“Welcome to New York” reminds me that I respect Abel Ferrara, but I don’t respect all of his films. The director has a style that can blend well with certain elements, but his vision of cinematic sexuality has always left me confused. Whether it’s “The Addiction” or “Ms. 45”, Ferrara uses sexuality as a weapon to hammer a film’s point. Gerard Depardieu plays a French financier involved in a hotel sex scandal that could’ve been a Law & Order episode. But, Ferrara takes it a step further.
What Ferrara originally created was a 2 hour and 5 minute long NC-17 cut that examined everything about sex to politics to long-term marriages. Depardieu is more than a political cartoon, he’s an avatar for every rich older man that doesn’t know what to do as they wait for the end. The cut presented on this disc is the R version that tones down the sexual assault and eliminates some talk about Israel. It feels unnecessary, as the full brunt of the sexual violence is still at play in the R cut. But, it’s something that I think needs to be known.
The Blu-Ray comes with a trailer as the sole special features. The A/V Quality is incredible for a charged drama. The 1080p transfer is among the best presentations that I’ve seen for Ferrara’s work. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track is very strong. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
Release Date: 8/25/15