Movie Review: True Grit
The Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, are becoming a powerhouse team of writer/directors in Hollywood. After making films like “No Country for Old Men”, “Burn After Reading”, and “A Serious Man” the duo brings us “True Grit”, a western that brings a new face to our attention while giving some familiar ones another chance to shine. Like the famous John Wayne version, made in 1969, the Coen’s new film is based on the book by Charles Portis, but unlike its predecessor this is not a film dominated by one man’s mere presence, this is an ensemble piece that’s brilliantly put together.
The movie begins, like most memories, a little blurry and as it clears we go from hearing Mattie Ross tell her story to watching it unfold. Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is a fourteen year old girl who’s father’s been shot by the hired hand who turned out to be a seasoned criminal. Seeking revenge against the man, Tom Chaney, Ross hires Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to hunt him down and bring him to justice. As a mature beyond her year’s type of girl, Ross insists she travels with Cogburn to see the job, and along the way they’re joined by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf. Their quest to take down Chaney proves to be a classic western tale.
Steinfeld, who was 13 when the movie was filmed, is far and away the star of this film. She holds her own against a handful of recognized and respected actors and has been recognized with a slew of nominations for it. To go from a handful of TV shows/movies and short films to a major motion picture, directed by the Coen’s and starring opposite Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon is a lot to ask of anyone, this girl does it brilliantly. She makes Ross’s character completely believable, strong enough to chase down her father’s murderer and run the family estate while still showing the vulnerability that can exist in any 14 year old.
Bridges, as Cogburn, is equally brilliant. One of his greatest talents is his ability to disappear into a role, you never look at the screen and see the actor, you only see the character. Cogburn is a former soldier, a shoot first ask questions later type of U.S. Marshall who’s fallen to sleeping in bottles of whiskey. He may be a cantankerous drunk with an eye patch but Cogburn is still a gunslinger of the deadliest nature, and as Ross says a man of “true grit.” Cogburn doesn’t start as character who’s necessarily likeable, but Bridges helps create a wonderfully deep character that’s great to watch.
Some talented familiars fill out the Coen’s cast. Josh Brolin plays a classic evil western villain; his Tom Chaney has no good in him. Damon plays LaBoeuf as a proud Texan, quick to let you know the quality of his home, his gun, and his fellow Rangers. Barry Pepper plays another antagonist, Lucky Ned Pepper, his history and face off with Cogburn make for one of the film’s best moments. They’re roles, of varying sizes but not importance, fill out “True Grit” and help elevate the film.
After making their classically quirky films (“Raising Arizona”, “O Brother Where Art Thou?”, and “The Big Lebowski”) the Coen’s have crafted a true genre film, their “True Grit” can stand side by side in the category of westerns with films like “The Magnificent Seven” and “Silverado” and seem perfectly in place. It’s a testament to their abilities that they can make such a differently film without losing the quality they’ve become known for.
“True Grit” can now claim 10 Oscar nominations, and it’s earned every single one of them. Top to bottom it’s a fantastic film with a number of great performances. The films big enough that its certainly worth a trip to the theaters and is another movie to earn the Kenneth J. Sheehan Seal of Approval.