The Grifters

The con is on, but don't expect Redford and Newman's twinkle-eyed shenanigans from The Sting: Stephen Frears' 1990 adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1963 pulp fiction novel is lean and mean, without a trace of sentiment in its black heart. Angelica Huston, John Cusack, and Annette Bening give career-best performances as three con artists caught up in an unholy trinity, with Huston, in particular, magnificent as a woman whose basic instincts trump her maternal instincts. Pat Hingle, who usually plays lovable old codgers, is all menace as her sadistic boss. Re-released in a "collector's edition," the disc features a solid transfer, a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack, and a few notable extras: a "making of"; an ode to the unsung Thompson; and an audio commentary by Frears, screenwriter Donald Westlake (a celebrated crime writer himself), Huston, and Cusack. A cold, hard gem of a flick, The Grifters is highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—May 7, 2013—Echo Bridge, 110 min., R, $14.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1990's The Grifters features a solid transfer and a DTS-HD 2.0 soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary (by director Stephen Frears, costars John Cusack and Anjelica Huston, and screenwriter Donald E. Westlake), a behind-the-scenes featurette (17 min.), and “The Jim Thompson Story” segment on the novelist (8 min.). Bottom line: a most welcome arrival on Blu-ray for this stellar thriller.]