Comparing the old version of True Grit to the new version is like comparing chalk and cheese. The old version followed the character of Rooster (played by the legendary John Wayne) while the new version takes a leaf from Charles Portis’ novella and is told from the point-of-view of Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld – TV’S Sons Of Tucson & Summer Camp). This makes the story more personal, and results in one of the better westerns to have surfaced in quite a long time.
Mattie’s (Steinfeld) world is turned upside down when her father is killed by hired hand, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin – Jonah Hex, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger). But instead of becoming the weeping, grieving daughter, she travels to a small town to settle his affairs and to seek revenge for his death. She hires the toughest Marshall (a man with “true grit”) she can find, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges – Tron: Legacy, Crazy Heart) and after a few arguments set off to find Chaney. However, they soon discover they are not the only ones on his trail, they find out that LaBoeuf (Matt Damon – The Adjustment Bureau, Hereafter), a Texas Ranger is also trying to hunt him down.
This is one time when Joel and Ethan Coen (A Serious Man, Burn After Reading) certainly don’t deserve the tag “of Hollywood’s most over-rated directors”. This time round, the duo very little wrong. The story (although slow moving in parts) keeps the audience focused, while the characters are well-developed from the novel, and you soon find yourself having a soft spot for not only but Mattie, but the hardened Rooster. You certainly do care what happens to them.
What the Coen Brothers have created here is one of the best Western movies to surface in a long time. Visually, it looks spectacular. The dark mood of the story is well reflected with low lighting, while every frame seems to capture the ‘harshness’ of the situation at hand. In fact the film’s only weakness is that the ending seems rushed. I’m not sure we needed to see the whole part with 40-Year-Old Mattie, but what we did need to see (that we didn’t) was what happened to LaBoeuf. Poor old Matt Damon seemed to get forgotten, a pity as he really is a major piece to the story.
Acting-wise True Grit shines. Early on, it seems that Hailee Steinfeld is going to be yet another precocious teenage actor, but she grows on you, and at the end of the day her performance is spectacular. She is well supported by Jeff Bridges who really does make the character of Rooster his own. He may mumble a little too much (making it hard for the audience to work out what he is saying early on), but he does manage to put in a performance that will be remembered for a long time to come.
True Grit may not be everybody’s cup-of-tea, but it really is a piece of cinematic brilliance. The rushed ending will disappoint some but for the most part True Gritwill impress. A terrific Western that shows there is clearly life left in this genre.
Year: 2010
Director: Joel + Ethan Coen
Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon
Classification: M
Runtime: 110 mins
Rating:
