Saturday, June 11, 2011

True Grit (2010) Blu-Ray Review

Rated PG-13 (Some Intense Sequences of Western Violence including Disturbing Images)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 50 Minutes

Cast:
Jeff Bridges-U.S. Deputy Marshal Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn
Hailee Steinfeld-Mattie Ross
Matt Damon-Texas Ranger LaBoeuf
Josh Brolin-Tom Chaney
Barry Pepper-‘Lucky’ Ned Pepper
Domhnall Gleeson-Moon (The Kid)
Ed Lee Corbin-Bear Man (Dr. Forrester)
Roy Lee Jones-Yarnell Poindexter
Paul Rae-Emmett Quincy
Bruce Green-Harold Parmalee
Dakin Matthews-Colonel Stonehill
Don Pirl-Cole Younger
Joe Stevens-Lawyer Goudy
Elizabeth Marvel-40-Year-Old Mattie Ross
J.K. Simmons (voice)-Lawyer J. Noble Daggett

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

You don't mess with Jeff Bridges when he has a gun pointed at you.
Joel and Ethan Coen’s directorial career has spanned an impressive twenty-seven years since the release of their first film, “Blood Simple,” in 1984 and since then, their films have consistently received praise from critics, if not always box office success. The only sore spots in an otherwise impeccable career would be 1994’s “The Hudsucker Proxy” and 2004’s “The Ladykillers,” a remake of the 1955 British original. Many of their films contain elements of black comedy to various degrees and have limited appeal but with their latest, “True Grit,” based upon Charles Portis’ 1968 novel of the same name, the Coen Brothers have made their most mainstream film yet, revitalizing the dying Western with aplomb. Portis’ novel was previously adapted as a film in 1969 with John ‘The Duke’ Wayne in the role of tough-as-nails U.S. Marshall Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn. For his portrayal, Wayne received his first and only Academy Award for Best Actor in 1970 but it was less about his performance in the film and more about recognizing his lifetime achievements in American cinema. Said to be more faithful to Portis’ novel, “True Grit” is one of the best films of 2010 thanks to the Coen Brothers’ confident direction with its simple, effective tale of retribution, memorable performances (especially from newcomer Hailee Steinfeld), and sumptuous cinematography. Like Christopher Nolan’s 2002 remake of “Insomnia,” “True Grit” serves as reminder that a remake can exceed the original when a director has a clear vision in bringing something unique to the table rather than outright copying.

Taking place toward the end of the nineteenth century, fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) travels from Yell County to Fort Smith, Arkansas to collect her father’s body and whatever possessions he had on him upon his death, having been murdered by a hired farmhand named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) after a drunken confrontation. Stealing his horses and two rare California gold pieces, Chaney flees to the lawless Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) and joins up with a gang led by ‘Lucky’ Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper). Mattie inquires with the local sheriff about hiring a U.S. Deputy Marshall to track down Chaney. She learns of Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a quick-triggered, ruthless lawman, and is described as having ‘true grit,’ which is just what Mattie needs. However, when presented with her offer, Cogburn shows little interest in taking the job. At the boarding house where she has taken up temporary residence, Mattie meets an over-confident but inept Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who is also tracking down Chaney and intends to have him hanged in Waco, Texas for shooting a senator. LaBoeuf proposes to work with Cogburn in their hunt for Chaney but Mattie takes an immediate disliking to him and refuses his offer. Mattie later finds Cogburn sleeping in the back of a Chinese grocery store and convinces him to take the job by offering an advance fee of $50, with an additional $50 upon completion of the job. Intending to accompany him on the journey, Mattie discovers the next morning that Cogburn has struck a deal with LaBoeuf and has left without her. Not backing down, Mattie has her horse swim across the river and threatens to charge Cogburn with fraud for stealing her money if she isn’t allowed to come. To the chagrin of LaBoeuf, Cogburn reluctantly agrees to let her come along and together they set out to capture Chaney, dead or alive. 

“True Grit,” while lacking the thematic richness of the Coen Brothers’ previous work, presents a simple, straightforward tale of revenge and retribution set in the backdrop of the American Old West. The film does not fall into the usual Western clichés of saloon bar-fights and fast-drawing cowboys, preferring to be deliberately slow-paced with its eye on the interactions of its three main characters. In fact, the story only picks up speed in the last thirty minutes before the end credits roll and is more concerned with the journey rather than its destination. Cogburn and Mattie form an unexpected bond during their hunt for Chaney, one that is born out of mutual respect and admiration for each other’s strengths rather than being a run-of-the-mill surrogate father-daughter relationship. There also seems to be an underlying attraction between Mattie and LaBoeuf (pronounced ‘La-Beef’), which might put off some people due to the wide age difference but such relationships weren’t exactly unusual during the nineteenth century. This is subtly reinforced when Mattie first sees LaBoeuf sitting on the porch of the boarding house in a badass sort of way, as if trying to impress her. In fact, even though they started off on the wrong foot, Mattie eventually views LaBoeuf as a knight-in-shining-armor of the Wild West and there’s this scene where they finally acknowledge each other and exchange this ‘look,’ which in itself says a thousand words! Cogburn and LaBoeuf, being fellow lawmen, do what all men do—by sizing each other up and outdoing one another. One humorous scene has both of them taking potshots at thrown cornbread and at one point LaBoeuf even remarks, ‘Make me out foolish in this girl's eyes!’ 

Despite its dour subject manner, "True Grit" manages to be quite funny and it’s got the Coen Brothers’ signature all over it. The dialogue can feel overly verbose but is also witty and sarcastic, perfectly capturing the speech mannerisms of the time period it depicts. It’s not just the way the people talk but everything as the directors and cinematographer Roger Deakins have gone to great lengths to recreate an era of lawlessness. The small town of Fort Smith has a lived in, worn feel and the desolate areas that Cogburn and Mattie travel through invoke the untamed and dangerousness of the American West. There’s only one niggle and it takes place during a montage where Cogburn rushes Mattie on horseback to a doctor during the film’s final minutes but the phony green-screen background used is painfully obvious, which is puzzling given how stunning everything else looks. There’s not much in the way of action, at least not the kind of action mainstream audiences are used to but there are two scenes that stand out. One is where Cogburn and Mattie hide at night in a ridge overlooking a house to ambush Lucky Ned’s gang and the other finds Cogburn outnumbered four-to-one but he refuses to back down and charges forward, dual pistols a-blazing! It gives Jeff Bridges a larger-than-life presence in the film. 

The acting is of the highest caliber and for her first starring role, Hailee Steinfeld is captivating. Her Mattie is fiercely independent and is a quick-thinker but also vulnerable as fourteen-year-old girls can be. Steinfeld has a memorable scene when she negotiates (more like haggle) money for her father’s horses and her dialogue delivery is pitch-perfect, as if she’s been speaking this way her whole life. I dare say she even manages to overshadow both Bridges and Damon! Jeff Brides has the most challenging role as he’s stepping into the shoes of John Wayne but he never lets that get to him and makes Cogburn a good man at heart that’s not above killing to get the answers he wants. As he is drunk half the time, it’s funny watching him slur and clumsily trying to find his way around although sometimes it makes it hard to understand what Bridges is saying. The unkempt nature of Cogburn’s character lends it authenticity to the setting. Matt Damon is excellent as well but oftentimes he is overshadowed by the loud personalities of Steinfeld and Bridges. Josh Brolin manages to capture the desperation that drives men to do bad deeds in his short screen-time and Barry Pepper also appears in a minor role as ‘Lucky’ Ned Pepper. 

“True Grit” marks its new arrival on Blu-Ray with flawless picture and audio quality. The film boasts stunning clarity and highly detailed textures from the stitching of the leather jackets to its picturesque environments. Audio is focused more on dialogue and ambiance, such as the subtle crackling of a campfire or the low clicking of a pistol as it gets cocked. Things get real loud once the guns start going off and the sound effects give an immersive, you-are-there feel. Special features, however, are workmanlike with very brief looks at the cast, costuming, weapons, and set design of the film. The only feature of worth is a look-back on the life of Charles Portis and contrasts this film with the 1969 original. 

Released on December 22, 2010, “True Grit” received overwhelmingly positive reviews with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed films of the year. Critics praised the performances of its three leads and found it to be a ‘worthy companion to the Charles Portis book’ with some even admitting that it was superior to the 1969 original. The film went on to become a box office success and is both the highest grossing Coen Brothers’ film with $249 million worldwide and second highest grossing Western, behind 1990’s “Dances with Wolves” directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It received nominations in ten categories at the 2011 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Bridges), and Best Actress (Steinfeld) but failed to garner any wins. Despite being the Coen Brothers’ most mainstream effort and lacking the thematic and quirky sensibilities of their previous work, it doesn’t diminish the quality of “True Grit” and represents not just the best of what Westerns have to offer, but also of cinema as it is a testament to the importance of story and character.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“You go for a man hard enough and fast enough, he don't have time to think about how many's with him; he thinks about himself, and how he might get clear of that wrath that's about to set down on him.”