True Grit Review

True Grit Review

 True Grit, not the 1968 Novel by Charles Pointer, not the 1969 adaptation of that very same novel, starring John Wayne in a role that won him an Oscar, no this review is of the Coen Brothers amazingly crafted remake/adaptation of this story.  Not only is this movie a great Western (a genre slowly being brought back to the fore) it is a great comedy, tragedy (at times) and a great action flick!

Jeff Bridges steals every scene as the drunk, but dependable (occasionally), Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn, the same role that won Mr. Wayne his Oscar in 1969.  Hailee Steinfeld stars as the 14 year old Mattie Ross, on whom the story revolves around, I would like to point out that Ms Steinfeld is only 14 and this is her first full-length feature film, and she is phenomenal, but more on that later.  Matt Damon steps outside his comfort zone in this film to play the hilarious, but always proud Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (pronounced LaBeef for extra hilarity).  The other major role in the film is the outlaw John Chaney, who is the focus of the story; he is played by Josh Brolin who is no stranger to Coen Brothers Western themed movies, as he starred in their Noir/Western No Country for Old Men.

To begin i will say right away that i LOVE this film. I am a huge fan of Westerns, and a huge Coen Brothers fan, so combining the two is just movie magic at its finest!  I have seen the original True Grit, and have been to theatres to see this one twice so far, and both times I have been wildly entertained.  I will also mention, even though this film is technically a remake, it is also an adaptation, as the Coen Brothers wanted to follow the novel much more closely than the 1969 film (this is only noticed in the smaller details, the major plot points and progression remain mostly untouched).  For example Rooster Cogburn is much more faithful to the novel in this film that the 1969 one, he is a dirty, occasionally violent man, who is very rough and tumble and Jeff Bridges plays is amazingly.  John Wayne is great in the original (as is proven by his Oscar win) but Wayne is too clean cut for the role, in my opinion Wayne played a watered down, more “kid-friendly” version of Cogburn, while Bridges plays the badass, dirty man you would expect.  One thing to note, if you have not seen the movie yet you WILL struggle to understand Cogburn, his accent is thick, his voice is very gravelly, very obviously a character trait chosen for this film to set it apart from its 1969 counterpart.  Cogburn may be hard to hear at points but if you try hard enough it is very possible to make out everything he says (I listened very hard the second time, specifically so I could catch it all, and managed to catch all of it except one line, albeit it was a line said by Cogburn during a Whiskey binge).

Hailee Steinfeld was spectacular, she plays the educated and intelligent Mattie Ross, a girl who is much smarter than her 14 years would normally suggest.  For her first film, Steinfeld is breath-taking, she plays pretty much every emotion an actor would need to know how to use, and does it very well.  She portrays sadness, anger, jealousy and she does it while not once breaking down despite everything.  Mattie Ross is a ridiculously strong character and the Coen Brothers cast her role perfectly, this girl is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming years in Hollywood.

Matt Damon, as LaBoeuf, puts on his action hero boots, play a Texas Ranger, who is all too proud to inform you that he is a Texas Ranger.  Every chance he gets, “Well, In Texas….” And the rapport that develops between LaBoeuf and Cogburn is great, resulting in many awesome one-liners and the majority of the comic relief throughout the film.  LaBoeuf seems too proud for his own good at first but by the end of the film you are routing and caring for his character as much as Mattie Ross and Rooster.

Josh Brolin as the outlaw Tom Chaney is not in the movie much even though the story revolved around chasing down and capturing (or killing) his character.  Brolin is strong, as usual, and his few scenes are quite entertaining.  Chaney fancies himself a man who has just drew a bad lot in life, despite his love for the devil drink and gambling and the fact that he rides with the notorious outlaw Luck Ned Pepper.

All of the characters are very strong in this flick, all portrayed very well, but characters can only get you so far, what about the other facets of the film?  Well just like the characters, the plot, the setting and the camera-work throughout the movie are picture perfect, showing that the Coen Brothers know how to entertain, and entertain very well.

The Movie is beautiful, stunning even, showing some truly breath-taking shots of Oklahoma and the Indian Territory that our merry band of travelers journey through on their wild goose chase for Chaney.  The Coen Brothers do that sate proud, showing the varying terrains and environments that make up the Oklahoma countryside.  Some of my favorite parts in the movie come from the Coen Brothers very strong writing.  They make the language very proper, which I feel is very accurate for the very later 1800’s and some of the funniest parts of the movie come from the proper writing.  Especially, for instance, the distinct lack of contractions throughout the film.  The fact that people say things like Do Not, or Will Not, instead of don’t or won ‘t makes for very interesting, and sometime hilarious dialogue.

Finally, the plot.  True Grit is an amazing story in my opinion even without the Coen Brothers usual attention to detail and level of polish the story of True Grit is a good one.  It is a tale of revenge and redemption and the Coen Brothers handle it beautifully.  Young Mattie Ross is grief-stricken after the murder of her father by the hands of a man named Tom Chaney.  Mattie Ross’ father took Chaney in, gave him a place to stay and some employment and Chaney thanked him with a bullet.  Mattie Ross does not think that the law will take the appropriate actions necessary and sets off to find a man with “True Grit”, a man who will do what she thinks is necessary in order to bring Chaney to justice.  That man is Reuben Cogburn, a US Marshall who is more willing to take in criminal’s dead, as opposed to alive.  He is the man with "True Grit" that Ross is looking for, perfect for tracking down the dangerous Tom Chaney.  Along the way they meet Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who is also tracking down Chaney, but for different reasons.  Their reasons for capturing Chaney do not match but they make an uneasy alliance in order to capture this dangerous criminal.  The unlikely trio set off for the Indian Territory, a territory Cogburn knows well, and during their adventures encounter a Whiskey-smuggling ring, poisonous snakes, dead bodies, men wearing bear hides and many other colorful people and places.  Their patience for each other will be tested absolutely, everyone involved comes into conflict with their own demons and figures out something important about themselves, and the end of the film wraps everything up very nicely.

As you may have noticed from my extra long review, I really enjoy this movie.  I think that this is my favorite movie from 2010, it not my number 1 from this year than easily top 3.  I think that this movie has a little something for everyone; it blends many genres, but presents itself as a Western.  This is a movie that should not be missed or ignored and I can only hope that come award season this movie receives the recognition I clearly believe it deserves!  

5 Epic as Shit Bear-Skin Wearing Man Beards out of 5

                (Ha-ha that is a confusing Beard to describe, but when you see the film, you will know exactly who I am speaking of when I say Bear-Skin Wearing Man)