Let’s get one thing straight. I love the
Coen Brothers.
No Country for Old Men,
Miller’s Crossing,
Fargo,
The Big motherfucking Lebowski – can’t get enough. Neither can the critics, it seems. With countless nominations, and multiple Oscar wins for the previously mentioned
Fargo and
No Country for Old Men, they’re kind of on a winning streak. The problem is, when you’re on a winning streak, that’s precisely what you have to keep doing.
True Grit, a remake of a well known
John Wayne picture and based on a classic western novel by
Charles Portis, could have finally been their fall from grace. They’ve proven with the
The Ladykillers (2004) that remakes may not be their forte, and when
True Grit was announced to be a Coen Bros. remake, fanboys across the web simultaneously crapped themselves. Fear not, fanboys.
True Grit isn’t as much a win as it is a triumph.
From the off,
True Grit is wonderfully atmospheric. The clipped formal tones of
Hailee Steinfeld’s fourteen year old Mattie Ross set the scene, as her father is murdered by drunk ranch hand Cheney (
Josh Brolin) in cold blood. Mattie wants revenge: “No doubt Cheney fancied himself scott free. But he was wrong. You must pay for everything in this world, one way or another. There is nothing free, except the grace of God.” She sets about bringing Cheney to justice by hiring the toughest U.S. Marshal she can find, Rooster Cogburn (
Jeff Bridges), who also happens to also be the drunkest. Tracking down Cheney for his own reasons is Texas Ranger La Boeuf (
Matt Damon) and inevitably, together they cross the river into Indian Territory to find their man and bring him to law.
The casting is spot on. Jeff Bridges as Rooster is almost a caricature as a liquored up, foul mouthed hard nut U.S. Marshal, and pulls it off effortlessly despite the faint scent of ham in the air. As Mattie, Hailee Steinfeld is sharp tongued and plucky whilst still managing to sound like a young teenage girl. She delivers lines with stark, biblical seriousness with just a hint of naivety, and serves as a good counterbalance to the growling tones of Rooster. Matt Damon plays the before mentioned Texas Ranger, a self assured sharpshooter who could talk the hind legs off a donkey. He plays the comic foil just enough to still retain a credible character and a stand-up member of the film’s tripod. Even bit-parts and supporting actors add layers and interest to the film, and each person the trio encounter plays their part well, with
Barry Pepper and Josh Brolin, as the token villains, deserving more time on screen than the story allows.
The sometimes slow pace allows us to drink in the epic, crystal cut scenes and vistas, excellently captured by long-time Coen collaborating cinematographer (say that in a hurry)
Robert Deakins. What is clear is that this is not a typical Coen Brothers film, it’s a straight-forward western. Die hard fans may be taken aback by this slightly, but their trademark style is still in there somewhere. A bizarre and almost comical appearance of a man fully dressed in a bear skin suit has Coen’s written all over it, and humour seems to spring from the strangest places.
Making this film great are the stellar performances of the whole cast. Each encounter, occurrence and character add to the film and build the atmosphere, working in tandem with the capable direction and excellent cinematography. The standout performance here is clearly Steinfeld, completely owning the role as a solemn young girl advanced way beyond her years on the path to revenge. Without her, it simply would not work. However you take Bridges’ depiction of Rooster, he certainly nails the epic feel. He literally charges to certain-death all guns blazing, in a showdown that will burn into your memory. Just when you might have forgotten about Damon or written him off as a forgettable character, he plays his part in a thrilling conclusion. Perhaps the most Coensian moment of the film is its conclusion; refusing to end on a neatly tied up note,
True Grit ends adrift in reflection and avoids the schmaltzy sentimentality that plagued its predecessor, and is all the better for it.
True Grit has received ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Jeff Bridges) and Best Supporting Actress (Hailee Steinfeld), but it faces stiff competition in every category. Whatever the outcome, it’s definitely a contender. A masterful exercise in Western, and graceful in its expression, it kicks off 2011 with a great start.
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