Review: True Grit

Remakes are, by and large, a pointless exercise in money grabbing as studio executives use the lingering affection for classic films to pillage cinemagoers pockets with wretched imitations. Even good intentioneed remakes are difficult to pull off, as even the Coen brothers can attest with their bizarre take on The Ladykillers ending up as a rare failure.

So it comes as a huge relief to report that True Grit is no such disaster; in fact, the film is as close to a perfect as you can get and one that bests its predecessor in almost every regard.

At first, a remake of a much loved and faintly iconic western may seem like an odd fit for the Coens, especially given that the original John Wayne flick was firmly in the traditional take on the genre and remains memorable in the main for 'The Duke’s' Oscar-winning performance.

In a smart move the Coens’ have decided to ditch the original film and instead attempt a more faithful translation of the original Charles Portis novel. The rich and ornate dialogue of the book that got lost in translation the first time around is present and correct here and this decision proves to be a masterstroke in redefining the story.

At first it may seem like an unnecessary affectation but quickly the dialogue draws you in and you realise that half of the reason the film feels fresh is the witticisms and the wry observational humour that is layered into dialogue. Recent entries into the genre have used profanity as shorthand for realism and grit and it’s a real pleasure to see that the Coens' have shunned this particular trend in favour of something more lyrical and rewarding.

The story however, stays the same and tells the tale of Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who employs the services of gone-to–seed US Marshall 'Rooster' Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to hunt down Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), her father’s murderer. The pair is joined by the overly-confident Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) and the disparate trio head out into the frontier to capture Chaney, dead or alive.

Bridges makes up for his awful performance in Tron: Legacy with a take on the iconic character that completely washes away thoughts of Wayne within minutes. His Cogburn is a killer, a whisky-soaked but morally sturdy killer who has lost none of his skill as he has gone to seed. It’s a hugely enjoyable performance and full of cantankerous good humour. So complete is his transformation into the belligerent old lawman that it isn’t long before the image of Wayne as Cogburn is cast aside as the definitive portrayal.

Matt Damon has a ball here too also, playing the cocky and Texas Ranger Le Boeuf with a peacock-like vanity. Some of the funniest moments in the film come at his expense and the Coen's seem to delight at taking the pretty boy down a peg or two at every opportunity.

As good as Bridges and Damon are, the film belongs to Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, without whom the whole film would come crashing down. This is no disrespect to the directors as they absolutely know that the film is Mattie’s story. Steinfeld is a revelation, and utterly captures the mixture of courage, intelligence and determination of the girl who is out of her depth but resilient enough to stay the corse. If there is any justice, Hailee will be clutching a golden statue before the end of the month.

The playful black humour that is typical of the Coen’s is plainly evident in both the dialogue and a parade of oddball characters that flit in and out of the story and the director’s don’t go light on honest-to-goodness western moments either, with the climactic shootout between Cogburn and the outlaw gang he is pursuing easily ranking up there with the best the genre has to offer.

The greatest compliment we can give the film is that is manages to be an excellent western while also offering up the unique wit and bite, that we have come to expect from a Coen brothers film. It just doesn’t get any better than this so be sure to catch it this week before the next forgettable blockbuster pushes it off the screen.

The film is one of the big Oscar contenders this year but don’t let that put you off because the film is more than just something to hang awards on - it is a plainly enjoyable film and proves that there is still room for original takes on the traditional Western.

Leo Stiles