True Grit
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 128 minutes
Now, this is the way to start the year. If I had the power, I would most certainly grant Joel and Ethan (a.k.a. The Coen Brothers) immortality. OK, that might be a bit much, but the world certainly deserves to have these filmmakers around for a long time, as they appear incapable of making a bad movie. The acting, directing, and storyline are always enjoyable and done well. Oh, but there must be at least one exception, right? I thought so too, but it turns out that no, personal taste aside, there is not one film these boys have produced that isnt great and this is no exception.
This time what we have here is the second adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis classic True Grit. And yes, the first one involved John Waynes most famous role. The movie starts with the true star of the show, Hailee Steinfeld, playing 14-year-old Mattie Ross, who is the very definition of the word plucky.
A bad man has killed her father, so like any 14-year-old girl, she vows to see that man dead. Naturally, she gets some money and goes about looking for a gun to hire. Turns out the best bushman/marshal is one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, played by Coen fan favourite Jeff Bridges. Also hot on the killers trail is the hoity-toity Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, played by Matt Damon of all people.
Together (sort of) they enter the Wild West and wouldnt you know it? Western-type shenanigans ensue.
If you love westerns or the Coen brothers, this film is a must-see no-brainer. That said, theres a good chance everyone will enjoy it since it is rightly being touted as one of the best of 2010.
