1) I am certainly not a fan of the whole sequel/remake/reboot fascination that is running rampant through Hollywood in this foul era of our cinema (heard today they are remaking Total Recall), but this is one that I think was well worth the effort. Supposedly, the film is more loyal to the intent of the book than the 1969 version that starred John Wayne so it doesn’t really count as a remake; it is better termed a reinterpretation (I must be honest and say that I have not read the novel by Charles Portis, nor have I seen the entire film – saw enough to see that John Wayne was good fun, but probably not award-worthy, and that the girl playing Mattie Ross was kind of annoying and awkward). In any event, the new version is a strong story of retribution with the customary dark wit of the Coen Brothers.2) After the critical successes of No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man, and True Grit, the Coens are now certifiable Oscar magnets. It is a shame The Big Lebowski was made in 1998. If it was released now, it would probably win five Oscars (Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay for starters).
3) Jeff Bridges, the common denominator between Lebowski and True Grit, is a hilarious hoot as the drunken, vindictive U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn. He also is a strong enough actor to bring much-needed gravitas to scenes that require it, such as the scene where he caves in to his alcoholic demons and threatens to call off the hunt for Josh Brolin’s Tom Chaney. All in all, a worthy performance for a guy who seems to have become a bit of a national treasure since his crowning performance in Crazy Heart (I’d probably take his performance in this movie over that one, which I thought was overhyped in order to give Bridges a sort of Lifetime Achievement Award Oscar).
4) By the way, only the Coens and Bridges would have enough stroke in Hollywood to get the voice the actor gave his character through the Hollywood moneymen. Bridges uses a gravelly timber that allows for extra emphasis on some of the punch lines, but also renders some of his dialogue difficult to make out. The effect was probably just a little North of Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade.
5) Since I mentioned Josh Brolin, it probably wasn’t cool to give him above-the-title billing in this film along with Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. He’s in the flick for about five minutes. True, the effectiveness of his role isn’t in the amount of screen time, but rather the way he uses it. Still, from a marketing perspective, it is a bit of a cheat. Luckily, while he is a tremendous actor, I don’t think too many people are going to a movie specifically to see Brolin so maybe the producers can get a pass. He doesn't really make a major impression in this movie.
6) Given some peculiar facial hair, a stubborn cowlick, and some of the best dialogue in the film, Damon has a lot of fun as LaBoeuf, a boastful Texas Ranger who accompanies Cogburn and Hallie Steinfeld’s Mattie Ross on their quest to capture Chaney. At this point in his career, Damon seems to be one of those guys who, like, say, a Brad Pitt, doesn’t get enough credit for his work due to his status as a star and a generally good-looking man. But Damon has been interesting in just about everything in which he appeared (so you know, I didn’t see The Adjustment Bureau) and he has a tendency to seek out work with talented directors, whether it be the Coens, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, or frequent collaborator Steven Soderbergh.
7) I should say that I have now seen this film twice, once in the theater and once at home, and it has proven to be equally enjoyable both times, something that isn’t always the case. One aspect I was really looking for when I saw it the second time was the work of Steinfeld. Being that she was a child actor in her first film, I thought there was a possibility that I could have been bowled over by the hype for her performance when it first came out and that, in fact, what she had given was a great performance FOR A CHILD ACTOR GIVING HER FIRST PERFORMANCE. Honestly though, I don’t believe this was the case. Hers was just a terrific turn by a person worth monitoring. I especially enjoyed the scenes, such as the one where she first gives the manhunt proposition to Cogburn in the courthouse or the one where LaBoeuf surprises her in her room in the boarding house, where she was forced to hold her own one-on-one with her more experienced co-stars. She not only tread water, but brought a tremendous amount to those scenes with a clear wit and a strong camera presence. Her next film is a version of Romeo and Juliet by some Italian director I have never heard of. It will be interesting to see what she does when not steered by a world-class director.
8) It was interesting to see the Coen Brothers’ usual flowery yet forceful language applied in a Western setting. It reminded me of Deadwood. But then again, it doesn’t take much to remind me of Deadwood (it’s been five years and I still hate you, HBO).
9) The most memorable scenes? Well, you certainly can’t beat the visual of a bear riding a horse. The scene in the cabin where one delinquent chops off his own partner’s fingers also rules, what with its perfect encapsulation of the Coens’ tendency to mix humor with shocking violence. The interrogation scene that serves as our first non-outhouse introduction to Cogburn was pretty great (“Shot or killed?”). Cogburn’s rough treatment of a couple horse-torturing miscreants is also quite classic and probably a favorite of the PETA set. And then there is a scene that stands as one of the most beautiful sequences of the year (not surprisingly, with the film photographed by usual Coens cinematographer Roger Deakins), Cogburn’s midnight ride to the doctor’s with a snake-bitten Mattie in tow.
10) I haven’t even bothered to do a list because the time in which I saw all the movies was so spaced out, but if I did make one I probably would put True Grit someplace within shouting distance of the first spot, which still belongs to The Social Network as of this writing. True Grit is dark. It’s funny. It’s exhilarating. It’s a film you need to see.
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