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    True Grit

    JWF
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    • Post n°1

    True Grit Empty True Grit

    Post by JWF Wed Dec 22, 2010 5:48 pm


    Long live the westerns, especially with the one-eye fat man called Rooster. The Coen Brothers use a new approach in adapting a script that is more faithful to the Portis novel. I didn't view this film as a remake as much as recreating what the author's intentions were. The 1969 film was more about John Wayne. The 2010 version is more about the story, with the lead characters showing the true grit.

    Sometime after the Civil War a 14 year-old girl ( played by a magnificent Hailee Steinfeld) who wants revenge and justice after the murder of her father. In order to help she hires a boozing one-eye lawman ( very good Jeff Bridges), who's more interested in the reward and his next drink. A Texas Ranger (Matt Damon much better in the role previously played by Glen Campbell) having been on the killers (Josh Brolin---impressive villain) trail for months, but not successfully, teams up with the Rooster. After getting Rooster's respect the girl joins the group, and thus, the journey begins.

    The main focus and narrative is around the girl (who is much younger than Kim Darby), which is more straightforward and poised, with not lots of humor. The usual sharp and artful craftiness shown by the Coen's is superb. Outstanding details to cinematography, design and sets. I wasn't a big Duke fan, so his memories didn't interfere with my enjoyment. My major complaint is this, without sounding like I didn't enjoy the film. But the film felt more like the book, and not enough like the Coen Brothers. It has the feel and look of a Western, but not enough of Joel and Ethan. Still worth your time..


    B+


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    • Post n°2

    True Grit Empty Re: True Grit

    Post by Shale Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:34 pm

    Thanx for the heads up. I plan to see this one this weekend.

    I make it a point not to compare movies to books and also not to make to much comparison of one movie to a remake. Fact is, I never read the book and don't recall seeing the original movie, which may be a plus for me.

    I will see this movie on its own merits and my blurbs will be about whether I enjoyed it or not.

    Actually, I am of that generation that grew up on Westerns both on TV and at the movies. I kinda got burned out on them and didn't have any interest in the remake 4:10 to Yuma or whatever. Same conflicts with that one about whether it should have been remade, was it better than the original, etc. I don't remember if I saw that original but Westerns just don't do it for me. (Exception being the upcoming Cowboys and Aliens)
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    • Post n°3

    True Grit Empty Re: True Grit

    Post by Alan Smithee Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:05 pm

    Yeah, I mentioned I'd like to try and catch this on a nother thread. I'ma fan of most of the Coen's work. Even No Country For Old Men (in which Brolin was very good too.) When I saw it, the theater was no more than 1/4 full and when it sunk in that it was over, every one could hear one guy say, "What the fuck?!"

    Shale, have you ever seen Unforgiven? I thought Eastwood did a fantastic job along with his cast. Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman isn't your typical western.
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    • Post n°4

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    Post by JWF Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:43 am



    For what it's worth...my favorite Westerns:

    1) Shane
    2) The Magnificent Seven
    3) The Gunfighter
    4) Stagecoach
    5) The Good the Bad and the Ugly



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    • Post n°5

    True Grit Empty True Grit Blurb by Shale

    Post by Shale Sat Dec 25, 2010 12:21 am

    True Grit
    Movie Blurb by Shale
    December 24, 2010

    Having been raised in the Vast Wasteland of Westerns on TV and movies all my life, guess I sorta burned out on them. Then along comes this remake of a 1969 classic (which I never saw) with three current actors that I like, so I went to check it out. And, I liked it.

    The story is narrated by Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld - who just turned 14 this month), recounting her early life when at 14 her father was murdered by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) and she is not content that the law won't go after him in the Indian Territory so she seeks to hire a bounty hunter. Of the three recommendations she chooses U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) an aging, out of shape drunkard. But Mattie sees that he has grit.

    Rooster Cogburn & Mattie Ross
    True Grit 69110_gal

    There is another man after Tom Chaney, Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Matt Damon) for killing a senator in Texas. He and Cogburn don't get along but decide to team up to get this elusive killer.

    Rooster Cogburn & La Boeuf Team Up
    True Grit 72116_gal

    They also don't want a 14-year-old girl tagging along so they try to leave without her, but headstrong Maggie insists and goes off on the hunt.

    Mattie Ross & Rooster Cogburn Hunt the Killer
    True Grit 72147_gal

    Eventually, they catch up to Tom Chaney and the gang that is harboring him and there is a very Western style true grit type confrontation.

    Tom Chaney
    True Grit 72145_gal

    BTW, if you are a big Josh Brolin fan you will be disappointed at the very little screen time he gets or the importance of his role in this movie. Coulda been any unknown male actor and it would have worked as well.

    As I have often said, I don't compare movies to books, plays or other renditions of the story - I just go in and hope to enjoy whatever I am presented, without too much analysis of how it did that. But as usual when a classic John Wayne movie is remade, there are naysayers who berate it before even seeing it. There is room in the world for two renditions of the same story 40 years apart. From the reading I have done, both these movies follow the same story - with a few minor differences.

    I liked this movie and the way the story played out. The three main characters gave good performances and interacted believably by my understanding of the culture and time. If you are to believe that a 14-year-old Maggie could have endured the shocking things she encountered and still persist, just look at the excellent portrayal given by the equally young Hailee Steinfeld.

    OH, and my mission now is to get a DVD of the '69 movie. Not for comparison but just to see it. Besides John Wayne that movie also had Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper and Strother Martin.
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    • Post n°6

    True Grit Empty Re: True Grit

    Post by Shale Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:01 pm

    True Grit - 1969
    Movie Blurb by Shale
    January 1, 2011

    I just got the DVD and watched it today. It cost me a couple bucks more than the matinee price of the new movie. As I mentioned before, I was too "busy" in 1969 to see many movies, especially another Western.

    True Grit 2007_t10

    But, gotta say this movie with John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, Kim Darby (who turned 22 when the movie was released in July) as 14-year-old Mattie Ross and Glen Campbell as La Boeuf was fun to watch some 40 years later.

    This G-Rated movie had much the same script as the new PG-13 movie except for the ending. I haven't read the 1968 Charles Portis book but from reviews I have read it appears that the new movie follows it more closely than the '69 movie.

    The gruesome and violent scenes were also included in the '69 film. In fact, the hanging was more accurately portrayed in the original with the dead person kicking in the air, tho the scene where fingers are cut off wasn't quite as graphic.

    This was an excellent movie - and now I have to ask as so many others have, why a remake? The 2010 version has current actors but it was still a period piece with late 19th Century dialogue and tho Jeff Bridges did an excellent job of conveying that dialogue, John Wayne was closer to that era. The classic movie will still retain its place as a well done and entertaining Western but the 2010 movie will likely become the definitive one that follows closely the original story. Both were good.
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    • Post n°7

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    Post by Shale Wed Jan 05, 2011 12:58 am

    alan smithee wrote:...Shale, have you ever seen Unforgiven? I thought Eastwood did a fantastic job along with his cast. ...
    When I went to get the 1969 True Grit at the video store, I saw Unforgiven for five bucks so I got it too. Just watched it tonight and it was really good.

    Not the clean-cut good guys in white hats bad guys in black hats kinda Western I grew up on. It was more grey and showed the harsh life of the frontier in the late 19th Century (like True Grit). Seemed to be bad guys and less bad guys.
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    • Post n°8

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    Post by Alan Smithee Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:06 am

    I'm glad you liked Unforgiven, Shale. It's only the third western in history to win an Academy Award as Best Picture (Dances With Wolves & Cimmaron are the 2nd & 1st). You're quite right about the blurring of the line between "good" and "evil". Since the audience never knows the Bill Munny when he was a drunk and a killer it’s much easier to see him as the “hero”. Likewise, we only see the brutality of Little Bill Daggett who is supposed to represent law and order, so many would consider him as the “villain”. Gene Hackman was so good in that role. Ironically, he was very put off by the violence and was concerned that the movie would glorify gun violence.
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