Tuesday, December 28, 2010

True Grit

OK, so I saw this movie the day it came out, but with the holidays I just haven't had the time to put up a review. And I literally ran into the movie theater for fear that I'd be late for even one second of this film (don't worry, I didn't).

PROGNOSIS: EVERYONE MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

I loved it! I cannot say enough about how much I loved this movie. But I'm a tad bit biased. I love the Coen Brothers. They are literally my favorite directors of all time (them, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan). I have not seen a Coen Brothers's film that I didn't like. The greatest thing about the CB films are the fact that they have this self-generating quality, where each film seems to take something from the last, without it appearing to be the same film done over and over again. While I watched this movie there were things about it that definitely reminded me of No Country For Old Men, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, FargoThe Big Lebowski, and even Raising Arizona. But it certainly wasn't a repeat of any one of those films. It was fun to watch the movie and chuckle at the memory of the past film.

Also, I must confess, I have never seen the original John Wayne True Grit. And, I may make some enemies with this next statement, I really don't care for the Duke. He's just not my cup of tea. But I've heard report from those who are fans of the Cowboy in the White Hat that they can't complain about this remake.

Now, back to the gushing: This movie rocks! It had the delightful and old-fashioned good feeling of a Western, but still modern and fast placed enough for today's audiences. A perfect marriage of talk and action, of which the Coen Brothers are masters. The dialog is smart and clever, like a great novel, and the action is thrilling and encompassing. It makes you go, "Oh! No Way! I can't believe that just happened, but I'm so glad it did!" There are some scenes that are a little vivid in the amount of violence that they show. The type of violence that completely merits a PG-13 rating.

But, one complaint, there were several times that I couldn't understand what Marshal Rooster Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges,  was saying in his deep, mumbling, slurred voice. So, when you go see it, as you must, stay on guard and pay attention when Cogburn speaks.

I could easily go on and on about how great this movie is with the use of wide shots, scene changes, the use of sound, everything. But I won't. I doubt that many of you would care to hear it. But I will say this: Hailee Steinfeld, the young actor who played Mattie Ross, did a phenomenal job. The girl is crazy young (her exact age I don't know), has only acted in seven total television shows and movies previous to True Grit, and completely held her own. As Matt Damon's character LaBoeuf says, she's earned her stripes. Honestly, I thought that her acting was some of the strongest I've ever seen, especially for a newbie.

So, either end the old year with a bang or start the new year on the right foot and go watch True Grit.

1 comment:

  1. such a good movie. i was seriously blown away. great reviews heather... keep em up!

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