The New Boy (Cate Blanchett, May 2024)

[Nitroes]

Never enough Australian cinema.


Brian Orndorf's review https://www.blu-ray.com/The-New-Boy/1681520/#Review

https://www.signature-entertainment....m/the-new-boy/

https://hmv.com/store/film-tv/blu-ray/the-new-boy

https://www.rarewaves.com/products/5...10-the-new-boy

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B082RTNQ99/


Not very sure about the UK cinema artwork:

[GaryCouzens]

It's worth mentioning that the UK is getting Thornton's revised cut of the film, which is twenty minutes shorter than the version which played festivals and went on theatrical release in Australia.

[Aunt Peg]

I do hope the shorten version will be an improvement. I found the film dragged and was rather unfocused - hopefully the shorter version will iron out these issues and be available at some point in Australia to see.

Sometimes re-cutting a film can be the best thing for it if the initial response was lukewarm.

In case in point is Ray Lawrence's debut film Bliss (1985). When it showed at Cannes it got booed by audiences and savaged by critics. Lawrence shortened the film and it was this version that was then released in Australia to great reviews and big box office a few months later. It was also this version that got released commercially internationally.

When Bliss was released on DVD in Australia the distributor also included the original Cannes cut. It was great to be able to see that version. I much preferred the shortened version and I could certainly understand people being frustrated with the original longer version given there were scenes that really where surplus to the main themes of the film.

Hopefully both versions will make their way to a Blu Ray release. I know the shortened version has been restored but don't know about the original cut.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by GaryCouzens

It's worth mentioning that the UK is getting Thornton's revised cut of the film, which is twenty minutes shorter than the version which played festivals and went on theatrical release in Australia.

Roadshow Blu-ray is listed on the site as 118 minutes, so is that the longer version?

I wish Letterboxd/IMDb and other review sites would separate out different cuts, as sometimes reception can be radically different.

It’s not uncommon for films to be recut after festivals or for different territories though.

[GaryCouzens]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Roadshow Blu-ray is listed on the site as 118 minutes, so is that the longer version?

Yes it is, and is what I saw at the London Film Festival. The shorter version runs 96 minutes.

This is from a friend of mine who has seen both versions, in reply to a question on Facebook as to whether the cuts were due to the film's content: "Not particularly. I think it was more that some found it to be a little 'slow', but I think it also relates to the fact that they've found it difficult to sell to international distributors. Both Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country did fairly well internationally (critically, if not necessarily commercially), so on paper, you'd think the Blanchett/Thornton combo would be an easy sell, but that doesn't seem to have been the case. I know from talking to the UK distributor that they were keen on a 'more commercial' cut, so perhaps the motivation came from them?

I've seen the longer cut twice, and the shorter one once, and I do prefer the longer cut, but there isn't much missing, content wise, besides one or two short scenes. It's just a lot tighter in the editing which means some scenes feel a little abrubt, and others - especially towards the end - are presented almost like montages instead of full scenes. I'm not sure the shorter version has lots any of its 'power', necessarily, but it has lost some of its breathing space, which feels a slight shame."

[CelestialAgent]

Based on this I think I will just opt for importing the Roadshow release.

[Nitroes]

Added official UK artwork added.

I like the £12.99 price point but prefer the Australia artwork (leaves the imagination to work out what's happening the UK artwork looks like a leaflet from a crazy selling something inside the Vatican City):




Dirt cheap $12.99 https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2839783/New-Boy-The 4 items delivered for $14.99 from Sanity.

Running time says 116 mins. UK looks like 97 mins. That sounds like a totally different film.

[Nitroes]

Originally Posted by Sky_Captain

code GSGVIP, (10% off a $100 AUD spend).

That code's still working for me.

[CelestialAgent]

As expected, seems to be barebones.

[GaryCouzens]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

As expected, seems to be barebones.

The Australian Blu-ray is too. A friend picked up a copy for me when he was there recently. (The same friend I quoted above regarding the two different versions.)