I first saw While You Were Sleeping a few years ago and found it reasonably diverting. I caught it a second time around on television, and it seemed pretty flaccid. Seeing it the third time around, on this DVD, really put it to the sustained-viewing test. And it failed.
I suppose that when this movie was first released, it seemed a pretty gentle, likeable comedy about a girl who tries so hard to believe that she could be engaged to the man of her dreams, that she is able to convince his entire family that she is.
Believing that something normally unbelievable could happen is known in science fiction circles as a 'willing suspension of disbelief'. But to believe on a third viewing that something like this could happen really smacks of stupidity.
Our girl Lucy is working in her subway ticket booth when she notices her dream-lover being pushed onto the railway tracks by a gang of louts. While a train bears down, she jumps onto the tracks and saves his life. He's taken to hospital, but is in a coma.
Through a series of misunderstandings, the man's family comes to believe she is his fiancee. And her dream-lover's brother slowly falls in love with her. And... there are a few more twists, but the plot doesn't really matter.
In essence, this is a comedy about one of life's losers who becomes a winner. But our heroine, a New York subway ticket seller, plays such an unbelievable dork that it's hard to find any empathy with her. She really plays the role as one of life's losers. That we're supposed to empathise with this person is really political correctness gone berserk.
Lucy is played by Sandra Bullock. I suppose most female subway ticket sellers tend to look a bit like Sandra Bullock. That's called gritty realism.
The movie is redeemed somewhat by very likeable acting from her co-star, Bill Pullman. But this is a saccharine tale of unrealistic love, and watching it is like slowly drowning in treacle. I can't believe I found it relatively OK the first time around. That must have been a really bad night...
This anamorphic transfer from Buena Vista has been done at the highest standard - true cinema quality.
Colours are bright and the image is clearly defined. Flesh tones are particularly detailed and realistic. There are no obvious artefacts; if this is a standard edition, I can't imagine what could be achieved via Superbit!
The sound is only two-channel Dolby Digital stereo, but this suffices given this is a talk-fest with no special sound effects or explosive music.
We get spoilt with 5.1 with the ability to tailor the centre-channel to give precise adjustment for dialogue versus music or sound effects. But the balance on this two-channel presentation is pretty good and the dialogue is mostly clear.
In summary, the audio is adequate but not outstanding. It's a mile ahead of VHS, of course - how quickly we've become used to the generally high standard of DVD!
If you remember this movie fondly from its cinema days, then rent it before buying - the love affair may have waned.
Even if you think it one of the most brilliant, scintillating etc etc movies ever made, think twice - there are no extras to speak of - that is, unless you want to sit through it several times to pick up the nuances of the dialogue delivered in French or Italian, or read the subtitles in Dutch or Portuguese. Now, there's something to do on a wet winter night!
