Review of True Grit (2010) by Tim H — 19 Sep 2012

If you're a fan of westerns, you're going to love this film, because it hits every single one of its notes right. It's everything we've ever wanted from a good, solid western and then some. From the very first minute we're drawn into this world of the good old Hollywood Wild West, although in this case the typical Wild West has a touch of realism in the form of a rather dark atmosphere. There are no real heroes and all the victories are Pyrrhic at best, which fits the Coen brothers' modus operandi rather perfectly.

The film's real strength, though, are its characters. Each of the three main characters is well-developed and believable, although they all recycle some old clichés into a new format. Damon's LaBoeuf is a dandy, but still well-meaning and competent. Steinfeld's Matti Ross is a precocious little miss I'm in charge, but she has a spine of steel and more determination than any of the other character. And finally there's Bridges' Rooster Cogburn, who's absolutely the best character in the whole film. He's both sympathetic and repulsive. He's terrifying and pathetic. He's a quandrum of opposites and he's absolutely unpredictable. One of Bridges' best performances by far.

Add in some rather sweet side characters and a suitable old western storyline and you have a movie that manages to keep you invested from start to finish. There are no empty moments or wasted conversations. Everything feels premeditated. Pretty much the only reason that keeps this film back from being more than just great is the fact that it doesn't really invent anything new or allow us new viewpoints into the genre. It's just an extremely good western, which is more than fine in my books, but some may find it a bit lacking in that regard. Plus the ending is the kind where you either love it or you hate it, which is neither a plus or a minus.