A Reel Review: TRUE GRIT

The Coen brothers in the past have been praised and criticized for the same things in the past: films that border upon weird with not much happening from start to finish. In TRUE GRIT, they manage to shed most of their trademark quirkiness and sleepy pacing, while remaining true to their talent for fine cinematography and excellent characterizations.

After the murder of her father by outlaw Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), 14 year old Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) travels from home to seek revenge. The smart (too much for own good) teen enlists the help of Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges); a shoot-first and don’t-bother-to-ask-questions-later Marshal who likes to pull the cork too much. Rooster reluctantly takes the job, with Mattie as his annoying shadow. Also on the trail of Chaney is Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Matt Damon), a very proud lawman looking to capture Cheney for another crime he had committed.

TRUE GRIT’s main plot is a simple one: capture Cheney. What keeps the simplicity afloat are the strong characters and their contrasting motivations. Rooster wants Cheney so he can get paid. Mattie wants Cheney so she can have revenge. La Boeuf wants him so he can uphold Texas law. Throw these various and very different characters together in the blender, and the result is a very fine character drama that never gets boring. GRIT is a very un-complex western; loaded with excellent dialogue that makes the entire ride succeed on banter rather than gunfights and mindless action.

Bridges is clearly the star of the film. His Rooster is an old man with little values, who somehow manages to stay upright in the saddle while the bottles drain empty. Seinfeld’s Mattie nearly steals the show from veteran Bridges, displaying the spitfire and intelligence that her character demands. Damon is excellent as the proud, yet arrogant Texas Ranger, and Brolin really shines as the vile, yet dumb-witted villain Chaney. Also a pleasant surprise is Barry Pepper’s turn as Ned Pepper (leader of the gang that Cheney falls into), and it’s a shame that he wasn’t in the picture more.

Speaking of being underutilized, one of GRIT’s few faults is the very limited screentime Brolin has as the main villain. He is the antagonist that we never see, and it wouldn’t be so annoying if Brolin wasn’t so damn good in the role. There are also early and strong references to “having grit”, a nice little theme that begins to travel under the current of the story, but is later left behind.

GRIT is beautifully shot and scored; it is a marvel to look at and is easy to get lost in. The old west might never have looked or sounded better. This is a gorgeous film, with unexpected humor and looming peril that makes gunslingers so endearing.

BOTTOM LINE: See it