Netflix of the Week

Adapt, improvise, overcome. Wait, that's a completely different movie.

But it accurately describes what's happening to our favorite seldom used feature "Movie of the Week". Not like I've been burning up the blog with movie reviews lately, but hopefully this rebranding will bring it back as a regular feature and favorite of the discerning South 40 fan.

To kick things off, I signed up for Netflix and the first movie I chose was True Grit. The film was written, produced and directed by Joel & Ethan Cohen. The Cohen Brothers rarely fail to deliver, but taking on a John Wayne classic is one tall order, even for them. To their credit, I don't think anyone else could have done it justice. But if you are expecting an exact duplicate of the original, you are in for a surprise. This screenplay sticks closer to the Charles Portis novel.

The casting is superb. Jeff Bridges gives a marvelous performance as Rooster Cogburn. Some have criticized his dialogue as a forced John Wayne impersonation. But if you look at his performance in Crazy Heart the voice is very similar. Hailee Steinfeld is outstanding as Mattie Ross. Stubborn, outspoken and smart as a whip. It's also easier to believe she's 14 than it was with Kim Darby. Matt Damon breathes new life into the role of Texas Ranger LaBoeuf. But outacting Glenn Campbell by an Academy Award winner is to be expected.

I rented the BluRay and it was worth it. The cinematography is breathtaking. The Cohen's have a knack for capturing the stark beauty of nature. The Texas and New Mexico landscape paint a hard and rugged backdrop that fit the story perfectly.

As I said it's not an exact duplicate and the Cohen's leave their mark all over the film. The one flaw, if you could call it that, is the ending. The Cohen's seem to have trouble with the epilogue. It was the same way with No Country For Old Men. It's not bad, just not quite what you were expecting. Perhaps that's done on purpose.

Bottom line, add True Grit to you queue.