True Grit (2010)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One annoying thing about the contemporary film scene, is that we find ourselves occupying a similar state as cinema goers did in the early 1930's. It's that creative expression in cinema and indeed television is subject to heavy scrutiny, from agencies looking to exploit opportunities to create capital from some controversy. An example of such would be the contrived controversy over the character Simple Jack in Tropic Thunder. The result is a kind of mealy mouthing within scripts to placate numerous sensibilities.This is what I feel must've occurred with the 2010 version of True Grit, all the toothsome material from the book has been omitted, it's in effect, a bowdlerised adaptation. Worse though, is the pointless deviation from the source material which completely guts one scene in particular and seems motiveless.After watching it, my overwhelming feeling was, why bother, why did they actually spend the time an money making this flic? The original version stands up much better as a piece of cinema and interpretation of the novel and has become a something of a classic, albeit a misunderstood one.

I loved everything about this film! I'm not a huge fan of Westerns, but the all star cast is what attracted me to this film. But it was Hailee Steinfeld's performance that won me over! Don't get me wrong, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin were all stellar in their performances, but Hailee stole the show. Directing, writing, editing and cinematography were all outstanding. If you have not seen this gem, do so and you will be glad you did! It's a well deserved 9/10 from me!

Jeff Bridges plays the crotchety Rooster Cogburn in this remake of one of John Wayne's best movies. It is my opinion that Bridges grit far exceeds Wayne's. I was never so pleased with a remake as this one. Young Hailee Steinfeld is a young beauty with a sharp tongue. Quick wit in this character again outshines the role of past. Often we speak of remakes with a grimace due to the fact they rarely hold the light of the past. I challenge all John Wayne fans to give this a watch and try to make an argument to fault the newer version. It is my opinion this was a truly better story.

When the Coen brothers first announced their remake of John Wayne's 1960s film "True Grit", I'll be honest...I thought it was a terrible idea. I vowed never to see it and treated it as a joke.But then, a funny thing happened...it turned into a serious project. Actors like Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon were cast to give the film some gravitas, and all of a sudden the advance previews looked gritty and realistic. So, with a few other Duke fans in tow, I broke my vow and headed to the theater. Boy, was I ever glad I did, as otherwise I might have missed the greatest western film ever made.For a basic plot summary, "True Grit" tells the story of young Maddie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who hires Deputy Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the coward Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Along the way, with the help of Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), Maddie and Rooster track Chaney via the notorious Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper) gang.What elevates this movie from the original is the closer following of the source material: Charles Portis' novel. It isn't perfect, but the Coens portray a much darker, grittier time and circumstances. Whereas the 60s version was all about the Duke, this one focuses on the rightful charge: the young, plucky Ross."True Grit" also does all the "little things" (which so often end up as so much more) perfectly. The acting is flawless, the direction is solid, and even the music adds some emotional depth to the entire production. Every scene is riveting, and will have you on the edge of your seat. Heck, even the comedic and light-hearted moments do their job and add some needed levity.Thus, I consider 2010's "True Grit" to be the all-around greatest western I've ever seen. There isn't a single scene that is a letdown, and all the other filmmaking factors converged to produce a masterpiece. This one would get my vote for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.