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True Grit (Coen Brothers,2010)
I have always admired the Coen Brothers for their shapeshifting ability--but however much they change, they always stay the same. With that in mind, True Grit isnʼt a stretch for them. Regardless of genre, the Coens have maintained a solid streak of films, ranging from good to fantastic. True Grit is a film that is well-directed, and itʼll be a popular hit amongst audiences, but there was something missing in the Coensʼ latest. The lack of an intimate or personal relationship with the material hurts it--and you can sense it, more than anything. A Serious Man is probably their most personal work to date, and without a doubt my favorite of theirs. Along with A Serious Man, No Country for Old Men has a lot of personality, and McCarthyʼs stellar writing made it what it was. But donʼt get me wrong, True Grit is a very enjoyable film with some very solid performances, but itʼs bereft of that very thing said films have: personality.
Iʼm sure many of you have seen the original, or possibly read the book, so Iʼll keep the synopsis short. True Grit follows a young girl--named Mattie Ross--whose father is murdered, which ultimately sets her off on a search for the culprit: a man named Tom Chaney. Sheʼs looking for someone with “true grit” to help hunt him down, and she discovers U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn, who fits the bill. Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn is a match made in heaven. His rough, nigh incoherent way of speaking (heʼs usually drunk, though....) brings the character to life. Mattie Ross is a stubborn but courageous one, and Hailee Steinfeld plays her wonderfully. Surprisingly enough, this happens to be her feature film debut (she had only done a few shorts, some TV shows and a TV movie). Her smooth, persuasive way of speaking is endlessly listenable, and how she gets what she wants is occasionally funny. One scene in particular is where sheʼs debating with someone--who is trying to screw her over--about ownership of a horse, and it brought a smile to my face.
Like I stated earlier, and Iʼll reiterate: beyond the performances and direction, the film falters mainly because of the lack of personality. Itʼs undeniably a solid piece of filmmaking, but yet, underneath it all, it seems a little vapid. Though that may seem like such a harsh term for a film that is in no way bad, it does describe best how I felt after it was over and done with. One could easily see the thematic elements, however it still felt a little stale. Weʼve seen the notion of “good-and-evil” being in question before in the Wild West, have we not? And perhaps done better, as well. I should mention that whether a theme is common or not is not necessarily a negative thing, but how they are presented: are they personal? or are they a new, unique way of viewing that theme? We have all of the necessary parts to construct a great film, but True Grit lacks heart and soul. And not even Bridges and Steinfeld can save it.
True Gritʼs pacing is deliberate and well done, but its shortcomings keep it from growing into anything more. The film is great to look at, though. As always, Roger Deakins gives us breathtaking, painterly photography of the old west. Thereʼs still some refreshing, signature Coen Brother humor to keep their fans happy, and their brand of humor happens to be in line with a lot of what I like, as well (A Serious Man is very dark, but very funny). But all in all, after it was all over, it was difficult for me to say Iʼd even remember much of the film in a weekʼs time. Nothing stuck with me, other than some of the scenes with Steinfeld and Bridges, and along with some of the beautiful imagery. True Grit is recommended, as itʼs fun and amazingly well acted. But I hesitate to say that itʼll ever be anything more than that.
I have always admired the Coen Brothers for their shapeshifting ability--but however much they change, they always stay the same. With that in mind, True Grit isnʼt a stretch for them. Regardless of genre, the Coens have maintained a solid streak of films, ranging from good to fantastic. True Grit is a film that is well-directed, and itʼll be a popular hit amongst audiences, but there was something missing in the Coensʼ latest. The lack of an intimate or personal relationship with the material hurts it--and you can sense it, more than anything. A Serious Man is probably their most personal work to date, and without a doubt my favorite of theirs. Along with A Serious Man, No Country for Old Men has a lot of personality, and McCarthyʼs stellar writing made it what it was. But donʼt get me wrong, True Grit is a very enjoyable film with some very solid performances, but itʼs bereft of that very thing said films have: personality.
Iʼm sure many of you have seen the original, or possibly read the book, so Iʼll keep the synopsis short. True Grit follows a young girl--named Mattie Ross--whose father is murdered, which ultimately sets her off on a search for the culprit: a man named Tom Chaney. Sheʼs looking for someone with “true grit” to help hunt him down, and she discovers U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn, who fits the bill. Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn is a match made in heaven. His rough, nigh incoherent way of speaking (heʼs usually drunk, though....) brings the character to life. Mattie Ross is a stubborn but courageous one, and Hailee Steinfeld plays her wonderfully. Surprisingly enough, this happens to be her feature film debut (she had only done a few shorts, some TV shows and a TV movie). Her smooth, persuasive way of speaking is endlessly listenable, and how she gets what she wants is occasionally funny. One scene in particular is where sheʼs debating with someone--who is trying to screw her over--about ownership of a horse, and it brought a smile to my face.
Like I stated earlier, and Iʼll reiterate: beyond the performances and direction, the film falters mainly because of the lack of personality. Itʼs undeniably a solid piece of filmmaking, but yet, underneath it all, it seems a little vapid. Though that may seem like such a harsh term for a film that is in no way bad, it does describe best how I felt after it was over and done with. One could easily see the thematic elements, however it still felt a little stale. Weʼve seen the notion of “good-and-evil” being in question before in the Wild West, have we not? And perhaps done better, as well. I should mention that whether a theme is common or not is not necessarily a negative thing, but how they are presented: are they personal? or are they a new, unique way of viewing that theme? We have all of the necessary parts to construct a great film, but True Grit lacks heart and soul. And not even Bridges and Steinfeld can save it.
True Gritʼs pacing is deliberate and well done, but its shortcomings keep it from growing into anything more. The film is great to look at, though. As always, Roger Deakins gives us breathtaking, painterly photography of the old west. Thereʼs still some refreshing, signature Coen Brother humor to keep their fans happy, and their brand of humor happens to be in line with a lot of what I like, as well (A Serious Man is very dark, but very funny). But all in all, after it was all over, it was difficult for me to say Iʼd even remember much of the film in a weekʼs time. Nothing stuck with me, other than some of the scenes with Steinfeld and Bridges, and along with some of the beautiful imagery. True Grit is recommended, as itʼs fun and amazingly well acted. But I hesitate to say that itʼll ever be anything more than that.