True Grit
I'm usually not one who enjoys remakes of perfectly good films -- such as that remake of Psycho from a few years ago. The originals are usually fantastic, with incredible writing, directing, acting so I don't see a point in re-creating a film. (And don't even get me started on taking what happens with foreign language films.) However, once in a while I force myself to see such a remake -- and I even enjoy it, much like I did with the Coen brothers' True Grit.
14-year-old Mattie Ross wants to find Tom Chaney, the man who killed her father. Mattie's a smart, stubborn girl and manages to coerce Marshall Rooster Cogburn to help her track Chaney down through the Cherokee country.
That's the story, without giving too much away.
The acting in this remake is phenomenal. Jeff Bridges plays the whiskey-loving and cranky Rooster Cogburn as part curmudgeon, part somewhat lovable father figure to Mattie. Matt Damon is equally likable at the Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, bringing an easy, subtle comic touch to the character. Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper are great, too, in their small parts. But the youngster Hailee Steinfeld steals the movie as Mattie Ross. She's stubborn, quick-witted, brave and smart -- almost too smart for her own good. One of my favorite scenes is her banter with Col. Stonehill (Dakin Matthews) about selling back the ponies that her father bought from the Colonel. Very funny and shows just what of character Mattie is.
The script is sharp, as well, and you have to listen carefully or you might miss something. But then again, it is from the Coen brothers who did an amazing job with Homer's The Odyssey -- O Brother, Where Art Thou? -- and No Country for Old Men.
If you haven't seen this versio nof True Grit yet, get to a theater now!!
Image from NY Daily News.
Monday, January 17, 2011
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3 comments:
The Coen brothers never go wrong, do they?
I will give this one a try.
what i love the most about coen brothers films is how they pay so much attention to language and how people speak.
Shane and I went to see this yesterday. The only flaw with the original was Glen Campbell's lack of acting ability. This version was much better, as Matt Damon can act. My only problem with version is the stilted dialog. Did people talk that formally in the 19th Century? It seemed a bit odd to me throughout. The violence in this version seemed a bit more real. Though Jeff Bridges did a great job, I loved John Wayne's Rooster too. I do agree... Hailee stole the show.
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