The final film from director Alain Corneau (SERIE NOIRE, TOUS LES MATINS DU MONDE), LOVE CRIME pits the fiery talents of Ludivine Sagnier (A GIRL CUT IN TWO) and Oscar-nominee Kristin Scott Thomas (THE ENGLISH PATIENT) against each other in a deliciously twisted tale of office politics that turn, literally, cut-throat.

When Christine, a powerful executive (Scott Thomas), brings on a naive young ingénue, Isabelle (Sagnier), as her assistant, she delights in toying with her naïveté and teaching her hard lessons in a ruthless professional philosophy. But when the protege’s ideas become tempting enough for Christine to pass one as her own, she underestimates Isabelle’s ambition and cunning– and the ground is set for all out war. In this devilish, propulsive thriller, Corneau sets up a the scenery expertly and his actors devour it.

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Video Quality

Love Crime debuts on Blu-Ray domestically with a 1080p presentation that represents the 35mm source with great care. The filmic look is retained which allows the transfer to harness the most detail out of every scene. The frame provides notable depth to the various interiors, as you would expect from an accomplished filmmaker such as Alain Corneau. The production design and key clothing fabrics provide impeccable textural details. Black levels are mostly deep and detailed with no unacceptable digital noise and only a touch of raised blacks. The image is clear of damage with the vibrant color palette saturating the screen. The flesh tones are natural with an inviting amount of detail in close-ups. This Blu-Ray is a lovely representation of the movie.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a consistent DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original mixture of English and French with forced English subtitles for non-English dialogue. Biting dialogue is one of the driving forces of the narrative, and it always comes through clearly in terms of accuracy to the source. None of the exchanges are overshadowed by any competing sounds. There is almost nothing in the way of action-packed moments, but a few heightened moments wake up the surround speakers in an effective way. Ambient details expand the setting when called upon. The score emanates with premium fidelity on this disc. Sound effects engage the low end of the track in a way that provides vital texture to the proceedings. The audio track is a winner.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critic Travis Woods provides a commentary track that analyzes the film through its place in Alain Corneau’s filmography, the stylistic conventions of the cinematography, the background of the performers, and more that is worth a listen.

Video Essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas: A new nearly 17-minute video essay by film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas that explores the concept of doubles, the filmography of Alain Corneau, the pedigree of the performers, the themes of the film, and more.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Auteur-On-Auteur Violence: The Elusive Whys and Slippery Hows of Love Crime and Passion” by Katie Rife is provided that offers a deeper analysis and history of director Alain Corneau that is very valuable.

Final Thoughts

Love Crime is a strong swan song for legendary French auteur Alain Corneau. The film is sultry and engaging as you see two women who are fixated on one another quietly escalate their interactions until one of them reaches a breaking point. The film is anchored by two excellent performances, and the editing keeps you locked into all of the twists and turns with breathless anticipation. If you love a good mystery thriller, give this one a whirl. IFC Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation and a welcome selection of supplemental features. Recommended

Love Crime 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 Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: IFC Films and OCN Distribution 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.