By The post Home Video Hovel: The Grifters, by Rudie Obias appeared first on Battleship Pretension.
Director Stephen Frears has an interesting career to say the least. He firmly sits at the crossroads of auteur filmmaker and journeyman director. While he’s made a number outstanding films in his time, like High Fidelity, Dangerous Liaisons, Philomena, and Florence Foster Jenkins, he doesn’t have that kind of fanbase or deep appreciation, even among cinephiles (or at least in this writer’s circles), as other well-accomplished British directors and contemporaries, such as Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.
He’s made some duds, of course, like Mary Reilly and Lay the Favorite, but most directors make stinkers every now and then, so we’re not going to hold that against him. When you think of Stephen Frears, you think solid and reliable filmmaking.
Frears toes that fine line between craftsman and artist, while his films are stylish without being over-the-top, always engaging, and never boring. He’s been nominated for a few Academy Awards for best director for The Grifters and The Queen. He’s quietly well-respected in the film industry.
Speaking of which, his 1990 film The Grifters received a 4K Ultra HD upgrade from the Criterion Collection (one of three of his films in the collection, including The Hit and My Beautiful Laundrette) and it’s a film worth watching, especially if you’re looking to dive into Stephen Frears’ rock solid filmography.
Written by Donald E. Westlake and directed by Frears (based on the novel of the same name by Jim Thompson), The Grifters follows small-time con-artist Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston) hustling for cash at local racetracks for a mob bookmaker. And, when her estranged son Roy Dillon (John Cusack) gets caught up in his own hustles, Lilly has to decide if her family is more important than the lifestyle she’s created for herself. However, Roy’s new girlfriend Myra (Annette Bening), who is also a schemer and hustler, isn’t going to make it easier for the both of them.
Even for 1990, The Grifters is a throwback that looks and feels like a classic noir from the ‘40s and ‘50s, but with late ‘80s and early ‘90s style — especially with its aggressive hair, makeup, and costuming (shout out to Cydney Cornell, Julie Hewett, and Richard Hornung, respectively). In most ways, the film is hard-edged, yet playful, with flairs of betrayal, brutality, and cleverness in storytelling, while it keeps viewers engaged, but always one step ahead of the audience. You can see why it was nominated for four Academy Awards for best actress, best supporting actress, best adapted screenplay, and best director. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best films of 1990.
As for the release itself, it’s a 4K Ultra HD digital restoration of the film with a number of bonus features, including documentaries, trailers, and a new interview with Annette Bening. The Criterion Collection has done a good job with the new digital restoration too with deep black levels to capture film noir tones and a softness that reflects the filmmaking at the time. The two-disc set is worth the pick up for those who’d like to explore Stephen Frears’ career.
The post Home Video Hovel: The Grifters, by Rudie Obias first appeared on Battleship Pretension.
The post Home Video Hovel: The Grifters, by Rudie Obias appeared first on Battleship Pretension.
