Country:
USA
Recognizable Faces:
Jeff Bridges
Matt Damon
Josh Brolin
Directed By:
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen
In my mind, the Coen brothers can do very little wrong. They also eat thunder and shit lightning, like Bruce Lee used to. Their movies can go from good, but depressing (A Serious Man, The Man Who Wasn't There), to great (Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing), to ungodly amazing (No Country For Old Men, The Big Lebowski, Burn After Reading). True Grit is a worthy heir to the Coens legacy of awesome, I was sold to the idea even before I bought my movie ticket. The question was to know where, on the scale of coolness, their newest movie ranked.
For those unfamiliar with the Charles Portis novel or the killer 1969 movie adaptation with John Wayne, True Grit is the story of fourteen years old Mattie Ross (played by Hailee Stanfield), who like the elder child of many family back then, is way too mature for her age. She helps her dad running the family business by taking care of the accounting. Unlike other girls of her age though, her father Frank is brutally murdered by a criminal named Tom Chaney (Brolin), who they hired, thinking he was just an honest worker. After burying her father, Mattie sets out for retribution and hires Marshall Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Bridges) to help her achieve her goal. She also gets the help of a Texas ranger weirdo named La Boeuf (Damon), who's been trailing Chaney since the lone star state.
The magic of the Coens lies often in the confidence they put in their actors. They stock their frames as much as they can for atmosphere purpose, but they let their performers loose, knowing they settled oh too well in their characters. That's why their movies have been an avalanche of memorable performances over the years. True Grit doesn't betray the tradition. Jeff Bridges does his very own Rooster Cogburn, which is the point that differentiates itself the most from the original movie. It's the first time in ten years I don't feel like calling his character "Lebowski". He's old, cranky and he reeks of booze even through the screen. Hailee Stanfield commands this movie though. She embodies the point the Coens were trying to make and communicates her grit with her cast mates. Mattie's courage becomes viral and gets to Cogburn and La Boeuf, which gives a memorable ending scene with Bridges and Stanfield.
The actors are not to blame, but if there's a shortcoming to point out, its the Coens crazy loyalty to the source material, mainly the John Wayne movie. True Grit is the most commercial movie they've done in many years. There's none of that Coen edge, none of that signature atmosphere. I think what annoyed me the most is the Hollywoodish epic soundtrack. They've been pretty minimalistic with music over the years, it's not the case in True Grit, music somewhat ties the scenes together and leaves you feeling like you're watching the original many times. Thanks for Jeff Bridges' personal Rooster Cogburn, it's not common throughout the whole movie. I would have loved if the Coens would have put more of themselves and less of the original movie's structure into their True Grit. I left the theater not as stunned and awe as when I saw No Country For Old Men for example.
True Grit is a lot of fun and a very savvy way to spend your cinema money. It will also be a nice addition to any DVD/Blu-Ray collection. It's just that it's a mid-shelf offering in the Coens dynasty of cinematographic excellence. I guess you can't out-do yourself every day you clock in right? Watch it thought. It's still an above average, all-around smart movie. Just don't pump yourself up like an idiot, the way I did.
SCORE: 85%
For those unfamiliar with the Charles Portis novel or the killer 1969 movie adaptation with John Wayne, True Grit is the story of fourteen years old Mattie Ross (played by Hailee Stanfield), who like the elder child of many family back then, is way too mature for her age. She helps her dad running the family business by taking care of the accounting. Unlike other girls of her age though, her father Frank is brutally murdered by a criminal named Tom Chaney (Brolin), who they hired, thinking he was just an honest worker. After burying her father, Mattie sets out for retribution and hires Marshall Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Bridges) to help her achieve her goal. She also gets the help of a Texas ranger weirdo named La Boeuf (Damon), who's been trailing Chaney since the lone star state.
The magic of the Coens lies often in the confidence they put in their actors. They stock their frames as much as they can for atmosphere purpose, but they let their performers loose, knowing they settled oh too well in their characters. That's why their movies have been an avalanche of memorable performances over the years. True Grit doesn't betray the tradition. Jeff Bridges does his very own Rooster Cogburn, which is the point that differentiates itself the most from the original movie. It's the first time in ten years I don't feel like calling his character "Lebowski". He's old, cranky and he reeks of booze even through the screen. Hailee Stanfield commands this movie though. She embodies the point the Coens were trying to make and communicates her grit with her cast mates. Mattie's courage becomes viral and gets to Cogburn and La Boeuf, which gives a memorable ending scene with Bridges and Stanfield.
The actors are not to blame, but if there's a shortcoming to point out, its the Coens crazy loyalty to the source material, mainly the John Wayne movie. True Grit is the most commercial movie they've done in many years. There's none of that Coen edge, none of that signature atmosphere. I think what annoyed me the most is the Hollywoodish epic soundtrack. They've been pretty minimalistic with music over the years, it's not the case in True Grit, music somewhat ties the scenes together and leaves you feeling like you're watching the original many times. Thanks for Jeff Bridges' personal Rooster Cogburn, it's not common throughout the whole movie. I would have loved if the Coens would have put more of themselves and less of the original movie's structure into their True Grit. I left the theater not as stunned and awe as when I saw No Country For Old Men for example.
True Grit is a lot of fun and a very savvy way to spend your cinema money. It will also be a nice addition to any DVD/Blu-Ray collection. It's just that it's a mid-shelf offering in the Coens dynasty of cinematographic excellence. I guess you can't out-do yourself every day you clock in right? Watch it thought. It's still an above average, all-around smart movie. Just don't pump yourself up like an idiot, the way I did.
SCORE: 85%
