My Rating:
Much has been said about the Coen Brother’s new movie, True Grit and the 1969 version that won John Wayne his only Oscar, comparing the two only seems appropriate. Well, to me, it doesn’t and I won’t. The Coen Brother’s version is not a remake of the 1969 version; instead it is a more faithful adaptation of the original novel. The only comparison between the two I will make is this: The Dude has replaced The Duke.
For the uninitiated, the Coen Brothers – Ethan and Joel – are a powerhouse writing, producing and directing team of siblings. Known for crafting smart, suspenseful movies, full of deadpan humor; True Grit is no exception. True Grit follows the story of Mattie Ross, (Hailee Steinfeld) a tenacious 14 year-old trying to avenge the death of her father. Mattie enlists the help of U.S. Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn, (Jeff Bridges) to pursue her father’s killer Tom Chaney, (Josh Brolin) as he flees into Indian Territory. Joining them is Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) who is also in pursuit of Chaney for the murder of a Texas Senator. All after the same man, these three set off together not knowing exactly what to expect from each other, or their target.
Enough cannot be said about Hailee Steinfeld, her performance was phenomenal. A veritable nobody, she was found after the Coen’s did a nationwide talent search. This was her first movie and she nailed it; which is good because the success of the movie hung on her performance. As to be expected, Jeff Bridges delivers a great guttural performance as the drunken, ornery yet loveable “Rooster” Cogburn. I was happy to see that Jeff Bridge’s take on his character wasn’t a simple retread of Bad Blake from Crazy Hearts because lets face it; Bridges has been typecast as the burnout drunk. Instead, his performance was unique and more importantly, believable. Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper also give up great performances. I do have to say that I was disappointed that Brolin and Pepper got so little screen time, only appearing in the third act. I enjoyed both of their characters, especially "Lucky" Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper). Without giving too much away, it was refreshing to see an intelligent and mostly civil, villain.
Hands down, this was one of my favorite movies of 2010. One of the things that made this movie so great – besides a perfect cast – was the dialogue. In true Coen Brother’s fashion, the writing is full of deadpan humor and linguistic gymnastics. The dialogue does require the viewer to pay close attention; as it is all formal English, but I don’t think that is asking too much. If it is, you are watching the wrong movie, go watch Yogi Bear or some other garbage. With a great script, beautiful cinematography, (thanks to Roger Deakins) and a spot on cast, I would be hard pressed not to recommend this movie.
Length: 1 hr 50 min
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Written by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper
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