May 31 True Grit - Blu-ray Review
4.6 Stars (out of 5)
Synopsis
After drifter Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) murders her father, 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires alcoholic U.S. Marshal Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her exact revenge. The disreputable lawman still has grit, though, and mounts an epic search. Joining the duo on their quest is a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) who's also hunting for Chaney in this updated Western that received multiple Oscar nods, including Best Picture. (Buy Now $18.49)
Starring:
Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Dakin Matthews, Paul Rae, Domhnall Gleeson, Elizabeth Marvel
Director:
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Blu-ray Release Date:
June 7, 1011
Subtitles:
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Rating
Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt
Audio 4.6 Stars (out of 5)
Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison
● Subwoofer - 4.5 Stars
● Dialog - 5.0 Stars
● Surround Effects - 4.5 Stars
● Dynamic Range - 4.5 Stars
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
The audio mix for this film is very realistic. There isn't a thumping soundtrack or big explosions, instead this stellar audio presentation is authentic and draws you into the late 1800's. What stands out the most is the attention to subtle detail like wind blowing, the sharp sounds of a crackling campfire, and the soothing noises of flowing creek water. Dialog is always heard in crisp detail, however I watched the movie with the subtitles on to make sure I understood Jeff Bridges' heavy southern accent. Low end performed well when it was needed such as heavy horses galloping, and the deep sounds of gunfire were jarring as the bullets whizzed though the living room.
Video 4.8 Stars (out of 5)
Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison
● Color Accuracy - 4.5 Stars
● Shadow detail - 5.0 Stars
● Clarity - 4.5 Stars
● Skin tones - 5.0 Stars
● Compression - 5.0 Stars
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect ratio: 2.35:1, Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
The clarity in this film is amazing, it was clean enough to notice the grain in leather, and see all the fine textures in clothing. Every wirily beard hair and leathery wrinkle was clearly visible on Jeff Bridges' face, and each tiny freckle and loose unbraided hair strain were easily seen on young Hailee Steinfeld's head. Most of this film appears to be a little pale which leads me to believe it was the filmmakers' choice. This stops colors from appearing as rich as they could be but it works in this film by giving it a mild nostalgic look. There are several dark scenes and they never loose color in the shadows or show any signs of compression, this is a class A video presentation.
Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)
- Mattie's True Grit (1080p, 5:13): Interview with actress Hailee Steinfeld.
- From Bustles to Buckskin -- Dressing for the 1880s (1080p, 8:02): Interview with Costume Designer Mary Zophres.
- Colts, Winchesters & Remingtons: The Guns of a Post-Civil War Western (1080p, 4:41): Interview with Property Master Keith Walters.
- Re-Creating Fort Smith (1080p, 11:20): A detailed look at building an authentic Old West town in modern-day Granger, Texas.
- The Cast (1080p, 5:25): Featurette disscussing the cast.
- Charles Portis -- The Greatest Writer You've Never Heard Of... (1080p, 30:55): Various people talk about the life and work of Charles Portis, of the novel “True Grit”.
- True Grit Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:33).
- DVD/Digital Copy Hybrid Disc:
Movie - 5.0 Stars (out of 5)
Review
In my mind, True Grit is a near perfect film. It possesses everything to make it American classic. I'm a fan of the original film staring John Wayne, and thought that it would hard to fill his shoes. I also knew that whoever played young Mattie Ross had to be a convincing actress. The performances of Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld, were not only better than the original actors, they were some of the best of 2010 and both received Oscar nominations. They are not the only stand out performances in this film either. In fact every speaking part has a rememberable performance.
True Grit was originally a novel written by Charles Portis. This film follows the novel better than the 1969 film did. The story itself is a classic road trip western that focuses on revenge and true character or "the grit" of people. The film does not end a particular "high note", but it is a realistic one. As the film says, " There is nothing free except the grace of God."
I watched with movie twice with my 11 and 9 year old daughters, and they loved it. They both said, "Its amazing to see a girl so young do so many brave things." Thinking about what they said and what the movie is about, I now realize that young Mattie Ross is the one with "True Grit".
Reader Comments (1)
I will trust your technical review as I have not purchased the Blu-Ray yet. However, I could not agree more concerning your artistic review. It is in my opinion a nearly flawless movie. I, too, was (am) a fan of the original, and I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for John Wayne - hard not to having grown up in Orange County and being a fan of the cowboy genre growing up. However, each actor in the Cohen version is superb, and the tone of the movie makes the viewing of this piece like carefully examining a piece of fine art in a gallery.
My daughter (16) was so taken by the film when we saw it in the theater said it was the best movie she'd ever seen. I'm a bit older so I may reserve that declaration for other films. However, her sentiments are not far off from mine.