True Grit (2010)

This film is not bad. But it isn't great either. The Bad - It is particularly boring at times when the two main characters are conversing whilst slowly moving along their journey. The cinematography is nothing to admire. But worst of all is the film's antagonists, if you can call them that. They don't serve their purpose as our heroes' main rivals, the only purpose they serve is being a device that brings our heroes together. We here about them throughout the entire film, the terrible crimes and killings committed. Boy-oh-boy these people sound menacing, I feel scared for our dear heroes as they creep ever so closer to finding these treacherous scoundrels, but I bet it's gonna result in a mind blowing conclus...wa...what...they're dead? That's it? We see them for less than 10 mins and they're all dead? That sucks. They were kinda pointless huh. And it wasn't even a satisfying death for the antagonist, I never hated him, I had no reason to, I had barely seen him. No stunning fight we were teased about happening for the last hour and a half. Just the few bullets shot and hey presto the bad guys are dead. This film also falls more under the romance genre whilst not really having any romance in it. The relationship between the main characters isn't that convincing, I never became truly invested in their friendship, they were usually quite disjointed, so I never felt sad at the end. Lastly the plot is quite bland and boring, yes this is a remake that was based off a book, but still on its own the plot just doesn't stand out. So I hear ya, why am I giving it a 6 when I've done nothing but talk shit about it, let me tell ya.The Good - The acting is pretty much masterclass. Everyone acting just nails it. An Oscar or two should have been won by these actors/actresses. Also the costumes and makeup are spot on, it all looked quite convincing. The music is good, but not amazing. And lastly the action is quite cool. But as far as anything good goes, that's about it.All in all, average film that could have been something more if it wasn't for a lacklustre plot with just as bad antagonists. I advise you do watch it if you haven't seen it, but don't expect much.

The ending wasn't as philosophical as the one in No Country. Its more kind of comic book movie ending... Some casualties, but the heroes won (Here, her arm, the horse, the fact she never saw neither of those two again)But the movie was better balanced between action and dialogue, which makes it much better for me (because I get tired of tooo muuuuch action) and probably worse for some (basically, Fast and Furious lovers... just kidding?)Hailee was just insanely good. Matt Damon was awesome too.

True Grit is well-written, well-acted and well-executed. The Coen Brothers have created an old-fashioned Western that feels fresh and relevant. Every actor, including the supporting cast, does an amazing job of making the film feel authentic. It's a simple story, but it's a very memorable movie.

Jeff Bridges gets to put his own spin on the character of Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn, first portrayed by an Oscar-winning John Wayne in the 1969 film adaptation. Rooster is hired by a very plucky 14 year old girl, Mattie Ross (debuting Hailee Steinfeld), who wants to avenge her father. Dad was murdered by the cowardly Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who made out for Indian territory and who may now be riding with an outlaw, Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper), and his gang. They are joined by a determined Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who wants to arrest Chaney for a crime committed in the Lone Star state.This new version of the Charles Portis novel was scripted and directed by the great filmmaking brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, who treat the material respectfully, even reverently. The dialogue is antiquated, yet quite literate, and it truly comes to life when spoken by this well-chosen cast. The story is straightforward and without filler, the pacing very efficient. Serious at times (and funny at other times), the film never veers too far into melodrama. It hits the ground running, with an older Mattie (Elizabeth Marvel) narrating and giving us the back story of Mr. Ross' killing. Two frequent Coen brothers collaborators work some real magic: cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose widescreen compositions are wonderful, and composer Carter Burwell, whose music is breathtaking.Bridges completely disappears inside the role of the surly, tough, hard drinking marshal, while Damon gives one of his better performances. Brolin and Pepper don't show up until around the 80 minute mark, but do extremely effective work. As soon as you meet Chaney, you know you loathe him; he's that much of a heel. The strong supporting cast includes Dakin Matthews, Paul Rae, Domhnall Gleeson, and Leon Russom; it's also great to see Jarlath Conroy from George Romeros' "Day of the Dead" as the undertaker. But young Steinfeld leaves the greatest impression, giving us a heroine who is capable, determined, and very mature for her age, a girl who can hold her own dealing with a character like Stonehill (Matthews)."True Grit" 2010 is sometimes violent (and strikingly so), but is basically just a good, solid example of impassioned storytelling that maintains viewer interest for the better part of two hours.Eight out of 10.