Ethan and Joel Coen have done it again! Their latest film, “True Grit,” is a fine addition to the Western genre. I couldn’t help but enjoy every second of the film.
“True Grit” is Mattie Ross’ story of how she sought revenge for her father’s murder. After her father is killed, Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help find her father’s murderer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Along with a Texas Ranger, Mr. LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), they go on a journey to capture Chaney.
And did I mention that Mattie is only a 14 year old girl? Hailee Steinfeld plays her impeccably. She captures the right amount of stoicism and charm to make everyone love Mattie. Rooster Cogburn is “a man of true grit” as Mattie says, and Jeff Bridges gives a truly gritty (and comedic) performance. Matt Damon is funny when explains how Texas Rangers do things, and his accent makes it even more funny.
As with a lot of Coen Brothers’ scripts, they like to mix comedy and drama, and they do it well. They write great dialogue and the banter between the characters, especially anything Mattie Ross says, is golden. There is some imagery in the movie, especially toward the end. I don’t want to spoil the movie, but one of the most beautifully shot scenes was toward the end when Cogburn and Mattie are racing out of the wilderness. Also, I thought the ending shot was really cool.
If you’re like me and not a big fan of Westerns, don’t let it stop you from seeing it. “True Grit” almost transcends its genre. I thought I was going to get bored, but I never did. It’s a definite Oscar contender and deservedly so.
“True Grit” will be released in theaters on December 22nd.
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