'True Grit' - Movie Review

"True Grit" stands as one of the best loved westerns ever written. The first film adaptation in 1969 starred John Wayne as the one eyed Rooster Cogburn. This role earned Wayne his one and only Oscar for Best Actor. For many fans of westerns the original film is considered untouchable, but that didn't stop Joel and Ethan Coen from taking the story and remaking it for the 21st century. Thankfully the renowned film-making duo were able to make a film that is distinctly different from the previous adaptation while still feeling very true to the core story.

"True Grit" follows a tenacious fourteen year old named Mattie Ross (played by Hailee Steinfield) on a personal mission. Her father was killed by a hired hand named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who has fled into the wild and is unlikely to be caught by the law who considers him a low priority. Determined to see her father's killer brought to justice Mattie hires a notorious US Marshal named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her find Chaney and either bring him back to be hanged or kill him outright. The pair also have to contend with a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) who's hunting Chaney down for a separate crime. An uneasy alliance forms between the three as they track down Chaney, who's taken up in the gang of infamous criminal Ned Pepper (played by Barry Pepper.) With winter setting in the conditions are harsh but the three soldier on, determined to bring Chaney back dead or alive.

When it comes to the cast of "True Grit" most of the attention has gone to Jeff Bridges and his take on Rooster Cogburn. By making the character more of a drunk and just seem overall more run down as a man Bridges was able to keep the character essentially the same yet create something distinctly different from what John Wayne had done. Cogburn's moral compass a little more buried under the surface in Bridges' version but all the ingredients are still there. Matt Damon pulls off a bit of a tricky roll with LaBoeuf. The character is comparatively flamboyant yet soft spoken and of questionable talent. However he still has a sincerity to him that keeps him from feeling like a burden. Steinfield as Mattie is the anchor of the film, as her determination is what keeps the group and the film moving forward. She strikes a fine balance of being able to come across as extremely clever at times while still keeping the character true to her age and every now and then completely out of her depth. Brolin and Pepper don't have much screen time in their antagonist roles but both have suitable yet distinctly different forms of menace. Brolin is dangerous because of his sense of desperation, whereas Pepper comes across as much more calculating.

The key element that separates this version of "True Grit" from the John Wayne classic is just how dirty everything thing. Not only literally but in terms of the characters as well, everything and every one just feels a bit less polished, a bit rougher. Cogburn is an aging drunk who mumbles his way through life. The various criminals that the trio encounter along their quest just seem to get dirtier and dirtier. Really the only person who seems to be trying to stay dignified at all is LaBoeuf, and he just gets ridiculed for his efforts. The other addition that the Coens bring into the mix is their trademark dark wit. There are some very cutting insults flung about, most by Mattie, as well as some very darkly funny moments throughout. The Coens have always had a unique skill to bring humor to a dangerous situation without having it kill the tension, and it works extremely well here. The only thing that seems slightly off is the over-extended coda that ends the film. The way that the ending is presented just feels somewhat out of place, even though it remains true to the characters.

Some thought there wasn't much more that the Coens could do with a western setting after their Oscar winning "No Country for Old Men." However "True Grit" is not only one of their most accomplished films but also one of their most entertaining. It's more straight forward than most would expect from the Coens but it still has their finger prints all over it. It ranks among the best films of last year and is well deserving of the various awards and nominations it's been receiving of late. One final note for parents: the film did receive a PG-13 rating but it pushes the boundaries of that rating a few times. The violence in the film is hardly constant but when it hits it tends to hit rather hard and unflinchingly, so be aware before bringing the family.

Final Score: 4.5 out of 5