I cashed in a little vacation time yesterday around lunchtime and caught an afternoon showing of True Grit, which completed my epic task off seeing all ten Best Picture nominees prior to Sunday's Oscar broadcast.
True Grit is a terrific movie, grittily realistic yet epic, somber yet often funny. I also liked the way it made the Old West simultaneously brutal and magical. In other words, I'm glad I didn't live during that time but realize I probably missed something. So many open spaces, no city lights to mute the view of thousands of stars each night, but also so much danger, both from the natural world and via the limited effectiveness of law enforcement.
I enjoyed seeing all ten Best Picture nominees, happy to discover that, in my view, all ten deserve the attention they're getting. I'd easily place True Grit among the top three or four of the group, though. Even if you're not a huge fan of westerns (I'm not, myself), the performances and storytelling artistry of the film will likely win you over.
No comments:
Post a Comment