Paolo Sorrentino's latest film Le Conseguenze dell'Amore (The Consequences of Love) is a stylishly looking thriller that has all the right ingredients to keep you on the edge of your seat guessing until the final credits roll. Its quiet yet deeply atmospheric feel reminded me about David Lynch and the manner in which his films always keep you wondering what direction the story will follow. On the other hand the flashy yet abrupt camera moves seemed reminiscent of Run Lola Run's urgency to bring some sort of resolution.

In Le Conseguenze dell'Amore the use of long continuous shots seems almost as important as the use of silence. The main protagonist Titta (Toni Servillo), a lonely man suffering from severe insomnia, and his marvelous face expressions convinced me yet again that good acting does not necessitate dialog. The range of emotions that Titta was going through and the silent rage eating his body were perfectly mastered by Toni Servillo and his camera presence. In addition, the minimalist style of the film was well supported by an excellent camera work that if anything felt a bit too polished at times.

Shown at competition at the Cannes Film Festival Le Conseguenze dell'Amore is the second film (the other one being the Danish Camera d'Or winner Reconstruction) that impressed me with an extremely engaging, made for adults, story. The script to the film is well composed, the acting strong, and the soundtrack complimenting rather well the moody feel of the film. It truly feels as if the viewer is placed in one of those chic, ultra snobbish, relaxing lounges so common for large metropolitan European cities. With this said, it was no surprise to me that the soundtrack to the film features such well known downtempo-artists as Filla Brazillia, Boards of Canada, James, and Mogwai.

The DVD:

How Does the Disc Look?

Released by Medusa Home Video-Italy Le Conseguenze dell'Amore offers a near superb anamorphic transfer. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with excellent contrast, beautiful colors, and a print that is practically free of any imperfections. The disc is encoded PAL Region-2 and offers optional Italian, French, and English subtitles.

How Does the Disc Sound? In one word-excellent! Medusa have provided a very active yet perfectly balanced 5.1 Italian soundtrack, which I am absolutely satisfied with given the delicate use of silence in the film. The atmospheric tracks by Filla Brazillia, Boards of Canada, James, est. are mixed perfectly.

Extras: Unfortunately none of the extras on this disc are English friendly. Regardless, given the fact that it is highly unlikely that Le Conseguenze dell'Amore will see a R1 release any time soon, if at all, the lack of English subs for the extras should not discourage you from seeking out this disc. The following extras are present:

Inzio Alternativo: Il Funerale. -An Alternative ending to the film.

L'uomo con la valigia. –On the cutting floor of Le Conseguenze dell'Amore.

Le Conseguenze dell'Amore: Un Commento critico. –The critics and the film.

Le affinita misteriose. –A conversation with Toni Servillo.

Scene tagliate. –five deleted scenes

Olivia Magnani: Breve ritrato. –An Interview with Olivia Magnani.

Teaser-

Trailer-

Galleria Fotografica. –Photo Gallery

Crediti-Credits.