The Coen brothers latest outing comes in the form of True Grit. Based on the 1968 novel by Charles Portis and an update of the classic western staring John Wayne, True Grit is a hard hitting tale about loyalty and vengeance.
True Grit follows 14 year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and her search for the Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who killed her father. Mattie is seeking for someone to find Chaney and bring him in alive so he can be hanged for his crime. The man she hires comes in the form of Rooster Cogburn (The fantastic Jeff Bridges)to go and get Chaney. Another man interested in Chaney is LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) the Texas ranger who is pursuing Chaney for the killing of another ranger. The film follows these characters through their journey and asks the question, who really has true grit?
The first thing to say about True Grit is that it is vintage Coen brothers. The script is full of their dark humour yet it never pushes aside the seriousness of the situations that the characters are in. It is a great story that is wonderfully written and directed with such skill and elegance. The cinematography is outstanding and is some shots moved my focus from the characters to the stunning scenery.
The great thing about True Grit that makes the film stand out is the relationships between these characters as the film moves along. We never see Mattie with her family in the film, so it seems to the audience that her new father figure is the rough and tough Cogburn and her mother figure is the firm but fair LeBeouf. This dysfunctional family tale is very intriguing, but the Coens do a great job of not forgetting the story is at the heart of the film. The most interesting aspect of the film is the relationship between Mattie and Cogburn. He makes a big impression on her as her becomes her new father figure. She starts to wear similar clothes to him, she starts to pick up habits and traits from him and he even opens him self up to her as they search for Chainy. This is a strange but very interesting relationship to watch grow on the screen. At one point Mattie tells LeBeouf that she thinks she hired the wrong man. This is not because Cogburn is not capable of finding Chaney, but because Mattie has become so much like Cogburn that she is now wanting someone else to take charge of their mission and therefore turns to the mother figure Le Beouf.
The film is more then just a great tale and a visual treat. It is a study of three very different characters and how they create an impact on each other. With impressive performances from all the cast and a real joy to watch, True Grit is proof that the Coens are masters of modern movie making who (in my mind) are two of the greatest writers and directors in modern Hollywood. Each actor shows their own bit of True Grit in this truly great film.
True Grit follows 14 year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and her search for the Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who killed her father. Mattie is seeking for someone to find Chaney and bring him in alive so he can be hanged for his crime. The man she hires comes in the form of Rooster Cogburn (The fantastic Jeff Bridges)to go and get Chaney. Another man interested in Chaney is LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) the Texas ranger who is pursuing Chaney for the killing of another ranger. The film follows these characters through their journey and asks the question, who really has true grit?
The first thing to say about True Grit is that it is vintage Coen brothers. The script is full of their dark humour yet it never pushes aside the seriousness of the situations that the characters are in. It is a great story that is wonderfully written and directed with such skill and elegance. The cinematography is outstanding and is some shots moved my focus from the characters to the stunning scenery.
The great thing about True Grit that makes the film stand out is the relationships between these characters as the film moves along. We never see Mattie with her family in the film, so it seems to the audience that her new father figure is the rough and tough Cogburn and her mother figure is the firm but fair LeBeouf. This dysfunctional family tale is very intriguing, but the Coens do a great job of not forgetting the story is at the heart of the film. The most interesting aspect of the film is the relationship between Mattie and Cogburn. He makes a big impression on her as her becomes her new father figure. She starts to wear similar clothes to him, she starts to pick up habits and traits from him and he even opens him self up to her as they search for Chainy. This is a strange but very interesting relationship to watch grow on the screen. At one point Mattie tells LeBeouf that she thinks she hired the wrong man. This is not because Cogburn is not capable of finding Chaney, but because Mattie has become so much like Cogburn that she is now wanting someone else to take charge of their mission and therefore turns to the mother figure Le Beouf.
The film is more then just a great tale and a visual treat. It is a study of three very different characters and how they create an impact on each other. With impressive performances from all the cast and a real joy to watch, True Grit is proof that the Coens are masters of modern movie making who (in my mind) are two of the greatest writers and directors in modern Hollywood. Each actor shows their own bit of True Grit in this truly great film.