True Grit

Before we get into the review I need to explain my rating system. I don't want to use stars or a number system, so I am going to use a spill.com type approach.

Ratings will be as followed
GO FUCKING SEE THIS
Worth Your Time
Netflix This
I Would Hold Off
Complete and Utter Garbage

There is good chance it will be tweaked before it's all said and done. Now to the review!




True Grit is a remake of a 1969 John Wayne western. This new attempt is brought to us young folk by the Coen Brothers, who's biggest work of recent date is No Country for Old Men. The story follows Mattie Ross who has come into the city from her country farm home to claim the body of her recently murdered father. Instead of promptly taking the body and going home to mourn with her family Mattie has decided to take it upon herself to find the toughest US Marshall she can to hunt down and capture her father's murderer. Now despite what the trailers may show this film is very much about Mattie Ross (played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld)while Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) is a big part of this film you understand right from the beginning of the film that it is Maggie's story and Steinfeld does an excellent job carrying her role in the film with such great actors as Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.

The beginning of this film centers around Maggie's search for the perfect US Marshall, questioning towns folk and the sheriff for any and all details to the top Marshalls. You get the clear as day picture of Not only her determination but her stubbornness as she goes through this process. She is pointed in the direction of US Marshall Rooster Cogburn, who is currently in town as a witness to a trial where he shot and killed some of the other suspects related to the man being convicted. Through several stubborn attempts, Mattie is able to convince Cogburn to head out and find the killer of her father Tom Chaney. During this whole process Cogburn and Mattie come along a Texas Ranger named LeBoeuf (pronounced LeBeef). He is currently searching for Chaney after he murdered a US Senator in Texas.

The majority of this film is filled with the typical dry humor and strong dialog that is commonly found in a Coen Brothers film. Anyone expecting this to be heavy on action and fast paced is wrong. That is not to say this film is slow as the dialog and chemistry from the characters is what carries and makes this film. Just don't expect it to be guns a blazing. When there is action though it is extremely well done and in similar style to a lot of old school westerns. Shot in wide angles to see all of the action, the violence while not terribly gruesome definitely pushes the limits of its PG-13 rating. Plus it's always entertaining to see Matt Damon whip a 14 year old girl.

I really can't express enough how well Hailee Steinfeld plays her roll of Mattie Ross. She comes across perfectly as the 14 year old daughter seeking justice and refusing anything other then her way. You may think from the trailer that she is just going to be the cute out of place girl who makes this whole manhunt a debacle but she learns quickly and adapts because more then anything else she wants Chaney captured. Jeff Bridges is absolutely fantastic as Rooster Cogburn, he displays the right level of rugged and badass attitude that a Marshall of "True Grit" should have. You also get to see that maybe Cogburn isn't suited for this line of work much longer as he sometimes shows his age with his skills diminishing a bit. Matt Damon is definitely a strong character as the Texas Ranger with many important performances and is on screen long enough to not take away any momentum built by Bridges or Steinfeld. The only performance that was lacking was Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney, though that was only because he is not in the film til close to the end

This honestly is one of the best movies I have not only seen in 2010, but in a long time. Performances are strong, action while not much is well done. It is an old school Western made by men who knew what they were doing. If you haven't seen True Grit then GO FUCKING SEE THIS!