True Grit [M]

When her father is murdered by a wanted criminal fourteen year-old Mattie Ross takes it upon herself to track down the murderer and bring him to justice. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one after Tom Chaney. A ruthless Marshall from another county is hunting the man too and in order to get to him first Mattie enlists the help of skilled, but gritty hunter Rooster Cogburn. With time against them, the hunt is on. 

A remake of the 1969 movie starring John Wayne, this Coen Brothers classic is a dazzling depiction of characterization, the power of the simple quest narrative, and just an all around gorgeous piece of Western cinema. The direction is simple but powerful and the performances are incredible, even though a fair amount of the time it’s hard to understand exactly what Jeff Bridges is saying with that gritty accent. 

Despite the fact that the movie poster heavily features Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon as the stars, the movie really is all about Mattie. The Coens prove that the quest narrative is an oldie but a goodie with the central story focusing on Mattie’s quest to find her father’s murderer. It’s a narrative structure that translates into any cinematic genre and here it’s blended with other recognizable plotlines such as the contrasting and mismatched companion story and the unlikely friendship. The Coens’ screenplay is a superb example of cinematic literature as it melds these recognizable narrative tropes together and puts them in a genre that we don’t often find them in. The result is this wonderfully gritty, but dramatic, comedic, and beautiful story that really surprises and inspires a plethora of emotional responses from the audience. One moment we’re laughing, the next we’re cussin’, and before we know it we’re at the edge of our seats praying that these guys make it and make it safe. 

The blend of recognizable narratives in an unfamiliar genre is the first thing to rave about in this movie. The second is the performances. Whilst Bridges and Damon are granted star billing, the movie is really all about Hailee Steinfeld who stars as Mattie. The girl is absolutely incredible! She is such a strong little actress and she really holds her own against Damon and Bridges. One of the greatest delights and kicks that I got from this movie was watching this sassy and educated young’un beat down middle-aged men at their own games; outsmart them, outsass them, and just generally wear them down in every which way but loose. Steinfeld is absolutely amazing! She’s sassy, she’s smart, her accent is practically flawless, and she provides the movie with the larger doses of its drama, emotional development, and comedy. I cannot oversell how great she was in this movie! 

Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn is the ‘true grit’ of the title. He’s so dirty and rough; his voice actually sounds like a rock bring scraped against a hard place! It’s pretty fantastic. 

Matt Damon as LaBoeuf is really interesting to watch because he’s such a strange character. He’s kind of moral and upstanding and admirable, but at the same time a real dickhead and a bit of a creep, especially the first time you meet him: real creepy! 

Starring Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Dakin Matthews, Jarlath Conroy, Paul Ray, Domhnall Gleeson, Elizabeth Marvel, Roy Lee Jones, Ed Corbin, Leon Russom, Bruce Green, and Candyce Hinkle, True Grit is a great modern Western filled with action, violence, drama, and comedy. It’s a fantastic display of good characterization, great performances, and simple but clever screenwriting. It’s a classic.