True Grit

"We don't achieve true perfection, because instead of redefining the genre (see No Country for Old Men), the Coens heavily rely on certainty, but during the final credits, the honest western force truly hits me. The biggest acting merits undoubtedly belong to Bridges, whose casually loose and uncompromisingly tough Rooster dominates, while the occasionally slightly dull Hailee Steinfeld is a surprising disappointment. I had some minor issues with the unbalanced pace of the film for quite a while, but the final half-hour saves everything. Minute by minute, the main antagonist's arrival brings tension and emotion, without a second of shortage, not to mention the flawless finish. In retrospect, it becomes clear that some plot twists were overly evident, but despite that, I can't be upset with the film thanks to its straightforwardness and sincerity. 70%" (28/01/2011)

A meaningful remake. A tribute to the original from the Coen brothers, but also they realize the mistakes of the original and certainly do not repeat them. They avoided a long introduction, and got rid of the landscape backdrops and the overall naivety. A dusty, tough atmosphere reigns, where harsh words fly from all angles. The Coens put their money on the characters, which turned out to be the right choice because, unlike the original, they gave them some depth (Wayne was just Wayne with a gun belt, while Bridges is actually Cogburn, and it’s the same with everybody else) and none were sidelined. This makes emotions important, while in the first version they were rather absent. And despite the outstanding performances of all those badass macho types, it is fourteen year-old Hailee Steinfeld who steals the movie (and who has the biggest balls). (01/01/2011)

I'd been meaning to rewatch True Grit for quite some time, continuously putting it off until today. Yes, the Coen brothers once again struck gold with me. This type of western typically has an intriguing start and a powerfully action-packed ending, with a lengthy bridge of seemingly endless wandering connecting these islands, gradually lulling the viewer to sleep. However, with this movie, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the bridge, and the credit for that undoubtedly goes to the screenwriters, as well as Jeff Bridges, and Hailee Steinfeld. These two delivered engaging and convincing performances and dialogue throughout the journey, making the nearly two-hour runtime race by. Oh, I almost forgot, Matt Damon was also there. The fact is, whether there was shooting, talking, or just beans, I had a great time again with this western. / Lesson learned: If you want to be properly buried, don't die in winter. 4*- (18/07/2022)

Even though western is far from my favourite genre, I was looking forward to True Grit, if only because it would be my first opportunity to see a story from the Wild West on the big screen. The execution is above-par, but that shouldn’t be a surprise, the Cohens know how to make movies. Unlike most viewers, though, I had a serious problem with the actors, everyone except Jeff Bridges. Damon, Brolin and the praised all the way to heaven Steinfeld felt… robotic. They just didn’t fit into the western setting, I didn’t believe they were people, I only saw characters written on paper. This leads to another complain I have: the epilogue. In the last five minutes the Cohens try to squeeze emotions and they do it in an unexpected way. In the cinema I didn’t get the dramatic intention, but now it’s clear and I appreciate it somehow because it’s fairly untraditional, but that doesn’t alter the fact that it didn’t work on me. True Grit disappointed me in the same way that No Country for Old Men did three years ago. I prefer the Cohens in comedy :) (26/02/2011)

I’m not a fan of westerns, but I really looked forward to True Grit. I was mostly curious to see how the Coens could incorporate their slower narrative and creeping Wild West vibe among those seasoned and rugged heroes, and it turned out pretty much the same as always does. Once again, they managed to create a very specific genre film with their own rules and formulas, something that never has the desired effect with their comedies (in my opinion), but it does with dark crime thrillers, and now also here – I was literally in bliss all the time. The story is a bit more adventurous for a classic western, it relies on a careful portrayal of each character, and if the Coens got a motif from somewhere, I think it was Jarmusch's Dead Man, which I thought of several times. Otherwise, the film has pretty much everything a proper western should have: beautiful landscapes, a straightforward plot, great villains (for a long time we imagine them only on the basis of the narrative, which earns them a lot of respect), and excellent performances – Bridges is brilliant, but the young Steinfeld towers over everyone. And then there's the Coens’ touch, which can sometimes make a film quite unpleasant, but usually adds a whole new and incredibly voluminous dimension. The western is still alive!........... I'm downgrading to 4* after a some time, unlike other top Coens’ films, this one has completely faded from my memory and I have no need to ever see it again. (24/11/2012)