From the beautiful opening song crooned by Vic Damone to the tearful last scene, this movie will have you alternately crying, laughing, and crying again. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr are perfection as the two people who meet on a ship and fall in love. Because they are each engaged to other people, they decide to put their feelings to the test of time. They agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in six months if they feel the same. One shows up, one doesn't because of tragic circumstances. When they accidentally meet months later at a ballet, it is awkward, yet the chemistry cannot be denied. A sentimental painting, an art dealer's story of a lady in a wheelchair, and Cary Grant's dramatic opening of a door lead to an ending that requires a full box of tissues but is one of Hollywood's most memorable scenes. In addition, this movie is enhanced by a delighful choir of orphans, a grandmother with an idyllic villa, and Richard Denning in a superb supporting role. Traditionally a movie to watch with the one you love on Valentine's Day, this movie is excellent alone, as a duo, or in a large group. Not just a chick flick, but a movie for everyone who has ever loved or dreamed of being in love.
They say that no Man on earth could completely "Get" this movie.
We don't have actors like Cary Grant now adays to stick up for us Real men who can comprehend such a deep rich love theme.
And what a shame too....the days of suave gentlemen are gone and replaced by the Brad Pitts.....in reality....I believe women want to see more men become true and romantic gentlemen.
Well "An Affair to Remember" is one of those classics that belong to the tragic love affair file....but with a happy ending.
Cary and Deberah Kerr are a perfect combination for this.
Like Charles Boyer and Irene Dunn before them, Grant and Kerr find even more depth with general facial expressions and gestures, that remind me of Capra-esque qualities in their characters.
The scene where Grant is revisiting the home of his Grandmother who had just passed away...returning to the scene in his mind where Love was new and the sounds he hears of the afternoon when he had much to look foward to.....it's heartbreaking to want to touch something that once housed his affection.....we realise then that Grants love for Kerr is as real to us also.
One note...one perfect reason why this movie appeals to me and why I am writing this review in hopes that more people will better understand this movie....
The End scene....To almost walk away from True love, and taste the sadness and dissapointment, to kiss her hand and to say goodbye forever....and within moments....within its painful honesty ....realize that true love does in fact prevail over obsticals is an overwhelming revelation.
"If it had to happen to one of us....why did it have to happen to you"?......"If you can Paint, I can walk"!
Buy An Affair to Remember (1957) Now
'An Affair to Remember' is a classic film and another great collaboration between Cary Grant and ace director Leo McCarey. As a huge Cary Grant fan this film on Blu Ray was simply a must for my collection and the film itself has many fans worldwide. With that said, this review will focus mainly on the video and audio quality of the presentation and not the content of the film itself.Is this 1080p presentation with DTS HD Master Audio sound a worthy step up from the DVD and should you really consider double dipping? Read on!
Let me start by saying this Blu Ray release is absolutely the BEST version currently available for home video. It easily bests all previous releases, VHS, Laser Disc and various DVD versions. If you are a fan of Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr or the film itself then upgrading is truly a no brainer and I totally recommend that you do so.
I personally purchased this film with the Blu Ray Book packaging and it is very nice. The text is more glossy and less informative than I would have liked, but the photos themselves are also glossy and that is a plus. Slightly different artwork adorns both the front cover and disc image and it feels solid and well worth any price under twenty dollars. The disc itself sits in a strange cardboard holder within the book which for some may be a slight challenge to remove until you get the hang of it. Replacing it after viewing is much easier. (it is nowhere near as difficult to remove as say the new Star Wars packaging makes things)
I have read many online reviews regarding the image quality of this Blu Ray release. As much as I enjoyed the film on Blu Ray and as good as it looks, I will have to disagree with many reviewers and say this is nowhere near as 'perfect' as I had hoped it would be.
My two MAIN complaints have to do with black level/brightness and DNR. I have read many top reviews that say this title had no DNR applied to it. I respectfully disagree and can not for the life of me believe that this is anywhere near the detail you would have seen on film. While closeups are at a premium in this movie, you just never truly see much facial detail. While fine detail seems to be mostly obscured, I will say in the transfers favor that digital noise has been all but obliterated leaving us with a nice slick looking picture. Don't get me wrong, this is very good effort for the most part, but I am picky and I expected MORE. During the cleaner scenes in 'Charade' for instance, you will find WAY MORE fine detail in the picture. On the other hand, 'An Affair to Remember' boasts a more even transfer with less distractions from bad looking scenes and obvious print damage or transfer artifacts.
After doing a bit of research I have found that most early CinemaScope films suffered from what is called CinemaScope or Anamorphic "mumps" (google it) and as such portions of the image will always be distorted, both the focus and geometry. Apparently it took the advent of a competing widescreen process "Panavision" in 1958 to force CinemaScope into perfecting their lenses and techniques so that these annoying were minimized. But as things sat in 1957 , CinemaScope produced some very annoying artifacts that upon close inspection just MIGHT drive you nuts. Check out any parallel lines on either side of the frame, or watch what happens when Cary or another actor movies to the center of the screen. You will soon see why this phenomenon is known as the CinemaScope Mumps.......It is not a transfer error, but an unfortunate by-product of the early widescreen process. Also, SOME of the lack of detail in this transfer can be attributed to the actual CinemaScope process, widely known to not provide the most detailed renderings.
Speaking of the print itself, it is for the most part pretty darn pristine. There are a few instances of telecine wobble/film warping which are most noticeable during the 'Toast" sequence with Cary's "grandmother". I also detected at least one instances of a couple of missing frames towards the end of the film when Cary is having his final conversation with Miss Kerr in her characters apartment. None of these aberrations are deal breakers and come and go so quickly it is very likely most will never notice them. Unfortunately for me I watch the first time with a critical eye, then afterward for enjoyment. The other thing that bothered me about the video was simply put, a slightly washed out contrast/brightness. Many have written the contrast is spot on, but I have to again respectfully disagree. My display was recently calibrated and what I see is lack of black and a bit too much 'bright' in the transfer overall. A little more care in the mastering process could have easily eliminated this. Of course this also means you will find NO instances at all of black crush, which is nice, but then again I challenge anyone to find absolute black in this either. Color is fine, by Deluxe so although not as pleasing as Technicolor is (at least to my eyes) it is pretty good. In fact, overall color levels and hues are a very strong point on this disc and unlike 'North by Northwest' on Blu, the colors never never look totally unnatural or out of whack.
I have mentioned in a few of my earlier reviews that the films of Cary Grant just don't seem to get much respect as far as their Blu Ray presentations go. I am beginning to suspect that the reason Humphrey Bogart's films are so much better looking has much to do with the care the negatives were shown over the years by Warner Brothers. Cary just didn't fare as well in regards to the studios he worked for as far as keeping the negatives of his films in tip top shape.
STILL, I will say right now that THIS transfer is the overall best for any Cary Grant movie currently in Blu Ray release. I am really keeping my fingers crossed that the upcoming release of 'To Catch a Thief' on Blu next month will make me eat my words and blow me away.
(UPDATE 2-18-12 Just watched 'To Catch a Thief' on Blu Ray and it DID totally blow me away which means it now holds the top spot for the best Hi Def Cary Grant transfer available, pushing 'An Affair to Remember' down to #2, at least in my opinion. My advice it to purchase both and make your own decision)
The sound on this disc is quite good actually. YOU get both a DTS HD Master audio 5.1 mix and a Stereo Mix. I was a bit disappointed the original MONO was not included as a lossless option, but was surprised to find the 5.1 mix was very pleasing overall. Some of the musical numbers were tied to dialogue and could not be separated into stereo, but almost all the score is. The surrounds come in to play for both ambiance and various effects such as birds chirping, etc. Overall the DTS HD Master mix was very good and never took me 'out' of the film with phoney baloney surround activity or odd panning, shrieking musical passages or inaudible dialogue. I liked it. A 1957 film with a decent surround track is a pretty good accomplishment I think.
Extras are plentiful and many are very good. You get 4 shortish, and 3 Medium length featurettes, the films trailer and a nice AMC Backstory special which I found particularly good. All of the special features have been ported over from the DVD release and are presented in 480i.
Cary Grant is at the very top of my short list of favorite movie stars. To me, he was and always will remain the King. I have enjoyed purchasing and watching all his films as they have been released and no more so than when they have appeared in high definition on Blu Ray. This film is no exception. With all my complaints, OCD observations and niggles, it is truly a very good overall presentation and one that is guaranteed to please most every fan of this film or the actors within it. HIGHTLY RECOMMENDED!!
Read Best Reviews of An Affair to Remember (1957) Here
When anyone talks about a favorite romantic drama, this movie always comes to mind. This is such a superb classic with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. No one has the chemistry and on screen presence that they do.Want An Affair to Remember (1957) Discount?
One of the most beautiful films I've ever seen, "An Affair to Remember" is one of the most enchanting love stories ever put on film. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star in the film, and the two are an elegant pair: Grant's classy wit and Kerr's stylistic charm were made for each other.Grant is an amorous playboy aboard a ship heading to Europe. Also on board ship is Kerr, an engaged ex-singer. The two meet accidentally and through a series of events, are smitten after a few days. Torn about their own romantic prospects, they finally decide to break off their respective engagements and meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months, when he has collected some necessary funds. But fate intervenes and their planned meeting is jeopardized...
A beautiful blend of script, direction, acting, and cinematography, (not to mention a glorious title song) "An Affair to Remember" is a very romantic, very lovely film that is great for early morning-watching on Christmas Day with a sweetheart. Buy this one and you'll fall in love with it forever.
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