DVD REVIEW: THE HANDMAIDEN
01/22/2017

OVERVIEW: From celebrated director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, Thirst, Stoker), comes the ravishing crime drama THE HANDMAIDEN, debuting on DVD and Digital January 24, 2017, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Based on the novel “Fingersmith” by British author Sarah Waters, this tale of deception and romance relocates Waters’ story from Victorian-era England to Japanese-occupied 1930s Korea where a Korean street thief (newcomer Kim Tae-ri) poses as a maid as part of a conman’s (The Chaser’s Ha Jung-woo) plot to defraud a wealthy Japanese heiress (Right Now, Wrong Then’s Kim Min-hee). Certified Fresh (93%) on Rotten Tomatoes, this visually stunning “feast for all of the senses” (Charles Bramesco, Rolling Stone) was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Vulcain Prize for its stunning production design by Ryu Seong-hie.

SYNOPSIS: From Park Chan-wook, the celebrated director of Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, Thirst and Stoker comes a ravishing new crime drama inspired by the novel “Fingersmith” by British author Sarah Waters. Having transposed the story to 1930s-era colonial Korea and Japan, Park presents a gripping and sensual tale of a young Japanese Lady living on a secluded estate, and a Korean woman who is hired to serve as her new handmaiden, but who is secretly involved in a conman's plot to defraud her of her large inheritance. Powered by remarkable performances from Kim Min-hee (Right Now, Wrong Then) as Lady Hideko, Ha Jung-woo (The Chaser) as the conman who calls himself the Count and sensational debut actress Tae-ri Kim as the maid Sookee, THE HANDMAIDEN borrows the most dynamic elements of its source material and combines it with Park Chan-wook's singular vision and energy to create an unforgettable viewing experience.

DVD: The film is presented in widescreen in a 2.35:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 Dolby Digital in Korean that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English Spanish and French subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.35:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
Korean 5.1 DTS-HDMA

Subtitles - English SDH,Spanish

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