Netflix to the Rescue!

I haven't been to see a movie in a theater in some time. While we have a Netflix subscription, we usually watch what is available for instant viewing over the web. Recently we actually had two DVDs come to our house.

First, I saw True Grit. This is a movie that I really wanted to like. I've been salivating over the prospect of a good new Western (even if a remake of sorts) for some time. I did enjoy the new version. The acting was great, the cinematography was very appropriate to the setting and period of the film, and the music felt right as well (not as easy as it should be). Still, it suffered in some ways due my viewing of the old John Wayne version. Some of favorite moments in that film were altered slightly or not present, perhaps in the Coen Bros. effort to remain closer to the book both films are based on. Violence has gotten a bit too gritty and stylized for my taste in many modern movies, and a couple of scenes in particular could have been just as effective (perhaps more so) if toned down a bit. Overall, I like the movie and would watch it again sometime, but I'm not running out to buy the DVD.

I then saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I. As with many of the Potter movies a good deal had to be left out to fit it in a 2-hour movie. Still, this time the filmmakers were wise to split the story in half (or so). What was missing was exposition. My biggest complaint with these films is that with no knowledge of the books, the story remains a bit difficult to follow. It is sometimes hard to keep track of what's happening as the characters are whisked from one place to the next. Also, I may have had enough of Harry Potter and friends. After years away from the books, I wasn't nearly as excited about this film as I might have been. It was a fine adaptation, and fun to watch but still the movies are a pale imitation of the books in this series.