The John Wayne original, 'True Grit,' has been given a Coen Brothers twist.
Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld in 'True Grit.'
No matter what film genre they decide to explore, Joel and Ethan Coen manage to put their own unique stamp on it, even when they are as faithful to the original as they are with their remake of the western True Grit. The original film was an enjoyable oater with a comic overtone that was hailed more for being a vehicle that gave John Wayne his only Oscar than on its own merits.
The original was not a great, iconic western but it was a personal favorite, and the Coen brothers have honored the original while making some improvements, in particular the casting of Matt Damon in the role that Glen Campbell mangled in the 1969 original.
Returning to the Charles Portis novel on which both films are based, the Coens have made the iconic figure of lawman Rooster Cogburn (as played by “The Dude,” Jeff Bridges) a bit more gritty. He is less likable and more of a rascal than Wayne was willing to show at a time when such figures were often softened for cinematic consumption.
For those unfamiliar with the original, the film is about a determined young 14-year-old by the name of Mattie Ross (played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) who is looking to avenge the murder of her father. She is looking for a man who will find and punish Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the murderer.
She sets upon Rooster Cogburn because he is known to shoot first and then sort out the bodies. A Texas Ranger named LaBeouf (Damon) who knows Chaney by another name and is after him for the murder of a Texas state senator, also joins the manhunt. Mattie is paying to have Chaney caught and she plans to join the men in their pursuit, despite their efforts to leave her behind.
There is a ton of dry humor in True Grit and the Coen brothers extract every laugh out of the numerous opportunities, with plenty of help from Bridges, who makes the character of Rooster Cogburn his own. In the past thirty years of superb screen performances he has become a screen icon in his own right, a master of versatility.
Damon makes LaBeouf a stronger part of the story than in the original, and the rest of the supporting cast, including Brolin and Barry Pepper in the role of outlaw Lucky Ned Pepper (the latter was played by Robert Duvall in the original), also add to the effort.
Ms. Steinfeld manages to make her mark as the Coens make sure that her “true grit” is an equal element in the story and she delivers a sassy, indelible debut.
True Grit is a western with a Coen twist that also remembers the original with a fond tribute.
True Grit ***
Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen; rated PG13
Before we get to the good stuff next week, when I announce my best films of the year list, here are the 10 films that either disappointed me, were flat out awful or that frustrated me because they could have been better.
After ranking the worst movies of the year in last week’s column, it is time for the more pleasant task of naming my favorite movies of 2010. It was a decent year for movies, not vintage, but solid, and here are my favorites in alphabetical order: The Ghost Writer Roman Polanski’s film is a quietly effective thriller devoted to the theme of political maneuvering during wartime. It delivers a message about men in power whose secret policies are carried out not just to protect innocent citizens, but also to keep the power-hungry politicians in power. The Girl Who Played with Fire The second in a trio in of films based on the globally popular and bestselling Millennium Trilogy novels by the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson, it is not as compelling as the first film...
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