Love is the Devil

[MichaelB]

Full specs announced:

Love is the Devil
Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon
A film by John Maybury

Derek Jacobi, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton

Set in the bawdy, decadent world of 1960s Soho, this dazzling and audacious film charts the powerful and dangerous relationship between one of Britain’s most controversial artists, Francis Bacon (Derek Jacobi), and his lover and muse, George Dyer (Daniel Craig), to explore the territory where love, sex and art collide. Love is the Devil now comes to Blu-ray, with numerous extras, released by the BFI on 23 November 2015 as part of the BFI’s LOVE blockbuster in partnership with Plusnet.

Amongst a coterie of artists, rent boys and drunks, in studios, casinos and late night bars – including the infamous Colony Room Club, presided over by foul-mouthed patroness Muriel Belcher (Tilda Swinton), Dyer struggles for Bacon’s attention, steadily bled dry by drink and drugs.

Derek Jacobi’s portrayal of Bacon is precise and mesmerising, whilst Daniel Craig gives a raw, expressive performance as the tough petty thief who became the model for some of Bacon’s most intense and celebrated paintings, his ultimate vulnerability throwing his lover’s glory into sharp relief.

Winner of a host of international film awards, including Best British Performance for both Derek Jacobi and Daniel Craig at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the film’s exquisite visual style – at once beautiful and grotesque – perfectly captures the extraordinary energy of Bacon’s art.

Special features
• High Definition presentation
• Audio commentary with John Maybury and Derek Jacobi
• Interview with producers Ben Gibson and Chiara Menage (Shona Barrett, 2008, 20 mins)
• The Colony – A Documentary Preview (Nick Mead, 2008, 17 mins): a look at the legendary Soho club
• Original theatrical trailer
• 22-page illustrated booklet with essays by Sir Christopher Frayling, Michael O’Pray and Nigel Arthur; full film credits

Product details
RRP: £19.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1232 / Cert 18
UK / France / Japan / 1998 / colour / English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles / 91 mins / aspect ratio 1.78:1 / BD50 / 1080p / 24fps / LPCM 2.0 stereo audio (48k/24-bit)

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I was happy to see Strand get the commentary on their BD, but I held on to my copy of the BFI DVD for the booklet and the featurette - now I can replace both.

I presume this will be from the same master used for Strand, but I hope it's possible to fix the color correction power window that's superimposed on Jacobi's face at about 30 minutes in. That and the scene introducing Craig is a bit bright - the character doesn't seem to need the flashlight he's holding.