True Grit | 2010
Genre: Drama /Western/Adventure
Author : Srivathsa
The following review was featured in "The Hindu", the national newspaper -
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-nxg/article1504861.ece
and
http://www.go-nxg.com/?p=9828
Synopsis: Remembering the classic western – The Coen way!
There is an amazing scene in this movie “True Grit”, when the tough U.S. Marshall
Rooster Cogburn’s leg gets stuck under a just dead horse’s corpse and is powerless.
He is being pointed at for a shot from one of those bad ol’ cowboys, who in turn
is being aimed at from around 400 yards by LaBoeuf, the Texas ranger. This just
reminded of those good ol’ classic westerns and how good they are to watch. This
first clean western by the implausible Coen brothers, is yet another brilliant directional
feat from them.
“True Grit” can be seen as the adaptation of Charles Portis novel or remake of the
1969 western of the same name. Jeff Bridges , who won the academy award last year
for the Best actor, plays Rooster Cogburn (a role performed with astonishing screen
presence by John Wayne in the 1969 movie). Bridges fits in the shoes so perfectly
well and in his own way. And then there is this new girl, Hailee Steinfield playing
Mattie Ross. She deserves an Oscar nomination for her role. She is only 14 and just
does it so darn good .Matt Damon as LaBeouf plays his part well and so does the
other supporting actors.
It is a universal revenge western story, but the Coen’s intricate screenplay and
pivotal direction makes this breathtakingly cinematographed (by Roger Deakins) western,
one of the year’s best. The trio , who follow up the trail to find the villain,
Tom Chanay (played by Josh Brolin) ,face the music in those-days-western style.
But, “True Grit” is not what you, as a rule expect out of the Coen’s. It doesn’t
have any wacky, eccentric characters. The characters are not ‘out of the world’
and also worldly at the same time. But, there are superbly shot silent moments,
nice wide angle shots and vivid dialogues as in any Coen brothers’ film. It’s a
pleasure.
Smell the sand; Ride the horse; Hear the gunshot; Enjoy the adventure; Watch the
perfection in every shot; Give them the credit; they are the people with “True Grit”
– The Coens.