AN
AFFAIR TO REMEMBER ($20) is long considered the king (or queen) of
weepy tearjerkers; having its a status brought home to a new generation of
movie fans, when the film became an integral part of the plot of the
wildly popular SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE. Aside from its more weepy
aspects, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER is a highly entertaining movie
because of the wonderful interplay of its two stars Cary Grant and Deborah
Kerr, which shows the two British thespians at the top of their game.
Grant and Kerr exhibit an incredible screen chemistry in this film, as
well as interjecting a great deal of humor with the playful nature of
their performances. Of course, when AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER shows its
serious side, both performers are more than up to the task, especially
Grant who demonstrates a level of emotional depth that one rarely sees in
the characters the screen legend usually played.
In
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Grant portrays well known playboy Nickie
Ferrante, who is making a transatlantic voyage to America to marry his
very wealthy fiancée. While at sea, Nickie has a chance encounter with
fellow passenger, Terry McKay (Kerr), who is returning to America to the
man she loves. Wholly aware of Nikkie’s reputation with the ladies,
Terry maintains a polite detachment in her dealings with the notorious
playboy. However, when the two disembark at a port of call that allows
Nikkie to visit his elderly Grandmother Janou (Cathleen Nesbitt), romance
finally blossoms between Terry and Nikkie. Upon their return to American
the lovebirds agree to meet again in six months at the top of the Empire
State Building, allowing each enough time to end the prior commitments in
their lives. However, at the appointed time of Nikkie and Terry’s
rendezvous, destiny steps in, threatening to permanently end their love
affair. The cast of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER also includes Richard
Denning, Neva Patterson, Robert Q. Lewis and Charles Watts.
20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment has made AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
available on DVD in a 2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been
enhanced for 16:9 displays. This is the second time that Fox has issued AN
AFFAIR TO REMEMBER on DVD, with this edition offering definite
improvements to the previous rehash of the widescreen Laserdisc transfer.
The DeLuxe color on the Laserdisc was less than thrilling, so I never
bothered with the first DVD release. However, this second time around, not
only is AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER enhanced for 16:9 displays, I find
the colors to be a genuine improvement. Hues are far more consistent
throughout the course of the film, there is no overt fading of the colors
and flesh tones are more natural looking than other DeLuxe films from the
same period. Some of the colors are surprisingly well saturated, plus the
reds veer less towards orange than they did in previous video and
broadcast versions of the film.
The
image itself is reasonably sharp and well defined, although there were
certain limitations in the CinemaScope lenses and cinematography from that
period that keep AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER from looking as crisp as a
brand new movie. Also, some of the rear screen projection work is a bit
obvious, and a hair soft looking. Blacks appear accurate, although the
whites can appear a tad off. Contrast is fairly smooth, although shadow
detail gets a bit muddy towards the darker end of the spectrum. The film
element used to transfer this 1957 release shows few signs of age, with
very minor scratches and other forms of debris rarely being noticeable. A
grain structured can be glimmered at various times throughout the course
of the movie. There are a few shots in which the film grain appears a bit
heavier than others, but even then, it is not particularly bothersome.
Digital compression artifacts are well tamed by solid authoring.
AN
AFFAIR TO REMEMBER comes with a Dolby Digital 2.0 channel soundtrack
that decodes to standard surround. Personally, I would have liked it if
the original 4 channel magnetic stereo soundtrack had been included on the
DVD, as Fox did with other CinemaScope releases from the same period. The
matrixed version of the track seems a bit flat, with almost none of the
big, wide fifties stereo flavor carried over into this mix. There is none
of the directional dialogue that was prevalent in the era, and noticeable
stereo imaging seems confined to the film’s score. Fidelity is
reasonably good for a film approaching its fiftieth anniversary, but the 4
channel might have been a bit richer sounding. Background hiss and surface
noise have been cleaned up significantly, leaving no audible distractions
on the track. Dialogue is crisp and always fully understandable. French
stereo and Spanish monaural language tracks have also been encoded onto
the DVD, in addition to English and Spanish subtitles.
The
basic interactive menus provide access to the standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as a few supplemental features. Starting things
off is a running audio commentary featuring film historian Joseph McBride
and singer Marni Nixon (who provided Deborah Kerr's singing voice in this
film, as well as THE KING AND I). This is a very informative and
entertaining track, with both participants providing interesting bits on
the production and the personalities involved. Next up is AMC
Backstory: An Affair To Remember, a twenty-four minute program
that offers a look at the making of the movie, as well as profiling Cary
Grant, Deborah Kerr and director Leo McCarey, who utilized this
opportunity to remake his classic 1939 film LOVE AFFAIR in
CinemaScope and color. Filling out the supplements is newsreel footage of
the film's shipboard premiere, a still gallery, theatrical trailer and
bonus trailers.
With
this DVD reissue of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Fox has finally done
right by this by this romantic classic. If you are a movie buff, Cary
Grant or Deborah Kerr fan, or are just looking to have a good cry, you
will want to add ANAFFAIR TO REMEMBER to your DVD
collection. Recommended.
AN
AFFAIR TO REMEMBER ($20) is long considered the king (or queen) of
weepy tearjerkers; having its a status brought home to a new generation of
movie fans, when the film became an integral part of the plot of the
wildly popular SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE. Aside from its more weepy
aspects, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER is a highly entertaining movie
because of the wonderful interplay of its two stars Cary Grant and Deborah
Kerr, which shows the two British thespians at the top of their game.
Grant and Kerr exhibit an incredible screen chemistry in this film, as
well as interjecting a great deal of humor with the playful nature of
their performances. Of course, when AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER shows its
serious side, both performers are more than up to the task, especially
Grant who demonstrates a level of emotional depth that one rarely sees in
the characters the screen legend usually played.
In
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Grant portrays well known playboy Nickie
Ferrante, who is making a transatlantic voyage to America to marry his
very wealthy fiancée. While at sea, Nickie has a chance encounter with
fellow passenger, Terry McKay (Kerr), who is returning to America to the
man she loves. Wholly aware of Nikkie’s reputation with the ladies,
Terry maintains a polite detachment in her dealings with the notorious
playboy. However, when the two disembark at a port of call that allows
Nikkie to visit his elderly Grandmother Janou (Cathleen Nesbitt), romance
finally blossoms between Terry and Nikkie. Upon their return to American
the lovebirds agree to meet again in six months at the top of the Empire
State Building, allowing each enough time to end the prior commitments in
their lives. However, at the appointed time of Nikkie and Terry’s
rendezvous, destiny steps in, threatening to permanently end their love
affair. The cast of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER also includes Richard
Denning, Neva Patterson, Robert Q. Lewis and Charles Watts.
20th
Century Fox Home Entertainment has made AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
available on DVD in a 2.35:1 wide screen presentation that has been
enhanced for 16:9 displays. This is the second time that Fox has issued AN
AFFAIR TO REMEMBER on DVD, with this edition offering definite
improvements to the previous rehash of the widescreen Laserdisc transfer.
The DeLuxe color on the Laserdisc was less than thrilling, so I never
bothered with the first DVD release. However, this second time around, not
only is AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER enhanced for 16:9 displays, I find
the colors to be a genuine improvement. Hues are far more consistent
throughout the course of the film, there is no overt fading of the colors
and flesh tones are more natural looking than other DeLuxe films from the
same period. Some of the colors are surprisingly well saturated, plus the
reds veer less towards orange than they did in previous video and
broadcast versions of the film.
The
image itself is reasonably sharp and well defined, although there were
certain limitations in the CinemaScope lenses and cinematography from that
period that keep AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER from looking as crisp as a
brand new movie. Also, some of the rear screen projection work is a bit
obvious, and a hair soft looking. Blacks appear accurate, although the
whites can appear a tad off. Contrast is fairly smooth, although shadow
detail gets a bit muddy towards the darker end of the spectrum. The film
element used to transfer this 1957 release shows few signs of age, with
very minor scratches and other forms of debris rarely being noticeable. A
grain structured can be glimmered at various times throughout the course
of the movie. There are a few shots in which the film grain appears a bit
heavier than others, but even then, it is not particularly bothersome.
Digital compression artifacts are well tamed by solid authoring.
AN
AFFAIR TO REMEMBER comes with a Dolby Digital 2.0 channel soundtrack
that decodes to standard surround. Personally, I would have liked it if
the original 4 channel magnetic stereo soundtrack had been included on the
DVD, as Fox did with other CinemaScope releases from the same period. The
matrixed version of the track seems a bit flat, with almost none of the
big, wide fifties stereo flavor carried over into this mix. There is none
of the directional dialogue that was prevalent in the era, and noticeable
stereo imaging seems confined to the film’s score. Fidelity is
reasonably good for a film approaching its fiftieth anniversary, but the 4
channel might have been a bit richer sounding. Background hiss and surface
noise have been cleaned up significantly, leaving no audible distractions
on the track. Dialogue is crisp and always fully understandable. French
stereo and Spanish monaural language tracks have also been encoded onto
the DVD, in addition to English and Spanish subtitles.
The
basic interactive menus provide access to the standard scene selection and
set up features, as well as a few supplemental features. Starting things
off is a running audio commentary featuring film historian Joseph McBride
and singer Marni Nixon (who provided Deborah Kerr's singing voice in this
film, as well as THE KING AND I). This is a very informative and
entertaining track, with both participants providing interesting bits on
the production and the personalities involved. Next up is AMC
Backstory: An Affair To Remember, a twenty-four minute program
that offers a look at the making of the movie, as well as profiling Cary
Grant, Deborah Kerr and director Leo McCarey, who utilized this
opportunity to remake his classic 1939 film LOVE AFFAIR in
CinemaScope and color. Filling out the supplements is newsreel footage of
the film's shipboard premiere, a still gallery, theatrical trailer and
bonus trailers.
With
this DVD reissue of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Fox has finally done
right by this by this romantic classic. If you are a movie buff, Cary
Grant or Deborah Kerr fan, or are just looking to have a good cry, you
will want to add AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER to your DVD
collection. Recommended.
