True Grit (2010): The breadth of the Coen Bros’ genre-hopping is truly unique in film today. Picaresque musical, romantic comedy, stoner slapstick, gritty crime thriller, film noir, Capraesque fantasy, mobster picture, and now, with “True Grit”, the western. This is a remake of the John Wayne original, with Jeff Bridges cast as debauched U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn, who is hired by a precocious teenage girl to hunt down the murderer of her father who fled into Indian territory in the latter half of the 19th century. Matt Damon is here in support as Texas Ranger LeBeouf, who is in pursuit of the same man. Josh Brolin is the wanted man, Tom Chaney, and Barry Pepper, under some truly terrible teeth, is outlaw “Lucky” Ned Pepper. The real standout of the cast, though, is Hailee Stanfield, a relative unknown who does just a great job as the heroine Mattie Ross, weaving her way around the fairly dense, wordy script with aplomb and holding her own on screen. This film is alternately funny, bleak, riveting, and violent (jarringly so). Bridges, sporting the least intelligible accent in film since Brad Pitt in “Snatch”, is perfect as the older lawman who is slowly drawn back from dissolution to fight the good fight, at the behest of Mattie. Damon is fun as LeBeouf. Other various oddball characters appear as well (this is a Coen Bros.’ movie after all; it‘s expected). Not a weak link in the bunch. A beautiful movie to look at, a script that shines, it’s really well done all the way around. Woodchuck sez, “Another winner from the Coens”.
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