Film
Mississippi Grind, the story of Gerry and Curtis, and their chance encounter. Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is down on his luck, owing money to many, he has a gambling problem, and in financial hardship. He meets Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), a young, charismatic poker player.
In an attempt by Gerry to change his luck, he and Curtis take a road trip to the South. Here, Gerry hopes to win back all he has lost, with the dream of making things right with his ex-wife, paying off his debts, and making something of his miserable life.
Curtis seems to have some sort of special good luck. He is fast talking, level headed, always knows what to say, and seems to drift from place to place.
Mississippi Grind is a film about self, a story that looks at the heart of the two characters, Gerry and Curtis. And while on the surface Gerry is the one with all the issues, and Curtis has the good life, we soon see that to each his own, and they are both in need of a bit of revelation, perhaps some redemption.
While the story is heart-warming, and a stark look at the addictive behaviour that is the world of gambling, it does feel as if it drags at times. The banter between the two main characters though, does form the essence of the story. As they duel, there is a tangible connection between the two, as each sees a little something in the other, that they wish they had.
Mississippi Grind is one of those film where you can while away a laze few hours, indulging in your own dream of winning big, and not have to worry about any plot twists, or explosions. Well cast and expertly acted, it’s portal into the world of winning big, on a road trip to the South of the USA.
Disc
Mississippi Grind is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.
Video
Video is encoded at a high average bitrate, meaning there are no visible artefacts on screen. There is no colour bleed noticeable. Users with the necessary hardware or software can scale the image up to a larger or higher resolution screen, should they wish.
Audio
Audio is presented in a Dolby 5.1 mix, however viewers should note that the soundtrack can default to the 2.0 stereo downmix, so always check which audio track is selected before viewing. Due to the nature of the story, there is little use made of the surround channels, with most of the focus being on the front and centre.
Navigation
Navigation is basic, with a static menu. This is however, very easy to use.
Features
There are no bonus features on the disc, other than a few trailers are the beginning for upcoming feature and game title releases.