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Directors/Screenwriters: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper
Synopsis
When her father is murdered by one of his hired hands Tom Chaney (Brolin), fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) hires Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) to track him down. Accompanying this unlikely duo is Texas Ranger LaBeouf (Damon) who too is trying to catch the wanted fugitive.
Review
There is no denying that the directorial career of the Coen brothers has been, for the most part, great. With the exception of their remake of The Ladykillers, you can say very positive things about the two-headed director and in the case of their latest work, praise should go towards them.
For those who have great knowledge towards westerns, particularly the John Wayne-starred films, will remember the earlier version of True Grit which is a well-loved movie. When news came that the Coens were “remaking” this classic, a negative response sprung and no matter how good the filmmakers are, the hardcore fans just hated the idea.
To be honest, having seen the original myself a few weeks ago, it wasn’t really that great, probably because having read the Charles Portis novel, the film was not without its flaws. Perhaps its biggest problem is that it was a John Wayne vehicle with a twist, in which it was the actor played a one-eyed fat man who was drinking and couldn’t get on his horse properly.
What the Coens do with their version is to go back to Portis’ novel, which is both melancholic and humorous, despite the story being a girl seeking vengeance towards her father’s cowardly killer. As in the novel which was entirely told by Mattie’s voice, the film is told through this young girl who may be fourteen, but is sharp-witted and never backs down, even with the horrors she has to face.
Even with its compelling action, it is a fairly simple revenge story, yet to how the Coens present it gives the film a fairy tale sensibility, as the story opens with Mattie’s delicate narration about the death of her father, which cuts straight to the point of what the story is going to be about.
Being their first proper western (even though No Country for Old Men had its western moments), the film retains the Coens’ sense of style, in terms of comedy and violence. Despite the grimness of a number of sequences, the Coens are able to show a poetic language to the film, with the support of the Old Western landscapes, special praise should go to cinematographer Roger Deakins.
Horribly rejected by the Oscars, the score by long-time collaborator Carter Burwell is worth a listen. Primarily using hymns for the film’s music, Burwell blends this classic church music with elements of an old-fashioned western film score, and thus we hear a beautiful soundtrack to support the strong tone of the film. If there is any moment in the film that you might weep, it would probably be at the end which features Iris DeMent’s cover of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.
As a film which has a young girl at the centre of it, why is the lead star being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar? Previously played by Kim Darby back in 1969, the role of Mattie Ross is brilliantly handled now by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. She not only looks the part, but captures the essence of who that character was in the book which is a young character with a sharp tongue and is not afraid of the dangers yet to come, until she gets there.
Although John Wayne won the Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn, it was Wayne making an ass of himself, even when he jumps over a fence with his horse. Jeff Bridges mumbles his way through his performance which is not a problem because he seems to be in Lebowski-mode as he drinks and sleeps like a bum in a Chinese grocery store. Although he provides nearly all the laughs, there is distastefulness towards his character in which he almost breaks up the trio’s relationship.
One of the flaws of the original was the casting of Glen Campbell as LaBeouf, whose pretty face and straight hair was a distraction to the chilling presence of the character. Matt Damon with his pointy moustache makes him unrecognisable as he presents an uncertainty to his character, but actually lightens up with his bickering couple-like chemistry with Bridges.
Verdict
Tackling their first western, the Coens’ faithful adaptation is up there with their best work, along with strong performances, particularly by the young Steinfeld. As for those John Wayne fanatics, forget what you’ve seen before, this is a purely great film.
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