The Apartment – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Spain/Italy, 1996
Director: Gilles Mimouni
Writer: Gilles Mimouni
Cast: Romane Bohringer, Vincent Cassel, Jean-Philippe Écoffey, Monica Bellucci, Sandrine Kiberlain, Olivier Granier

Release Date: August 20th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 116 Minutes 31 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"The Apartment is a hauntingly beautiful romantic thriller about a man (Vincent Cassel, Black Swan) who turns his life upside down when he overhears the melodic voice of his lost love (Monica Bellucci, The Matrix Reloaded) in a crowded café. Gone before he can catch her, he sets out to find her, abandoning his fiancée, his luggage and his promising career." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

The Apartment comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.4 GB

Feature: 34.8 GB

That said, the source appears excellent; the colors are accurate, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and there are no concerns regarding digital noise reduction.

Though no information is provided regarding this transfer, it appears to originate from a dated source.

Audio: 4.25/5 

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and range-wise things sound great.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Adrian Martin. 

Summary:

The Apartment was both written and directed by Gilles Mimouni, and to date, it remains his only theatrical feature film. In 2004, Hollywood remade The Apartment as Wicker Park.

When a man overhears the voice of a former lover at a café, he becomes obsessed with finding her and rekindling their love.

The Apartment features a strong influence from Alfred Hitchcock, particularly in films such as Rear Window and Vertigo. One of the primary themes explored in The Apartment is voyeurism; several characters observe others from a distance, with numerous scenes depicting them watching from an adjacent apartment. The other main theme centers on obsession; one character, who has loved someone from a distance, pretends to be someone else, while another person catches brief glimpses of a former lover whom they wish to reunite with.

From its opening moments, the narrative effectively captures your attention, drawing you into the unfolding mystery. Throughout the story, it skillfully employs flashbacks to develop the characters and elaborate on their motivations. Furthermore, the narrative does not adhere to a linear structure; it frequently shifts between the present and the past. These transitions are seamless and occur when a film evokes a memory. That said, the narrative skillfully conceals its eventual outcome through a series of well-orchestrated moments of misdirection.

Not including secondary characters whose presence only furthers the narrative along, there are really five performances of note. Of these five, the two who have the most screen time are Vincent Cassel (Eastern Promises), who portrays the protagonist Max, and Romane Bohringer (Savage Nights), who portrays a mysterious woman who looks like this in the apartment of Max’s former lover. These two actors have a tremendous amount of onscreen chemistry, and the moments they share are the most riveting. The other performances of note are Jean-Philippe Écoffey (Dirty Pretty Things), who portrays Max’s best friend; Sandrine Kiberlain (Alias Betty), who portrays Max’s fiancée; and Monica Bellucci (Malèna), who portrays Lisa, Max’s former lover.

From a production standpoint, The Apartment is a film that significantly exceeds the sum of its parts. The narrative is rich and complex, ensuring it retains its potency even upon subsequent viewings. The well-constructed narrative effectively captures your attention and builds momentum toward an ending where everything comes perfectly into focus. Another aspect of Hitchcock’s influence is evident in Peter Chase’s Bernard Herrmann-like score, which excellently reinforces the mood. Ultimately, The Apartment is an exemplary romantic thriller that Alfred Hitchcock fans should thoroughly enjoy.

The Apartment gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer