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[jed-thomas]

True Grit

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                                                        Trailer

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cinematography: Roger Deakins

Screenplay: Joel Coen,Ethan Coen

Score: Carter Burwell

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin

I had to to watch this twice in order to get it. Although, whilst that may be criticism, I think its intrinsic to the Coen Brothers experience.

And emerging with the amount of love that I do for this film outweighs the amount of times that I had to view it to get such a feeling. It’s a downright beautiful film that deserves all of the praise that it received.

No one can replicate the magic of a Coen Brothers film. No one can match that gentle, lulling nature or the strength of every character that they create. No one can replicate a movie like True Grit.

True Grit follows the struggle of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) as she searches for Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed her father, so that he can be brought to justice. With the help of “Rooster” Cogburn, an alcoholic and trigger-happy Marshall, and the dignified Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, the trio scour the Frontier for Chaney, leaving, largely thanks to Cogburn, a trail of bodies as they go and, as is typical in a Coen Brothers’ films, running into a whole host of weird and wonderful characters.

The joy of this film is in its characters. Be they main characters or inconspicuous villagers or vicious gangsters in the Frontier, all of them have been constructed with such clarity and invention that it is hard to believe that they are not the main focus of the movie.

In fact, Mattie’s relationship with Colonel Stonehill, a vendor, is one that I could watch for a whole movie. I’d even request a full, 5-season TV show, actually. Mattie and Stonehill. Their tense, combative relationship would blossom into something more beautiful than could have ever been imagined. A bond unbreakable. They could run the shop together! Well, for 1 or 2 seasons they’d be competing, obviously, or, at least for half of the first season, Mattie would be trying to scam Stonehill out of business to fund all of her wild escapades but then, they will team up to create the ultimate shop, combining Mattie’s sassiness with Stonehill’s stickler nature.  Of course, they will still be at odds, but with their shared business at stake, they’ll have to find a way to work together.

It’s perfect! I’m going to pitch this.

Mattie and Stonehill. Coming to TBS this fall.

And that encounter lasts maybe 7 minutes. I’m enthused about the prospect of a TV show starring a character that appears for 7 minutes. I may have exaggerated just a smidgen but, truly, the richness of personalities present in this film, and in all of the Coens’ films, is breathtaking.

In terms of its leading trio, the Coens have struck gold. Now, I know True Grit is based on a book and the book has already had a cinematic incarnation so there is already a wealth of inspiration to draw from. But, even with all this, the Coens do something special with Mattie, Cogburn and LaBoeuf.

Whilst it helps that these three characters are portrayed by three exceptional actors (especially Hailee Steinfeld, who seems utterly natural even when bookended by two cinematic powerhouses like Damon and Bridges), there is a joyous lovability to them all, right from the very beginning, and as the film progresses so deepens your affection for each of them. You continue to love them even as the ugly truth is revealed about them all.

Mattie is headstrong, naive and stubborn. Cogburn is violent, angry and careless. LaBoeuf is idiotically zealous, temperamental and foolish.

Yet, Mattie is smart, determined and unyielding. Cogburn is lonely, regretful and strong when it matters most. LaBoeuf is caring, daring and proud (If only there was one more ‘ing’-word).

Such a mature approach to character, whilst keeping them slightly cartoonish, is a testament to the Coen Brothers’ natural gifts for understanding and constructing cinema.

This film is refined, too. Not in some desperate attempt to keep you interested, for the characters are interesting enough to add on another 15 minutes, but for the sake of emotional power.

While films like Mr. Turner take the alternate route, by piling on the minutes as if they can somehow add weight, True Grit uses the mastery of its storytelling to smack you with that hefty left-hook as it concludes. This one really hurts, too.

This reasonable editing style leaves the film at a perfectly consumable size, prompting re-watches which, having seen this twice now, I thoroughly recommend. Length is always a deterrent for me to re-watch a movie, but with True Grit, I can enjoy it whenever I’d like. And, boy, do I want to watch it again.

I do have a little problem with it, though. Just a little one! It’s very small and it was diminished on second viewing.

But, before we do that, let me just put in a good word about all the other glorious aspects of this little film.

One of them being Roger Deakins’s gorgeous cinematography. Through his expertly-constructed visuals, he enhances the effect of the story with some beautifully orchestrated scenes which I won’t explain in too much detail but you’ll know them when you see them.

Carter Burwell’s bitter sweet, delicate score is another added treat in this film. “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”, sang by Iris Dement, leads out this film in radiant, eye-watering brilliance, so pack some tissues for that.

And, finally, a quick comment on Jeff Bridges’s fantastically ragged performance. For I have never really seen any of his work before, apart from Tron: Legacy, so this really took me by surprise. The same can be said for Matt Damon but I’d heard great things about him whereas I have heard next-to-nothing about Bridges. His performance here is one which shows that he has an ability to turn an otherwise-unlikable character into one which you love without reason and love even more when there is a reason. I’ve got The Big Lebowski siting on my desk so I’ll get around to watching that as soon as possible. Hopefully, he’s just as good in that as he is in this.

So, the problem. Again, as with Mr. Turner, it’s the dialogue. The focus on creating period-specific dialogue leads to a whole lot of complicated metaphors said in a thick, Southern grumble. I can understand, at least, the words that Mattie is saying, even if I don’t understand what she means by them but when Cogburn and LaBoeuf talk, let alone when they are fighting with each other, I cannot make head nor tail of what they are going on about. Well, I can get the vague gist.

I would like to hear all of the little intricacies that the Coens have added in, and they were beginning to appear on my second viewing, because I think all the linguistic flips and tricks that occur especially in Westerns are one of my favourite parts. That’s it, though. I think that was why I fell asleep the first time, much like I did with Mr. Turner, as I really couldn't make sense of the dialogue. True Grit is, however, a marvellous film. Once past this linguistic barrier, you will find yourself in a rich and boundless world, populated by some hilarious and often touching characters. It is a gorgeously cinematic film, too, with a last act that rivals those of the Marvel movies. And just like most of the films in its creators’ filmography, this film begs to be watched again and again, knowing that you will take just as much from it upon each re-watch as you did on your first (or, in my case, second) viewing. Pure, solid gold.

LEAAAAAAANNNNNIIIIIINNNNGGGGGG...

10/10