“True Grit” is the first real western I’ve seen/reviewed and my first Coen Brothers film. It’s based on the classic novel and is a remake of the 1969 film that starred the great John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn. It didn’t get a lot of love from Oscar voters but it’s definitely worth watching, even if you’re not a fan of westerns.
The story is set in the late 1800’s. Mattie Ross, a 14 year old girl who’s father has been murdered in cold blood, hires U.S. Marshall Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down the killer, Tom Cheney, and bring him to justice. Another lawman, a Texas Ranger named LaBeouf (played by Matt Damon), is also looking for Cheney, so the trio set-out on this journey. Together they make a very unusual team.
The plot is pretty simple, but the script is filled with sharp, quick dialogue. You really have to listen closely to get all the wise cracks, comments and comebacks. A nice DVD/Blu-ray audio track will help. There are some funny moments, mostly supplied by Damon, and he and Bridges have an interesting relationship as partners who aren’t really partners.
But it’s young Hallie Steinfeld who steals the movie. Her performance as Mattie earned her an Oscar nomination and she should have won the award. This is Mattie’s story and this role has made Steinfeld a star. Josh Brolin, who plays Cheney, and Barry Pepper are also past of the outstanding cast.
The Coen Brothers style (which I’ve read about but never seen in action) of mixing humor with serious and take a quiet scene and then shocking the audience with something very intense, is certainly in full force in “True Grit”. This is a PG-13 film, but there’s plenty of violence that could have pushed it to an R. So, obviously, it’s not for little kids, but teenagers and adults will enjoy the saga of these different characters and an interesting look at life in the Old West.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “True Grit” gets a B. It was clearly one of the best films of 2010 and it helped get the western genre going again. The anmated “Rango” followed in March (and is out on DVD on July 15) and Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys and Aliens” will be in theaters in July.