WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Woman Next Door, The
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 11 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Gérard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant, Véronique Silver, Henri Garcin, Michéle Baumgartner, Roger Van Hool & Philippe Morier-Genoud

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 2.5
Sound Rating: 3
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Criterion Collection
(Catalog Number): CC1388L-236
(MPAA Rating): Not Rated
(Retail Price): $49.95
(Running Time In Minutes): 106
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1981
(LD Release Date): 8/8/94
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): François Truffaut
(Screenplay/Written By): François Truffaut, Suzanne Schiffman & Jean Aurel
(Story): NA
(Music): Georges Delerue
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Martine Barraque
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): NA
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): NA

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Flat
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.66:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.59:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
(Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
“The Woman Next Door (La Femme D’ À Coté)” is a story of forgotten passion and obsession. A pair of former lovers (Ar-dant and Depardieu) get their emotional stability thrown into confusion when, quite by chance, they find themselves living next door to each other with their new spouses. The story is told by Madame Jouve (Ve-ronique Silver), herself a victim of tragedy. Bernard Coudray, played by Gérard De-pardieu is comfortable with his life and family when his former lover Mathilde Bauchard (Fanny Ardant) moves back into his life. The two who had parted violently find themselves unable to control their emotions forcing a final tragic climax.

LaserDisc Picture:
The picture has been recomposed and matted to a 1.59:1 aspect ratio. The picture is natural in appearance but not fully saturated. Overall images are subdued with a “home movie” presence. Shadow detail is good, although some noise and grain is visible as well as artifacts.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The monaural soundtrack is undistinguished but well recorded.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: