DVD Reviews

Chrysalis

Julien Leclercq has crafted a visual masterpiece in only his first feature film.  His aesthetic prowess shows that he is someone to keep an eye out for.  Unfortunately I feel he’s taken on too much with this film as he also takes on the duties of writing and it is here that I feel the film falls a little short.  There are twists and turns galore but it takes soooooo long to get from one plot point to another with lots and lots of dialogue that just doesn’t seem needed.

 The year is 2025. The location is Paris. A cop haunted by the death of his partner is on the hunt for a killer.  How is a young woman with a secret past involved? How high does the corruption travel? This cyberpunk crime drama plays out in a sleek technological futuristic society where science, it appears, isn’t always your friend.

 The audio is presented in French 5.1 surround but it’s not the best track.  There is some use of surrounds during action sequences and occasionally to create atmosphere.  The LFE channel gets a good workout late in the film and had my place rumbling.  There is also a 5.1 English dub which is decent.  The track isn’t quite as robust as the French one but is still enjoyable for those that would like to watch the movie rather than read it.

The video comes in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and though the picture is far from perfect, I think a lot of it is intentional.  This film is very monochromatic, so much so that it’s almost black & white.  The contrast would have been better served with stronger blacks as this film could really pop off the screen but at the same time, I believe they were trying to create a somewhat dreamlike feel so the detail in the film is more muted.  Though, had the transfer been any less crisp, it might have been a little difficult to watch. Because of the style of the visuals, colours are unnatural, and there is some grain and artifacting present.  There is no print damage as far as I could tell.

 The dvd opens with trailers for “While she was out” and “Red Mist.”   Neither of these trailers is accessible from the DVD menus.  There are, in fact, only 2 extras in the extras menu.  First up is “The Making of Chrysalis.” The piece is in French (of course) with English subtitles and opens with some great behind the scenes footage of the opening scene which gives you a good sense of how the director works and visualizes things.  There is a lot more behind-the-scenes footage as well as interviews with the director and principal cast and crew. They touch on visual effects, set design, characters, lighting, camera work, and fight choreography.  It is one of the better behind-the-scenes pieces I’ve ever seen.  They could have easily made an hour long piece and I still would have been interested because the information given is so in depth and covers so many aspects of the film.

The only other extra on the disc is the film’s theatrical trailer. This is also presented in French with English subtitles and amazingly enough, makes the film seem like an action film which it clearly isn’t.

Chrysalis isn’t for everyone.  The beautiful visual style doesn’t make up for the extremely slow pacing but it is far from a complete loss.  This DVD is definitely worth a rental but cinephiles might want to grab it as they may appreciate the film to a greater degree than the regular viewing public. I’m looking forward to seeing more from this director.

Review By Rob Harding