Truly Madly Deeply (1991)
Film:
DVD:

Written and Directed by Anthony Minghella
Starring Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, Bill Paterson, Michael Maloney, Christopher Rozycki

Features:

• Audio commentary with Minghella
  
• "The Spirit of Cowardice": Video interview with Minghella
  
• Original theatrical trailer
  
• Trailers for the DVD special editions of Fiddler on the Roof and The Princess Bride
  

Anamorphic: N/A; presented in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Rent It.

Nina (Stevenson) is having a bit of a problem. The love of her life, Jamie (Rickman), died very unexpectedly, leaving her with positively no closure. She can't seem to go on with living completely, worrying not only her boss (Paterson), but also her handyman (Rozycki). But what she wishes for, what she hopes for more than anything in the world is a second chance at living with Jamie. What would happen if she actually got what she asked for?

As Minghella discusses in his commentary, this movie really is about Stevenson and Rickman. Stevenson has such an amazing range, from the spiraling self-destruction of the scene at her therapist's to dancing about her flat like a silly goofmonger. She also has such an expressive face, it pains me that MGM decided to use probably the absolute goofiest look they could find of hers on the cover of this disc. But ah well. Rickman shows why it's such a damn shame he's been pigeonholed into playing whacked out villains--like most actors Hollywood uses for that, he's got an incredible, scarcely touched range on screen. Also of note, acting-wise is Maloney, whose amateur magician has one of the best introductions we've seen in a long time.

The film works, balancing the comedy with this extreme sense of loss and life's progression. It's a very moving piece, and despite Minghella's misgivings about his cinematic naivete, this being his first feature, it's quite good. Certainly, upon close inspection the seams show--but the story, characters and actors are so compelling, it's very easy not to give a rat's ass.

This disc of the film is actually a pretty good treatment. I must admit that even though I normally don't concern myself with overall video quality--largely due to the fact my present television set is older than I am--still, the transfer on this film is quite grainy, even enough for me to spot. Scenes shot in mostly darkness are especially susceptible. However, the commentary that Minghella provides is insightful albeit utilitarian. It's nice to hear the backstory to the film, and his pratfalls as a first-time director are especially handy teaching tools for other would-be directors. As far as the other features, apart from the trailers included, there's also a half-hour interview with Minghella, talking about the film and the phenomenon behind it. Again, Minghella provides useful information, not all of which was already included in the commentary.

Fans of the film or of the actors involved would probably do well to snag a copy for themselves. However, those with just a passing interest--or those who have not yet familiar enough to call themselves fans--should probably rent first and see. Nonetheless, it's a respectable edition for a quite respectable film.