colors throughout with several moments that make an impression from the landscapes to some of the costumes, such as the red jacket. The interiors are typically a more reserved environment that presents subdued tones juxtaposed with bold pieces of production design that are realized with a pleasing richness. The highlights are handled carefully, along with black levels that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. Music Box Films Home Entertainment has done a swell job with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Italian that easily accomplishes everything that is asked of it. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overwhelmed by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is not flashy, but it complements the visuals with all of the sounds positioned correctly in the mix. The environmental effects create a thoughtful soundscape of well-balanced activity. The implementation of the score fills the room amiably. This is not a kinetic film in the slightest, but activity in the low end provides some fundamental texture to numerous scenes. This is a grand release that brings the movie to life in a really wonderful way. There are optional English subtitles provided here.
Special Features
- Photo Gallery: A selection of stills from the movie and production are provided.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
L’Immensita is a terrific look at your seemingly standard complicated family dynamics which reveals much more complexity than you may have expected upon first blush. The sensitivity with which this feature tackles its thematic underpinnings is admirable as the two main characters evolve and come to learn a lot about themselves. Not every moment is rosy, but by the time you reach the end, you will feel like you have experienced an emotional gut punch. The performances are aces across the board, keeping certain extraneous scenes from feeling like they are dragging too much. Music Box Films Home Entertainment has given this lovely film a Blu-Ray release featuring a top-notch A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. Don’t let this one pass by your radar. Recommended
L’Immensita is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
