Autumn in New York Blu Ray Review (MVD Marquee)

Autumn in New York is a 2000 romantic drama film directed by actress Joan Chen (Twin Peaks, Judge Dredd, Heaven & Earth, The Hunted, & Wild Side). It was written by Allison Burnett (Resurrecting the Champ, Feast of Love, Underworld Awakening, Untraceable, & Red Meat). It was produced by Ron Bozman (The Silence of the Lambs, The Ref, Philadelphia, & Changing Lanes) & Ted Tannebaum (The Gift, The Mothman Prophecies, Phoenix, & Arlington Road). The budget was $65 million & it made $90.7 million at the box office worldwide. Will Keane (played by: Richard Gere from American Gigolo, Internal Affairs, Pretty Woman, Days of Heaven, & Primal Fear) is a successful 48-year-old restaurateur & known womanizer who recently had a cover story in a New York magazine. Dolly (played by: Elaine Stritch from 30 Rock, Small Time Crooks, & ParaNorman) brings her 22-year-old granddaughter Charlotte Fielding (played by: Winona Ryder from Stranger Things, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Edward Scissorhands, Reality Bites, Heathers, & Beetlejuice) to his restaurant for her birthday. Will discovers that he dated Charlotte’s mother Katy back in the day after seeing Dolly there. He makes up a fake date & a reason to get a chance to see Charlotte again. They hook up & Will tells her that nothing serious is going to happen between.

Charlotte says she doesn’t have the time for it anyways & reveals to him that she dying from a heart condition. He tells his friend John Volpe (played by: Anthony LaPaglia from Without a Trace, Murder One, So I Married an Axe Murderer, & Empire Records) & his wife Sarah (played by: Sherry Stringfield from E.R., 54, The Stepfather, & NYPD Blue) about the situation. He decides to see her some more & they start getting closer to each other. Will goes back to his old ways & hooks up with his old girlfriend Lynn McCale (played by: Jill Hennessy from Law & Order, Crossing Jordan, Luck, & RoboCop 3). Charlotte calls him out on it & breaks it off with him. Will’s long lost & abandoned daughter Lisa Tyler (played by: Vera Farmiga from Bates Motel, The Conjuring 1/2, The Departed, & Running Scared) decides to track him down after recognizing him in the magazine article. They met for the first time & it really changes Will’s perspective on some things. He goes to Charlotte & tries to fix the relationship. Will is determined to help her live longer so he can have more time with her. He goes to Ohio & recruits heart specialist Dr. Tom Grandy (played by: J.K. Simmons from OZ, Spider-Man trilogy, Whiplash, Counterpart, & Justice League) for help. Charlotte hesitates at first but she agrees to do anything to extend her life. The Two bond more than ever & it becomes something both didn’t expect. A man is changed forever & a woman has a reason to keep fighting to survive!!!!

Autumn in New York really surprised me, I didn’t know anything about it & typically romantic dramas are usually one of my least favorite sub genres but this one caught me off guard. I’ve been a fan of actress Joan Chen for years & I was very impressed with her as a director here. I wasn’t expecting a feature like this that grows on you until the very end. Richard Gere gave one of his best performances. He was a very unlikable character at first but he turned it around & that’s all skill right there when it comes to acting.because that’s hard to pull off. I’ve always loved Winona Ryder & she proves once again why she is one of Hollywood’s most unique talents with this role. The supporting cast was amazing in this, it had so many recognizable names & faces in this film. All of this increased the quality of this production. The script made you care about these characters & the changes they were dealing with in her life at the time. It kept me focused & entertained the entire running time. It’s a very sad & depressing film but it definitely makes you appreciate the small things in life. If you are looking for an emotional roller coaster or just something to give you the feels, I HIGHLY recommend this!!!!

Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from MVD Marquee! This 1080p (1.88:1) transfer is a major improvement compared to the 2001 DVD from MGM. The cinematography captures New York with a great vision & atmosphere. It has 4 different audio options which include English: LPCM 2.0, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, & Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 on this blu ray. The dialogue is very clean & the score/soundtrack sounds really good here. It’s a romantic drama so don’t expect any crazy action or anything like that but it’s also an upgrade from the previous release. It also has French & Spanish subtitles. It comes with a slipcover. It’s available everywhere right now, check it out!!!!