David O'ConnellTrue Grit
January 24th 2011 03:23
Joel and Ethan Coen continue to reject any attempts to pigeon-hole them; every new venture, it seems, comes with the likelihood of an about-face, a dramatic divergence from the course plotted by their previous project. In the wake of their blackly humourous exploration of Jewish existential angst in 2009’s masterpiece A Serious Man, comes a road movie which tangentially examines the thin moral line seperating righteousness and wrath in the Old West. True Grit is the second adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel, following Henry Hathaway’s 1969 model with John Wayne in the lead role.
When the member of a criminal gang, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), ruthlessly murders her father, teenager Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) heads to town to enlist the services of a man capable of tracking Chaney down to exact retribution. From an abbreviated list of candidates, Mattie settles on a rusty U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a dubious old codger with a reputation for possessing true grit but who often comes dangerously close to the margins of improper practice. In turn described as “a thumper” and one who knows how “to pull a cork”, Cogburn dismisses Mattie’s initial advances as folly before the carrot of a juicy payment in tough times becomes, finally, too alluring to dismiss out of hand.
Cogburn heads for the badlands before dawn, linking up with a headstrong Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). But he's underestimated the raw determination of Mattie who soon catches up with the pair before insisting on tagging along. Both are reluctant to comply, certain their task will be impaired by the presence of a 14 year old with an unhealthy fixation on seeing justice done on her family's behalf. From here a measured road movie ensues, with the motivations of the trio reaching an impasse or two before the onset of an inevitable final showdown.
Bridges is no stranger to the Coen modus operandi, having added memorable layers of cultish appeal in his rabid personification of their most notorious creation in The Big Lebowski (1998). Here he submerges himself into Cogburn's grim reservoir of hard living to come up with a finely-crafted sketch that need not be relegated to the shadows of Wayne’s original interpretation. A lengthy courtroom scene early on lays convincing groundwork; through Mattie’s keen observation we’re able to witness the rigidity and temperament of just the kind of man she requires to lead her task-force across harsh and alien terrain. Here too the film's striking use of language is established in a loquaciousness rarely heard in modern cinemas.
Steinfeld is a revelation with her assertive, forthright performance eye-opening in the context of the era. Only a female of such conviction could possibly hope to survive in this testosterone-flayed zone. Her negotiations with a local businessman, in which she refuses to back down an inch before intimidating the experienced oldtimer out of his rightful share, provide a real highlight - not to mention startling insight into a steely resolve to get her way.
Damon too as the foolhardy, less than astute, but benign Texas Ranger makes a very favourable impression in what feels like a nice change of pace for him. LaBoeuf is a man who will staunchly defend his duty to extremes - and regardless of whether it's death or infamy that stands in his path. Brolin’s part, on the other hand, is minimal and requires the impediment of a dimwitted accent that seems strikingly silly the first time we hear it and never really improves.
One of the great pleasures of any Coen brothers film is in seeing so many familiar names scattered through the credits; instantly we know we’re in good hands as their most recognisable and reliable collaborators again rise to the fore in strengthening the film’s aesthetic sensibilities. Longtime cinematographer Roger Deakins, as he so often does, elicits unexpected beauty from harsh terrain; no better is this exemplified than in the film’s opening and closing shots, with the former revealing tiny pearls of snow falling from darkness into pools of light as in a magical hallucination.
Regular composer Carter Burwell turns in a superb score - one built almost entirely around haunting, pastoral adaptations of 19th Century Gospel hymns, especially ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’ which effectively becomes the soulful heart of the film and its central theme.
Though it lacks the weighty moral encumbrances of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven (1992) or Tommy Lee Jones’ The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), True Grit is still an exceptionally strong work, mainly thanks to its triumvirate of justice seekers, all of whom are attended by very different reasons for partaking of a chase in which survival cannot be guaranteed. The archaic austerity and old-world eloquence of the Coens’ screenplay remains another of the film’s strong suits even if its central narrative arc is slightly less than compelling.
True Grit opens in Australian cinemas on Wednesday, January 26.
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Comment by Matt Shea
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
I did love the very literary dialogue despite it being somewhat antiquated.
Would love to hear how you read the original film which I haven't seen in years and couldn't be bothered digging up before seeing this.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I almost didn't recognse Pepper either! Ha!
And yes, the young girl is a revelation. She'll go on to great things methinks.
The Deadwood-esque dialogue was a little ripe for me, but I gather the vernacular of the time was precisely of that steed.
Might be time for the Coen's to try their hand at a horror movie. Now that would be just dandy!
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
I'll probably stubbornly resist their newer films to some extent in that I'll almost certainly never see another Coen brothers film I could rate above Barton Fink and Fargo which I think are their 2 finest films, with Blood Simple very close behind. Then A Serious Man and No Country for Old Men, which could have been their greatest achievement if some of the Tommy Lee Jones segments had been trimmed or excised!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
My Coen top five?
1. Blood Simple
2. No Country for Old Men
3. Fargo
4. Barton Fink
5. The Big Lebowski or Raising Arizona
I did, however, thoroughly enjoy A Serious Man.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
The general consensus for this film around the orble water cooler all seems to be the same on this one.
Steinfeld is indeed a find, pity her character was so wooden and one dimensional
Matt Damon was great as well.
Glad to hear you liked a Serious Man!