Jeff Bridges:  Rooster Cogburn
Josh Brolin: Tom Chane, Tom Chaney
Matt Damon:  LaBoeuf
Hailee Steinfeld:  Mattie Ross
Barry Pepper:  "Lucky" Ned Pepper
Bruce Green:  Harold Parmalee

Release Date: December 22, 2010
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Action / Western
Rated: PG-13    1 hr 50 mins

CAST:

True Grit

January 9, 2011

Reviewer: B. Rapp

DIRECTORS:

Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

*Comments:

*By clicking "Submit" you agree to the following Terms of Use. You agree not to post any material that is obscene, slanderous, or threatening, or that may violate any law of your country of origin or the United States or of international law. Should you wish to restrict viewing of your email address by third parties, you must select "Hide My Email." You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Metal Psalter from any claims, actions, suits, damages, or other costs arising out of any breach of these Terms of Use.

The Cohen Brothers have made a very proud-worthy and noteworthy film--but not unbelievably great--with True Grit.  Everything that is essential to the original novel and film remains the same: religious symbolism, the poor man striving for his family's rights, the innocent victim seeking revenge for her father's killing, the evil bastards defending their often complicated actions and maneuvers, etc.  Indeed, this is an extremely well-made film by these masters, and not one to forget.  However, while it's a very good movie as we go into 2011 (and one I recommend seeing) it falls short of many of the best films in recent years, including the heavily-agreed-upon-masterpiece that was their previous effort, No Country for Old Men. 

True Grit is very much about revenge.  Trying to avenge her father's unjustly murder is Mattie Rose, well-acted by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.  For those unfamiliar with the story, it involves her attempt to seek out and kill her father's Arkansas' murderer Tom Chaney (played wonderfully, albeit kind of late in coming, by Josh Brolin).  She has her mother, but she pretty much of acts alone in this movie.  Mattie is absolutely determined to hunt her father's killer down, honorably and seeks out Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges, in a role originally played by John Wayne) to assist her.  Bridges excels in the old-west sort of role (though many still can't quite get past him as "The Dude" in a Coen's previous effort, The Big Lebowski--I know I can't).   Matt Damon also is convincing as a Texas ranger, LaBoeuf, who saves little Hailee several times and acts as a sort of an savior and a nemesis to the film's obvious hero, Rooster. 

Overall, this movie is well worth seeing.  Roger Deakins' cinematography is absolutely gorgeous at capturing late 1800s landscape.  The Coen brothers are experts at craftsmanship and perfecting the specifics and details of production.  The dialogue is wonderful (which includes some passages from the bible and the novel, which pretty much serve as jokes, but it's all good).  The editing by "Roderick Jaynes" is very good as well.     

One of problems with True Grit is simply that the Coen brothers might have tried to do something that's a little bit too much by-the-numbers here. There might not have been any point to remake this movie, other than their own amusement.  When the original was made, some thought the author of the original book, Charles Porter, was trying to make some sort of statement about Vietnam or the counterculture of the day.  While the Coens arguably are trying to perhaps do the same--of something, about something, or the future of something--it seems that this was just made for themselves. 

But hey, there's nothing wrong with that.   

The Coens have tackled nearly every genre or film category--gangster, thriller, comedy, Western, drama, etc.  And arguably here, they really didn't have much new to contribute to the Western.  Still we've seen them conquered a plethora of genres.  But when are we going to see them do a horror pic?  We're waiting, Joel and Ethan!