True Grit Review

[Westside Steve]

True Grit

Paramount

PG 13 110 min

 

 

OK OK before anyone has a fit there is no disrespect intended for the legendary Duke.

Nobody is saying that John Wayne’s TRUE GRIT is not a seminal American film.

Here’s how I see it.

You may be a big fan of Chuck Berry’s Rock ‘N Roll Music but there’s no reason you cannot enjoy the Beatles version right?

Now I’ll admit that had Keanu Reaves taken over the lead role I might be less amenable to the project but Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn is a pretty damn solid pick.

Not only that but this is from Joel and Ethan Coen who have, in my opinion, achieved sainthood in the motion picture industry and who may possible sit at the right hand of Stanley Kubrick.

And remember the first film was forty-one years ago. Get over it.

You may recall the plot where the precise and precocious Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires broken down Marshall Ruben “Rooster” Cogburn (Bridges) to track down her father’s killer (Josh Brolin) Natt Damon takes over the role of the pompous Texas Ranger originally played by Glen Campbell.

The tale follows the anti hero philosophy of the 1960s from where it sprung (sprang? Whence?), meaning that the good guys and bad guys are more shades of gray than black and white.

The scenery is grand and the acting faithful to the roots.

Here’s a point of interest I’ll need to check on. Mattie’s dialogue is unique in that she does not use contractions. She is precise in her speech and every word is distinct.

About halfway through I had noticed that all the characters spoke without contractions.

I do not know if this was a quirk from the book or just some seasoning from the brothers Coen.

Anyway I loved it and cannot understand the snub from the Golden Globe committee.

 

B+

 

WSS

 

Email: westsidesteve@aol.com

[Westside Steve]

Since I did the predictions a long time ago I was thinking that Hailee Steinfield might have overtaked Melissa Leo for best supporting after Leo pissed everybofy off with the ad campaign.

WSS

[hoorta]

<b>Since I did the predictions a long time ago I was thinking that Hailee Steinfield <i>might have</i> overtaken Melissa Leo for best supporting after Leo pissed everybody off with the ad campaign.

WSS</b>

 

And I did done some research Steve.

 

1) Had to pull out a copy of the original "True Grit" and have a look. Don't try and convince me you're in Fort Smith Arkansas when a lot of the footage was shot in Ouray, Colorado. Us mountaineers know better (OK give one to the wife- I was betting Glacier NP in Montana). But the cinematography was 4 Star.

 

2) Wayne might have won "best actor" for that film but holy smokes, call a spade a spade and make it a "lifetime achievement" award. He wasn't all that great IMHO, and his competition that year? Peter O'Toole "Goodbye Mr. Chips", Dustin Hoffman & Jon Vaught "Midnight Cowboy", and Richard Burton "Anne of 1000 Days".

 

3) Now what's wrong with "they all lived (relatively) happily ever after"? So give me the ending of the original, hands down.

[Zombo]

Saw it last night. Very good, but not great. Actualy seemed too short to me ... but enjoyable none the less.

 

Zombo

[slowburn]

Matt Damon miscast. Like any remake the element of surprise is nonexistant. Gratuitious volence seemed forced and contrived. c- at best

[The Gipper]

Matt Damon miscast. Like any remake the element of surprise is nonexistant. Gratuitious volence seemed forced and contrived. c- at best

 

No more miscast than Glen Campbell.

 

And actually Steve, I thought Jeff Bridges was far superior to John Wayne in the role. In fact, that was one of Wayne's worst performances. Not his best.

 

I saw a program on Jeff Bridges on PBS the other day. I think it was Robin Williams who said "Rooster Cogburn could have been The Dude's (Big Lebowski) Great great grandfather. Pretty apt...but not in the way of "well, he is just doing the same role...the same thing". Not at all. Both characters were distinct and unique, its just that they had a similar outlook on life.

[miktoxic]

i thought this version was by far the better of the two. the cohen brothers are by far the best movie makers out there today, hands-down. but this was not their best effort considering the instant classics they have made in the past decade or two.

 

i understand going for authenticity of that era but when i go to a movie i'd like to hear what people are saying and be able to understand them too. this whispering monologue going into an explosion shit has got to stop (general observation of movies since surround sound thx etc.).

 

i got to compare the old version with the new as on the weekend of the new true grit premiere TMC must've played the original 20 times. i didn't like the glen campbell character then nor do i like the character played by matt damon. the girl in the version is a lot less annoying than that mainstay actress who played the little whiny bitch in the original. seemed liked she was in a lot of movies back then. her voice was enough to curl up the wicked witches legs. that's it she was a judy garland cast off.

 

jeff bridges: what can you say. one of the best actors of our time. i know the part called for it but can we as the audience understand WTF you're saying? and stop letting your agent get you parts in crap movies like iron man.