"True Grit"

Action/Adventure, Western, Adaptation and Remake. Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 50 minutes.

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Jeff Bridges reteams with the Coen Brothers to revive a character made famous by John Wayne in the second adaptation of the Charles Portis novel. Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshal trying to track down a ruthless criminal through the old West.

Four-year-old Mattie Ross, played wonderfully by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, wants revenge on Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who murdered her father in Arkansas. Mattie wants someone mean, someone who displays “true grit,” to help her in her quest. She crosses paths with Cogburn and LaBeouf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger. LaBeouf has been chasing Chaney because of another murder committed in Texas.

Cogburn and LaBeouf initially refuse to let Mattie tag along on their hunt, but she proves too persistent and stubborn. The three eventually learn that Chaney is riding with Ned Pepper’s (Barry Pepper) gang, and the two groups cross paths where the classic shootout the audience has been waiting for takes place.

This movie is not without star power. Bridges and Damon are both Oscar winners, and Brolin was nominated just a couple of years ago for his performance in Milk. The directors, Joel and Ethan Coen seem to have a different film nominated at the Academy Awards every year, winning the big prize of Best Picture for No Country for Old Men three years ago. But this movie belongs to Steinfeld. She reportedly beat out 15,000 other young girls for the part. The casting department certainly succeeded here. In an early scene, she successfully negotiates (or should I say bullies) a merchant into paying a hefty sum for a pair of her father’s horses for which she has no use so that she will have money to pay Cogburn.

Speaking of Rooster, last year’s Best Actor winner steals his share of scenes. Bridges very well could find himself nominated in that same category next month. Many of Bridges best moments involve humor, such as one-liners, or a scene where he and LaBeouf compete to see who has the best shot. Fans of Josh Brolin may be disappointed with True Grit though, as he is not seen until close to the end of the film.
This might not be my favorite Coen Brothers’ film, but I prefer it to No Country for Old Men, and fans of the western genre (including the 1969 version of True Grit) will find it enjoyable.

OVERALL RATING: B+

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

True Grit movie poster