There has been a lot of hype about the newest version of the film True Grit from Joel and Ethan Coen, and since I had seen the 1969 original version starring the Western icon John Wayne, I needed to view it and see if the hype is justified.
In the 1960's, Western's were shot well visually, and there was some good acting on many occasions. John Wayne had a way of portraying his characters that many filmgoers were endeared to. It was also common in those times to have terrible actors in those films as supporting cast. Although there was some solid acting in the original True Grit, there was some less than stellar acting. The acting of country singer Glen Campbell... not terrible, but not good either.
The fact that the Coen brothers wrote the screenplay and directed this film was another reason I was so interested in this film. They are known for quirky films such as Fargo, No Country For Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and The Big Lebowski, all of which I really liked.
For those of you not familiar with the basic premise of the film, here it is in a nutshell. Don't worry, no spoilers here!
Following the murder of her father by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), 14-year-old stubborn farm girl Mattie Ross (played by relative newcomer Hailee Steinfeld in her feature-film debut) sets out to capture the killer. She enlists the services of a drunken, hardened, and tough U.S. Marshal, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn, meticulously portrayed by film veteran Jeff Bridges. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drunken and ungracious character do nothing to reaffirm her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of her father's murderer. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who is looking for the same man for different reasons.
The film is beautifully shot, and has some of the best cinematography I have seen in a while. The scenery, costumes, and dialog are spot on. It is obvious that great care was taken to ensure authenticity. There was never a time that I felt any lack of realism.
The acting is terrific. Newcomer Steinfeld shows incredible maturity as an actress when compared to the relative newness of her career portfolio. The talk about Jeff Bridges potentially taking home an Oscar for his portrayal of Cogburn is not unmerited. He portrays the drunken character in a way that in my opinion is much more convincing than the portrayal of Cogburn John Wayne delivered in the original.
Matt Damon and Josh Brolin deliver well to round out the major supporting cast. This is a bit of a different role for Damon, and he fits in nicely. Although only in the film for a few minutes, Brolin is fascinating to watch on screen.
I highly recommend this movie. I wouldn't say I was a huge fan of the original, but I thought it was good. The 2010 version from the Coen brothers is so good it is almost perfect. Clocking in at 110 minutes, I think it could have stood to be a bit longer, and it could have spent a bit more time developing these fascinating characters.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
