A Film Review of True Grit

True Genius  (5 out of 5 Stars)

A Film Review by Matt Brigner

The Players: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Elizabeth Marvel, Dakin Matthews

What’s Going On: After the unfortunate murder of her father by the cowardly villain Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), 14 year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires a U.S. Marshall with “true grit,” Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help hunt down the outlaw in the Indian Nations. An articulate Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) is also searching for the outlaw for some outstanding warrants in Texas that will pay dearly if returned. Let the hunt begin.

Why You Should See This Movie: Over the years the Coen brothers have become something of an acquired taste for film goers. Used to doing more with less, they have traditionally put out work that was easily recognizable apart from their contemporaries. With True Grit they have re-created a fairly straight forward tale peppered with their dark humor and busting at the seams with authenticity of the old American western. There isn’t an abundance of action happening on the screen, but the story and acting provide enough kinetic energy to keep the film perfectly paced. The Coens are truly masters of their craft and their expertise is on display for all 110 minutes of this nearly perfect movie. If you are a fan of the original, have no fear, your story has been in good hands. Ten dollars is a small charge to spend two hours in the world of True Grit. I pay it gladly. 

As For The Acting: As with any Coen brother’s movie the acting is top shelf. When you look at a cast list with the likes Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper you would expect nothing short of a brilliantly acted film. The true surprise comes with newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. She plays a character that can hold her own and does so in acting rings against the who’s who list of acting talent that was mentioned above. Every aspect of her portrayal is believable and reinforces the authenticity of the film. Jeff Bridges turns in another brilliant performance that will gain his second Oscar nomination in as many years and quite possibly his second straight win. Matt Damon does his best work since Invictus and Brolin and Pepper are perfectly believable as the dirty, scummy outlaws that you should hope to never cross paths with.  

On A Sweeter Note: One of the best aspects of True Grit lies in Carter Burwell’s brilliant score. He crafts his score using old hymns, which the Coen’s described as something that “couldn’t be soothing or uplifting, and at the same time it couldn’t be outwardly depressing.” Burwell captures this perfectly and the music doesn’t necessarily add or take away from the story, it simply carries us from scene to scene letting the story and scenery do their job. Since the music is from other source materiel it cannot be nominated for Best Original Score, but it will remain one of the best scores of 2010 after all is said and done.

Over And Under On Oscar Nominations: The Over/Under is 8. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Art Direction. I will take the over.