- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: Spanish LPCM 2.0 Stereo, Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English
- Region: A
- Rating: Not Rated
- Discs: 1
- Studio: Palm Pictures
- Blu-ray Release Date: October 12, 2010
- List Price: $29.98
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase Sex and Lucía on Blu-ray at CD Universe
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
What is compelling about Julio Medem’s Sex and Lucía is not the torrid sex (although that certainly helps), but rather the stylish way in which he tells the story and the superb acting of all involved. In fact, Sex and Lucía has less to do with sex and more to do with the unknown character of relationships. Medem crafts the story in a non-linear fashion that blends reality and the dream world, which can sometimes be confusing, but is always exhilarating and beautiful to watch.
When a waitress, Lucía (Paz Vega), gets word that her novelist boyfriend Lorenzo (Tristán Ulloa) has been in a serious accident, she takes off to the small island village where he his from. There she reminisces on their quick and passionate relationship, but also discovers that Lorenzo has a secret past he has been keeping from her and writing about in his latest novel. She meets people from his past that she never knew she had connections to and reassesses her relationship with Lorenzo.
Don’t let the title of the film fool you, Sex and Lucía, it turns out, has more to do with Lorenzo, his past mistakes and how he has been trying to run from them, than it has to do with Lucía. It is through Lorenzo and his writing or fantasies that Julio Medem crafts the dreamlike world that is Sex and Lucía. The film really could be titled Strangers in Love, a seeming oxymoron for sure, but that is more like what it is. Lucía and Lorenzo are two strangers who believe they are in love. Lucía meets more strangers she has a connection to who are also in love and Lorenzo may turn out to be the ultimate stranger to everyone.
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Originally captured in high definition using a Sony HDW-F900 camera, Sex and Lucía arrives on Blu-ray in a 2.35:1 AVC/MPEG-4 1080p/24 encoding. Ironically, though produced in HD, the highly stylized film does not lend itself well to looking great in high definition. There are many moments of softness, a lot of scenes filled with video noise, and, most of all, high contrast levels that clip and wipe out any benefits of added resolution. Flesh tones don’t always look natural either, sometimes looking quite waxy.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Sex and Lucía is a quiet film and as such the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1soundtrack isn’t going to provide an exciting home theatre experience. In fact, the 5.1 mix is barely an upgrade over the LPCM 2.0 mix that is provided on the disc as well. The surround channels are barely put to use with some ambient effects that are balanced very low into the mix. Low frequencies do not really factor into the equation either. However, the dialogue is clear and Alberto Iglesias’ lilting score sounds airy and dynamic, but not overwhelming in the mix.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2/5]
It’s unfortunate that none but one of the supplements offered are in high definition, particularly for a film produced in high definition, but this was from the early days of HD. The supplements provide lots of brief interview segments with the film’s stars and the directors, which is a plus.
The supplements provided with this release are:
- Behind the Scenes of Sex and Lucía (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:26.30) — Get a glimpse at the production of the film as the director offers his thoughts on the idea behind Sex and Lucía.
- Bonus Interviews (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:28.18)):
- Paz Vega
- Tristán Ulloa
- Elena Anaya
- Najwa Nimri
- Javier Cámara
- Daniel Freire
- Mntse Sanz
- Kiko de la Rica
- Julio Medem
- Original Soundtrack — Information on the film’s soundtrack and composer of the score, Alberto Iglesias.
- Photo Gallery (1.33:1; 1080i/60)
- Biographies:
- Paz Vega
- Tristán Ulloa
- Najwa Nimri
- Javier Cámara
- Elena Anaya
- Julio Medem
- Trailers (2.35:1; 1080p/24)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Well crafted, beautifully acted, highly stylized, and, yes, erotic, Sex and Lucía is just the sort of film that keeps the viewer both unbalanced and wanting more from start to finish. Recommended.
Additional Screen Captures:
[amazon-product align=”right”]B003VMFWW0[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Sex and Lucía on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
