True Grit

Though I haven’t seen the 1969 original, I really enjoyed Joel and Ethan Coen’s version of True Grit.  I believe it could be a potential Best Picture spoiler at the Oscars. 

True Grit is a story about a 14-year old Mattie Ross searching for justice after her father is gunned down in Arkansas sometime in the late 1870's.  She enlists the help of a grizzly old marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to find the murderer.  Accompanying them in the hunt is a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) already searching for the fugitive, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who is responsible for a slew of previous crimes.

The 1969 version of the film won John Wayne his only Oscar.  While Jeff Bridges version of Rooster Cogburn is laudable, the star of this film is the young actress who plays the tenacious Mattie Ross.  Hailee Steinfeld hasn’t appeared in any other major movies, but outshines both Bridges and Damon.  The early scenes of her trading with an Arkansas shopkeeper are some of the best, and most humorous, in the film.  Though he only had a cameo, Barry Pepper as “Lucky” Ned Pepper was a dead ringer for Robert Duvall, who originated the role in 1969, however Pepper’s take is far more menacing.

The classic Western format is a departure from the Coen Brother’s signature quirky style.  The film is beautifully done, with classic American Western landscapes as a backdrop. The simple good guy-bad guy drama is refreshing amongst a sea of films attempting to surprise audiences with film ending twists, or CGI manufactored action sequences.