True Grit (2010)

The very words “True Grit” invoke images of wide open spaces, revolver pistols and John Wayne.  The version John Wayne starred in from 1969 is a firm cornerstone of American film history.  Now, today, in 2010 the Coen brothers, creators of a few integral pieces of film history themselves, have made another version of this story.  True Grit of 2010 cannot be called a remake, however.  Both films of the same name were made after the 1968 novel by Charles Portis.  The story centers around a young girl named Mattie Ross whose father is murdered by a hired hand, Tom Chaney.  She enlists the help of the meanest marshal she can find, Rooster Cogburn,  in order to bring the fiend to justice.  She reluctantly accepts the help of a Texas ranger, LaBoeuf, who has also been searching for the same man for a different crime.  The three of them set out on the trail of the coward Tom Chaney.

It is difficult to rate this movie on its own rather than merely compare it to the earlier version.  I have not yet read the book, but the Coen brothers’ version is supposed to be closer to the novel than the John Wayne film.  They are so similar, however, that I must assume that the 1969 version also follows the novel quite closely.  The new version certainly has more events happen.  Small encounters that did not happen in the first version are certainly from the novel.  However, I got the feeling that the Coen brothers sacrificed the characterization for the plot.  The relationships between the characters were lost in this film.  The relationship between Mattie and Rooster, the driving force behind the emotion in this story, leaves much to be desired.  I did not feel as endeared to Mattie as I did in John Wayne’s version.  I also feel that although there were more events occurring in this version, they were almost rushed through or unfinished.  Almost as though they were so concerned with not leaving anything out that they just put an abridged version of each scene in the film so as to make sure they were all there but without going over time.

There are elements present here that you would expect from a Coen production.  The dark humor abounds in this movie.  I laughed all the way through even though the film is so dark.  The violence and gore in this film is fascinatingly realistic.  I don’t mean to say that it is excessive, but it is very believable.  In true Coen brothers’ fashion, this film does not pull any punches.  The tone of gritty realism really modernizes this film.

Entertainment: 7.  Overall this is a very entertaining film from the dialogue and visuals, but if you need to have a character to hold on to, you might be a little disappointed in this film.

Award-worthy: 5.  Although the cinematography is very good, and all of the actors hold their own, no performances truly stand out and the film lacks a certain magic required to see the film on the podium come Oscar season