True Grit (Review)

The Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan) have made a career out of seemingly unmarketable movies, living mostly by earning critical praise and winning awards. Their oeuvre, particularly of late, has seemed to avoid convention at all costs, ending films in ways that mainstream audiences would deem “strange” or “unsatisfying”. They won their Oscar with No Country for Old Men, one of the best films of its decade, which got them the support to make 2009’s great A Serious Man, a comedy set in a Jewish Minnesota community starring nobody. As such, nobody saw it, but it was rightfully appreciated by those who did, and it got a Best Picture nomination. Now, with True Grit, Joel and Ethan Coen have made their most straightforward and commercial film to date.

As such, some may wonder how the Coens would handle such material, as PG-13 westerns are normally not their cup of tea. However, within minutes of True Grit’s opening, the audience is reminded that they’ve actually gotten pretty good at this whole filmmaking thing. The film follows young Mattie Ross (a revelatory Hailee Steinfeld), an intelligent, witty 14-year-old girl in the old west. Her father was just murdered by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), a career criminal. In her quest for revenge, she hires Marshal Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to find and bring Chaney to justice. They set off, joined by LaBoeuf, a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon).

What might surprise people about True Grit is just how funny it is, presented by the Coens in their usual pitch-black manner. What makes movies by the Coens so great, above all else, is their writing, which is always witty, perceptive and comic. Even at their most violent and pessimistic (let’s face it, just about every other movie they've made besides True Grit) they inject their wonderful screenplays with a shot of humor. Look at No Country for Old Men, one of the most ruthlessly bleak movies ever made, and yet there are still moments of true humor, though admittedly quite dark. What makes the screenplay for True Grit so impressive is its ability to translate the Coenesque manner of speaking into an old western vernacular. This is no easy task, but the Coens are committed to keeping their film true to the period.

Many of the lead actors in True Grit have worked with the Coens before, with the exception of Damon. Jeff Bridges, in his first film with them since 1998’s cult masterpiece The Big Lebowski, gives no less than an iconic performance as Marshal Cogburn,the violent, drunken cowboy who reluctantly hunts for Chaney while dragging Mattie Ross along. Damon is also quite good as LaBoeuf (pronounced LaBEEF), providing for a nice and funny dynamic between himself and Bridges.

Perhaps the most impressive performance in the group comes from young Hailee Steinfeld, an unknown who slips into the role of Mattie Ross like it’s always been there. While the character may not be wholly dynamic, Steinfeld acts with a confidence comparable to her character, always able to persuade others and get what she wants. It’s some fine work from a fine young actress.

I will confess to not having seen the original True Grit from 1969 which starred John Wayne as Cogburn, and I do not doubt its greatness, but according to the Coens they focused more on adapting the Charles Portis novel on which both films are based rather than remaking the original. I cannot attest to how similar or dissimilar the two films are, and that will be up to audiences to decide.

Nonetheless, the Coens have made no more and no less than a great modern western, reviving the genre from the cinematic grave. This is only the second novel the Coen brothers have adapted (No Country for Old Men being the first), and once again they have shown that when they choose to adapt someone else’s work they are devoted to capturing the spirit of the material through and through. Going into True Grit, one may have wondered if the Coens would take some artistic license and try to make a film with their usual negative worldview, but instead they have made their first film which could be described as “pure fun”.

True Grit is not the most thematically rich movie the Coens have ever made, but complaining about that is a small and negligible quibble. This film was not intended to be like their other films, and it is intended to follow the Hollywood formula, but what is there to complain about when one is faced with a nearly flawless, exciting, and amusing piece of entertainment like True Grit? Not much. Perhaps next year they’ll go back to making low-budget films in the vein of A Serious Man, but for now they have made True Grit, the film that will long be remembered as the moment the Coens embraced their inner ability to please the crowd. More power to them.

Rating:  (out of 4)

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True Grit will be released on Wednesday, December 22.