Two outcasts are drawn together by crime and passion in this early tour de force from director Jacques Audiard. Carla (Emmanuelle Devos, who won a César Award for her performance) is an unappreciated, hard-of-hearing employee at a nondescript construction company. Her lonely life gets a jolt of excitement when she hires a new assistant: Paul (Vincent Cassel), an ex-con who soon enlists her (and her lip-reading ability) in a risky scheme. With visceral camera work and sound design, Audiard immerses viewers in the duo’s increasingly turbulent world, blending noir conventions with complex character development for a thriller of unique depth and emotion.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Read My Lips with an impressive 2160p HDR/Dolby Vision transfer in its original 1.85:1 sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative that has been undertaken by Pathé and supervised and approved by director Jacques Audiard. The film is also debuting on Blu-Ray in North America using the same new master, which can be acquired in this package or individually. We always appreciate it when a title leaps straight to 4K UHD from DVD, as you will undoubtedly experience a notable uptick in quality. This presentation is an authentic rendering of the material that retains the perfect amount of natural film grain. Everything resolves consistently, extracting valuable detail from the background. You can easily observe the textures of the clothing and production design. There are no indications of grain reduction or digital manipulation, and any potential print damage has been eliminated.

The new Dolby Vision transfer effortlessly captures the intended look of the film as captured by director of photography Mathieu Vadepied. One of the major benefits of this 4K UHD experience is how the film dials in its contrast. Moments of darkness and shadow retain their depth and do not succumb to crush or noise. Highlights are similarly handled with care to avoid blooming as whites shine off the screen. The mundane aesthetic of the office contrasts with the vibrant atmosphere of the nightclub. Every space seems to be accurately brought to life with this terrific new HDR grade. The film also provides notable colors in elements such as the lighting, some of the outfits, and the production design. This transfer is a first-rate effort for fans of the film. The Criterion Collection has treated this one with great care.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a remastered DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in its original French with optional English subtitles, which is an exemplary representation of the soundscape. The key to this movie is the score from Alexandre Desplat, as it perfectly sets the alluring tone of the narrative that flows out with ideal fidelity. Environmental sounds are brought to the forefront very deliberately to ground the viewer in each space. The low-end response brings some subtle activity to the proceedings, especially in the thumping club moments, but it is far from an action-packed narrative.

The dialogue is the star of the show, and every exchange flows out without getting overwhelmed by a competing element. Each phrase primarily stays fixed in the center channel with a clear intonation. There is no threat of anything overshadowing vital information, and all threads maintain a proper balance. There are no signs of age-related wear and tear or distortion. The Criterion Collection has given this film an authentic audio experience.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Read My Lips includes a booklet featuring the essay “The Tip of My Tongue” by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau, which provides valuable context and background to the movie. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Actors Vincent Cassel and Emmanuelle Devos provide an archival commentary track from 2002 in the original French. This one discusses the ideas behind the story, memories from the production, working with Jacques Audiard, and more.

Afterword by Jacques Audiard: A new 13-minute interview with the filmmaker in which he discusses his background, his response to the initial script, why he was excited to work with a mixture of genres, the Italian inspiration in the design elements, the qualities of the performers, lessons he learned during the production of the film, and more.

Revisiting Read My Lips: A 41-minute piece from 2024 with director Jacques Audiard, director of photography Mathieu Vadepied, and co-screenwriter Tonino Benacquista, in which they reflect on the film, how things evolved throughout the production, and more.

Alexandre Desplat: A nearly 15-minute archival interview in which the composer discusses how he came to the project, what appealed to him about the story, working with Jacques Audiard, his inspiration for various moments, and more.

Deleted Scenes: A ten-minute selection of footage that didn’t make the final cut of the film is presented in upscaled standard definition. These can be viewed with optional audio commentary from Jacques Audiard.

Trailer (1:37)

Final Thoughts

Read My Lips is a captivating early feature from Jacques Audiard that skillfully blends crime drama with emotional character dynamics. By throwing you into the world of these two individuals and all of the complexities they hold inside, you get fully invested in their ultimate fate once they begin to act amorally. The performances from Emmanuelle Devos and Vincent Cassel are really great as they disappear into these roles. This is a strong showing from a director early in his career. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a fantastic A/V presentation and a welcome array of special features. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Read My Lips will be available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on September 23, 2025.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection 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.