Country: U.S.A.
Genre(s): Adventure
/ Western
Director: Ethan
Coen / Joel Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges
/ Hailee Steinfeld / Matt Damon
Plot
A determined teenage girl hires a
drunken, world-weary U.S. marshal to track down the fugitive who murdered her
father.
What I Liked
"True Grit" is a remake of a revered John Wayne Western from the 1960s but it stands as a quality film entirely on its own. Indeed, this is a film that confirms everything I
like about a good Western. Its greatness
rests entirely upon the writing of its characters, the talents portraying
those characters, and the talents behind the camera. In this one we have an
undeniably strong cast portraying interesting, cathartic characters relating to
each other in compelling ways with unique but believable dialogue. The
cinematography, always one of the most powerful qualities in a Coen film, is
fantastic. As the protagonists continue
on their journey they seem to pass almost through different worlds, each
hauntingly beautiful in its own way.
Even my wife, who does not like any westerns at all, admitted this one
was better than she had thought it would be and said it was the best western
she’d seen. I can't the same entirely,
What I Didn’t Like
There really isn’t much to dislike
about this movie. I suppose one could
argue that the star power involved (Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, et
al.) might take away from the enjoyment, as many people would see the film as
Jeff Lebowski and Will Hunting hunting down the older brother from the Goonies. But I don’t think that argument holds up
here. These actors are good enough to
surpass their prior accomplishments and fully embody the characters in a
convincing and moving way.
Most Memorable Scene
*spoiler alert*
In the story’s final moments, as
Marshal Cogburn races to save Mattie Ross’s life, the characters seem to pass
out of the real world into an eerie dreamscape that elevates the story at its
climax into the land of heroic myth.
Though we know Mattie survives because it is an older version of her who
narrates the events of the film, there is still a great deal of suspense
involved. However, the true emotional
impact of the scene lies not in whether or not Mattie survives, but in the lengths
that Cogburn goes to for another. The
depth of emotion surpasses simple development for his character, or an
expression of love for this girl, to become a heartbreaking quest for redemption. It’s moving of a scene as I’ve ever witnessed
in an American Western.
My Rating: 4.5 out 5
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