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Criterion releases its first 3D Blu-ray title and the results are - well, they're okay....
Criterion / 103 Minutes / 2011 / Unrated / Street Date: January 22, 2013
Pina is a loving eulogy of sorts made by Wim Wenders in honor of his dear friend and collaborator Pina Bausch, who passed away in 2009. In showcasing the choreographer's work in stark, unique ways - and in 3D! - Wenders from the get-go aims to animate Bausch's work in a cinematic capacity.
The quick review points to viewers' appreciation of dance as a barometer of enjoyment found in this technically exceptional 3D Blu-ray Disc. Criterion has given Wenders' Oscar-nominated documentary a stunning presence in high-def, but a draw toward modern dance is a capacity Pina viewers are going to have to employ. There are emotive interview segments, of course, but interpretations of Bausch's performances are front-and-center here.
Yet even as a marginal title, Pina marks another first for Criterion: this is their inaugural 3D title, and the results are stunning. Wenders set out to make Pina in the format, and to be able to appreciate his tone poem as designed is a real treat - and rest assured that Criterion puts their usual enthusiasm and perfectionist nature into encapsulating the picture marvelously. The movie itself is sweet, earnest, and ultimately a little flat, but it nevertheless ushers Criterion into a new realm of home theater presentation with gusto.