True Grit (2010)

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Western, Drama, Adventure
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After her father is killed, a young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) is bent on revenge on his murderer. She hires an old marshal named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her.

Review:

Tim: I am still not convinced that True Grit needed a remake. Yes, the film was a bit dated, and there was room to create a unique movie with the story instead of simply doing the same thing over again. However, the original is a classic, starring one of the biggest names in the history of movies. Did this movie need to exist? Even in the hands of Ethan and Joel Coen, and even with Jeff Bridges taking on the role made famous by John Wayne (could any other actor today seriously have filled those shoes?), this movie still felt a bit unnecessary. All that considered, the Coen Brothers have created a very good movie that still doesn't get to the same heights as the original.

I still very much enjoyed this movie. The Coen Brothers have experience with Westerns, and are among the most accomplished and exciting filmmakers working today. They have a terrific track record (minus their comedies, which I personally haven't favored much) and this film seemed like an opportunity for them to focus on their areas of strength. This movie is a solid, entertaining, exceptionally made Western. It's certainly a strong movie.

One of the film's biggest strengths is also one of its weaknesses. So much of this film's quality rested on Jeff Bridges' shoulders. The big reason why people were uncertain about this film is because it's a remake of the film that finally got John Wayne his Academy Award (for Best Actor). Jeff Bridges was certainly the right actor for the role, but how would he do? For the most part, excellently. Bridges is an accomplished actor, and he gives a great performance. However, I don't understand his mumbling. Sure, it's part of the character, but it made it nearly impossible for me to understand what he was saying. It got to the point where it was very frustrating. I know I'm not the best listener in the world, but although I turned the volume up as high as it would go, I still couldn't make sense of his words. This was distracting, and it hurt the film. Did he deserve a Best Actor nomination? Maybe, but I'm glad he didn't win.

The supporting cast is good, but not quite great. It never felt like they all fit together. You obviously have to give credit to Hailee Steinfeld, for not only holding her own among a brilliant cast (when your costars are Bridges, Damon, and Brolin, you know you're among the best), but in some ways, outshines them. Steinfeld gives a remarkably strong, impressive performance. She shows such strength and character. In her feature film debut, she knocks it out of the park. I'm glad she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and I expect she'll receive more in the future. Matt Damon is a great actor, but he felt completely out of place here. I never believed him in the role, and his presence pushed me out of the movie, instead of drawing me in. I like Damon a lot, but I felt like he was miscast here. He works decently well with Bridges, but I didn't think he interacted well with Steinfeld. In my mind, Damon was a brilliant idea that disappointed in its result.

Furthermore, I liked Josh Brolin in the role, but I wish he had a bigger part. Brolin's such a strong actor, and he was underutilized here. I also really enjoyed seeing Barry Pepper here, but again, I wish he had more to do. These two actors were very well cast and added to the film. I just wish they had the chance to add more.

The movie unfolds very well- balanced exceptionally, great drama, action, adventure, and some humor. It's a very solid movie. However, while interesting, it never reached that level of greatness that we were so expecting from this film. It hits the audience on the surface, but it struggles to connect on a deep emotional level. That's a shame. I also think that while this is clearly a good movie, it's not great. It makes me sad that this film received 10 Academy Award nominations (critics love the Coens because they are the Coens). This is an overrated movie, which is why it went 0-10 at the Oscars. It shocks me that this was nominated for Best Picture (without 10 Best Picture nominations, this wouldn't have received one).

True Grit is a good movie and critics pretended that it was great. I believe the Coens' work should be judged on its own merit, not on the name of the directors. I enjoyed this movie- it's certainly very good. However, this movie faced a great burden- to prove that it deserves to exist. After a valiant effort, this movie falls short. It's good, but it isn't better than the original. It left me wanting more. In the end, that's not good enough.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: True Grit, No Country For Old Men, Crazy Heart