Movies: True Grit

Score: ****1/2 out of *****

Long Story Short: True Grit is one of those rare films that is getting both Oscar buzz and box office success, and it's certainly worthy of both. Seemingly a straightforward Western/Coen brothers concoction, this film pulls you in with its fantastic performances, particularly from the leading young girl Hailee Steinfeld. Then it keeps you emotionally invested and entertained, with great humor and suspense.

Here we have the last film released in 2010 that I will see in theaters. With the great reviews that Coen brother films always seem to get, I was eagerly looking forward to True Grit, which came out on December 22. This western is based on the novel by Charlie Portis, and was previously made into a film in 1969, starring John Wayne. It turned out to be pretty much what I expected, to my pleasure.

The first thing to say about the plot of this film is that it is not very complicated, but it didn't need to be. The film starts with some exposition describing the murder of a man named Ross by another guy called Chaney (Brolin), and then we are immediately introduced to a 14-year-old girl named Mattie Ross (Steinfeld), the daughter of the murdered man. She is in the town where her dad was killed, to see to his body and other business. It is quickly apparent that Mattie is a very determined, confident, and intelligent young girl, and after finishing various necessities, she turns her laser-like focus to finding a bounty hunter to get her father's killer. The one she seeks is U.S. Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn (Bridges), a fat old man with brutal but effective methods. She also meets Texas Ranger La Bouef (Damon), who is also searching for Chaney because of his murder of a state senator.

Rooster eventually agrees to the mission, but understandably wants to go alone; however, in a rather moving scene, Mattie chases after him and La Bouef by fording a large river on her new horse. The adult men begrudgingly allow Mattie to come along, but there is constant tension among the three, especially the arrogant, rather dim-witted La Bouef and cynical, savvy Rooster. As usual, I don't want to give too much more away, but the trio eventually catches up to Chaney and brings him to justice, although not without paying a significant price.

With stars like Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin, it isn't surprising that the acting in True Grit is fantastic. However, it's actually newcomer Hailee Steinfeld who steals the show as young Mattie Ross. The fact that a child of her age does a good job acting is in itself rather rare, but she goes above and beyond. She completely fleshes out her character, displaying genuine courage, sense of humor and warmth, in addition to moments of fear and anxiety as she realizes the situation she is in. And she expresses this through a great western twang accent and a remarkably expressive face. She isn't the only bright spot though, of course. Bridges does a great job as a grizzled old Marshal, letting Hailee shine while still maintaining a strong presence. And Damon is fun, too, conveying La Bouef's stupidity without making it a parody.

I'm not a western aficianado, nor have I seen every Coen brothers film, but True Grit seems to contain all the best elements of both. Most notably, it's quite a funny film, although it's certainly not a "comedy" by any means. Whether it's Rooster's odd antics, his bantering with La Bouef (which is pronounced by all as "la beef"), or meeting the oddest strangers along the journey, there are more than enough laughs to keep your spirits up through the film (a soundtrack of modified 19th century hymns also helps). There are several shoot-outs, but again it's not an "action" film; there's far more verbal sparring. It contains at least one scene of violence that makes you sit up and start, another Coen brother trademark. A final note is the very nice sets made of the town at the beginning, and the rather bleak, winter setting in the wild country hunt.

***

True Grit is an excellent film I think, and the critics seem to agree with me. While I love a great story, this film rightly, in my opinion, focuses on the characters and excitement and humor and atmosphere in general. The story does serve its purpose just fine, but what's really great is rooting for the indomitable will of Mattie, chuckling at Rooster's bluntness (and outright laughing at La Boeuf), and gripping your chair anxiously when the gun barrels start getting hot. Saddle up for a great time at the movies (even if it's via Netflix), as this one delivers all the elements you want from a movie, like several others I've been fortunate to see lately.