True Grit

I think it's safe to say that filmmaking siblings Joel and Ethan Coen are some of the most diverse directors working today. They've tackled screwball comedy (Raising Arizona), dark crime drama (No Country For Old Men), road trip films colored by a unique sense of nostalgia and offbeat fantasy (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), and quiet, human-based dramas (A Serious Man). And yet, though they have had a lot of success in their career, they have never really had a movie that conquered the box office, and could be considered a blockbuster. True Grit, a real crowd pleaser, could be that film for them.

Many of you are probably familiar with the earlier 1969 film that starred John Wayne, and gave him his only Oscar in his career. Well, the Coens have gone back to the original source material (the 1968 novel written by Charles Portis), and have given us a film that is sure to please fans of the original, while also being its own unique creation. This is a darker, slower, and somewhat more somber film than the original, complete with a bittersweet ending that is supposedly closer to how the original novel ended. When I use words like "darker" and "somber", I don't want to give the feeling that the film is a downer. The movie takes moments for the Coen's offbeat humor, and it's an enthralling old-fashioned adventure story, beautifully shot by cinematographer Roger Deakins. A big aspect to the film's tone is how much more real it seems compared to the John Wayne version. This film's depiction of the Old West seems more "lived in" and raw.

Another major change from the '69 film is that the story is told entirely from the perspective of its heroine, 14-year-old Mattie Ross. She's played by Hailee Steinfeld here, a young actress who has worked entirely in television up until now, but shows a real knowledge for demanding an audience's attention on the big screen. As the film opens, Mattie arrives in a dusty town seeking a bounty hunter who can help her track down a man by the name of Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who murdered her father in a drunken rage one night. Chaney is a wanted man, known to many by different aliases, but Mattie finds that the local law enforcement is less than cooperative, since Chaney is supposedly hiding somewhere in "Indian Territory". Still determined to find justice, she scrounges up some money from a local trader, and uses it to employ the services of a drunken, one-eyed, tough-as-nails Marshall named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges).

You probably have the formula in your head already. This mismatched pair will venture out, and bond despite their differences. We expect that, but what we don't expect is that the screenplay (also by the Coens) is smart enough to handle this relationship in a low key and realistic way, rather than forced sentimentality. The relationship between Mattie and Rooster is one almost entirely out of respect. He respects her determination, and willingness to tackle any harsh environment or situation to reach her goal. She admires him because, despite his drunken and faded appearance, she can see the great man that he once was, and still can be when needed. The two are also joined off-and-on in their journey by a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who is also seeking to bring Tom Chaney to justice. He exists to create some tension in the group, as he is not entirely sold on Rooster's worth as Mattie is. In a wise decision, the film makes him somewhat more likable and less confrontational than he came across in the earlier film.

What I admired most about True Grit is how genuine it felt. There are no action sequences that feel like elaborate set pieces, even during the climax. Every situation or stand off occurs from every day situations, such as the need for shelter from the cold. We feel like we are witnessing a journey, not a planned-out screenplay where an action sequence must occur every 10 pages or so. It gives the film a tone that is laid back, but never dull. I also admired the touches of humor during some of the film's darker or grimmer moments, such as when Mattie is forced to sleep at the mortician's parlor her first night in town, and a man casually asks her if she would like a coffin for a bed. This has long been a trademark of the Coens, and it's in full display here.

And then there is the casting, which helps elevate this film beyond a mere remake, because we view them on their own, and are not constantly comparing them to the ones in the earlier film. Everyone's so strong here, we accept them, and don't even think about the '69 version. Bridges, in particular, pulls off the unenviable task of making the character of Rooster his own, without aping Wayne's well-known portrayal. He's dirtier, surlier...Probably closer to how the character was originally envisioned. He's a broken man, but one who still knows how to spot and respect a strong-willed individual. I have already spoken briefly about young Steinfeld's performance as Mattie, but it's worth repeating - It's the most natural performance by a teenage actress I can think of this year. She's tough, rigid, and honest. There isn't a false moment in her entire time in front of the camera. As for Damon, he doesn't leave quite the impression that Bridges or Steinfeld do, but he still manages to hold his own.

At the beginning of this review, I said that True Grit is a crowd pleaser, and it truly is. It's an old fashioned genre film, beautifully told, acted, and shot. It's also a loving tribute to the earlier film (which the Coens obviously have great respect for), while at the same time venturing out on its own, and including many of their usual trademarks. This is probably the closest the Coens have come to a mainstream film, and it's a winner, showing they can still be artistic and make their own kind of movies, even with a bigger budget and full Hollywood support. (Hollywood heavyweights like Steven Spielberg and Scott Rudin are credited as producers.) If this is a sign that the Coens have truly gone Hollywood, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

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