The word “grit” has two definitions in “The American Heritage Dictionary”: “tiny rough granules, as of sand or stone,” and “indomitable spirit.” Both definitions apply in the Coen brothers newest film, “True Grit,” the former to describe what may be stuck in leading man Jeff Bridges throat during the film, the latter as an apt assessment of what many of the characters in this classic western film possess.
“They tell me you’re a man with true grit,” the 14-year-old Mattie Ross, played by Hailee Steinfeld, says to Bridges’ Rooster Cogburn character, not so much to flatter but as a frank assessment of the fictional legendary U.S. Marshal she hopes to recruit on a mission to avenge her father’s death.
Cogburn also likes to “pop the cork off of bottles” (wink, wink), but our young heroine is determined to find the best tracker to help her find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed her father, leaving Mattie, her mother and siblings destitute.
Tasked with picking up her father’s body from a small Arkansas town in the late 19th century, Mattie shows some true grit herself, disobeying her mother and scouring the town for a lawman to help her take down Chaney. She proves herself in a great scene where she haggles a man over the price of some ponies, threatening, as she does throughout the film, that she has a very good lawyer. Mattie’s persistence prevails again when she convinces Cogburn to allow her to accompany him through Indian country to find Chaney, even fording a raging river on the back of a horse to follow the man.
Texas Ranger (a title that seems to please him greatly) LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) joins the unlikely duo. Originally sent to bring Mattie back to her mother, LaBeuf joins the crew to bring Chaney in for a sizable bounty. LaBoeuf and Cogburn seem at each other’s throats from the beginning, squabbling away over things only lawmen from different agencies can, leaving Mattie as the youngest, but most mature, of the group.
This latest film from Ethan and Joel Coen is their first attempt at a remake, taking on an ambitious project in remaking the 1969 “True Grit” that starred the Duke himself, John Wayne (who won a Best Actor Oscar for his role), but of course the filmmakers are up to the task. While not my favorite of their movies, this one has a lot going for it, beginning with the cast and the impressive, assertive performance of Hailee Steinfeld, who was 13-years-old during the filming of this movie.
The landscape is beautiful as well, evoking memories of the rolling hills in “No Country for Old Men” and the snowy terrain in “Fargo.” The characters, and of course, the dialogue, is excellent, with funny one-liners (script written by the Coens) and well-developed personalities of the three main characters. It’s not exactly action-packed, but what there is for action is worthwhile and exciting. The film picks up at the end and while I have yet to see the original (I plan to), I believe it must do it justice.
I’d give it 8 out of 10 stars. “True Grit” is rated PG-13 and is playing in Ronan today but will move to Polson beginning tomorrow, Jan. 14.
Here's the trailer:
