Go See "True Grit"
I haven't yet watched the 1969 original, but I have no doubt that Jeff Bridges' portrayal of Marshall Cogburn is a bit different from John Wayne's.
Bridges stands out in this new version, for sure, as do the other top-billed actors - Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper - but it was a relative unknown who stole the show, as far as I'm concerned.
Hailee Steinfeld plays feisty, intelligent 14-year-old Mattie Ross, who hires Cogburn to track down her father's killer, then insists on accompanying him for the journey.
Steinfeld is superb and unfailing in the role, and was a complete surprise to me, since I'd never seen her in anything else before. I expect, however, that we'll be hearing much more from her in the near future after her performance in "True Grit."
The Coen Brothers - Joel and Ethan - have made some incredible movies, so I'm not surprised at all to have liked "True Grit" as much as I did. Their films are wide-ranging and almost always at least entertaining.
One of my favorite touches they put on "True Grit" was having the actors speak without the use of contractions. It's funny how much that stands out, since we don't typically talk like that. I mean, it is funny how much that stands out, since we do not typically talk like that.
It was a nice historical touch, though, that I think many westerns and older period films have overlooked completely. People simply did not use contractions back then. Really, they didn't.
I was a little surprised that "True Grit" got itself a PG-13 rating. It felt a little violent and graphic at times - nothing stomach-churning, but still disturbingly real at times - and I'm sure the Coen Brothers purposely rode that line between PG-13 and R in order to reel in a little more of a mainstream audience.
The cinematography is great. The acting is great. The storyline is great.
Just go see it.
Source:
True Grit (2010), IMDB.com
Published by Adam Sparks - Featured Contributor in Sports
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2 Comments
Post a CommentSo many people were wary of seeing this remake, after all, how can they mess with a film with the Duke? But I've heard so many good things about this movie, I'll now have to go and see it.
I have not seen this new version of True Grit but I have seen the 1969 version many times. A great and classic movie in my opinion. If this new one is anywhere as good, it is a must see. Definitely on my bucket list.