I've seen just about every film the Coen Brothers have ever made, and after a while, they begin to become a bit predictable in their weirdness. The wacky characters, the random plot twists, the relentlessly clever dialogue. With all of that in mind, True Grit, their remake of the 1969 film for which John Wayne won his only Oscar, was surprising for its straightforward, old-fashioned tone and predictable (but still thrilling) narrative.
Set in the late 1870's, True Grit is the story of Mattie Ross, a tenacious 14-year old girl who, while traveling West to reclaim the body of her murdered father, decides to take revenge upon the killer, with the assistance of drunken, trigger-happy Marshal Rooster Cogburn and a pompous Texas Ranger named LeBeouf.
I saw the 1969 version of True Grit a number of years ago and my memories of it are fairly dim. Given the linear nature of the plot, I assume the Coens changed little when re-adapting the novel, but 4o years of social progress have allowed them to punch it up with some of the violence and swearing that would have been common in the Old West. That said, this a fairly tame film by the Coen's standards, featuring almost no sexuality, cursing that's more amusing than shocking and violence that, while bloody, is fairly brief. This, combined with it's no-frills approach to the plot, gives the film an almost quaint, timeless feeling. It's a nice change of pace.
Continuing their successful run with cinematographer Roger Deakins (who also shot The Assassination of Jesse James, which is one of the best looking movies I've ever seen), the Coen Brothers coat the film in the slick grittyness that's been popular with Westerns ever since Deadwood. The color palette is pretty interesting as well, evoking old sepia tones while still maintaining a natural feel.
The biggest draw for this film, it would seem, is the acting. After being crushingly disappointed by his performance in Tron, it was nice to see Jeff Bridges back in top form for True Grit. He does an excellent job of distancing himself from both Wayne's performance as well as his own Oscar-winning portrayal of a drunken old codger in last years' Crazy Heart. With his indistinct, yet loquacious mumbling and his simultaneously irritable, yet Zen-like approach to life, Bridges creates a character that is entirely distinct, yet distinctly his own. Plus, he rocks the eyepatch pretty hard.
What's got most people talking though, is newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie. Highly precocious, as all child actors must be, Steinfeld also possesses all the poise and determination the role requires as well as a precisely annunciated, Judy Garland-style line delivery that further contributes to the films classic feel. Matt Damon rounds out the main cast as the preening Texas Ranger and does a nice job of making him enjoyable while still keeping him a pompous ass.
Despite really enjoying this movie, I left the theatre feeling a bit indifferent to the whole thing. I think the ending put too fine a point on the whole thing and it felt a bit abrupt (not as abrupt as No Country For Old Men). It was nice to see them do a straight Western after dancing around the genre in the past, but I'd much rather see another original offering from them in the future.
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