The Movie: An Affair of Love, originally titled, Une liaison pornographique in French, was renamed to be more inviting for American audiences. It all starts when "she" places an ad in a paper looking for someone that shares her sexual fantasy. "He" answers and after meeting, and agreeing to go forward, check into a hotel room, and behind a closed door, perform the act. We never know what it was, nor do we even need to know. In interviews interspersed throughout the film taking place after the affair itself, both reveal that whatever "it" was, "it" was good. We never learn their names, nor do they share any personal information. All that takes place is an affair of love - what starts out as a simple affair to fulfill a fantasy turns into a love that neither has control over. It goes beyond being an affair, and progresses slowly throughout the film into true love.

The Picture: The picture presented is visually stunning - director Frédéric Fonteyne and cinematographer Virginie Saint-Martin did nothing in the least bit wrong. The colors are vivid, stark, and while at times inviting, at others, intimidating. When "he" and "she" go inside the room, we are left in a hallway that is starkly red - everything from the paint to the door to the floor. Once we are finally allowed to go inside their hotel room, once they advance to the next stage of their relationship, the whole contrast of the movie changes as the room is a subtle, but inviting blue.

The transformation from film to DVD is simply gorgeous - all the hues are presented as they were originally intended, without the faintest sign of artifacts, pixelation, or other abnormality. The skin tones are faithfully rendered and look magnificent. A simply gorgeous anamorphic transfer.

The Sound: An Affair of Love is a movie of words. There are no special effects, no explosions, nothing that you wouldn't expect. Simply put, the whole movie is dialogue-driven and the DVD presents the audio perfectly. Although it is only in Dolby Surround 2.0 (French), it still portrays what it needs to. While 5.1 surround would have been nice for adding some ambient sounds, they aren't necessary for this movie, as it does just fine without them. The dialogue is clear, and well presented and the subtitles are easily legible.

The Extras: Unfortunately, this beautiful film didn't get the treatment it deserved in the extras department. All that is included is a trailer (red band) along with cast & crew bios lifted directly from IMDb.

Conclusion: A stunningly beautiful and profound film gets the DVD transfer it deserves. The picture is gorgeous and the sound presents all that is necessary. The subtitles are easy to read, but can not be turned off (a downside for any French speakers out there). Both Nathalie Baye ("she") and Sergi López ("he") give spectacular and heart-felt performances in this superb movie. The price tag is a bit high considering the lack of extras, but if you enjoyed the movie, the DVD is a beautiful presentation of it.

DVD Review by Blake Kunisch