True Grit

I went into this film with moderate expectations. The Coen brothers have been a bit hit or miss for me (loved O Brother and Millers Crossing for example, hated Burn After Reading) and I don't remember the John Wayne original being that amazing. So when it turned out that True Grit was actually incredibly entertaining I was pleasantly surprised. In some ways my expectations made it the exact opposite experience of when I saw the Fighter. For that film I went in expecting great and got good, here I was expecting decent and got very good.

The film is unapologetically a 'western' in the classical sense. It has a very basic story with a clear conflict (little girl tries to get revenge for her father's death) and has none of the irony or revisionism which characterize the more recent entries of the genre. What really makes True Grit work though is the dialog and a killer lead performance from Hailee Steinfield as Mattie ross. Everyone in the film talks a calm mannered tone that gives the proceedings a lyrical air and sense of calm even when violence is breaking out. Combine that with a wicked sense of humor and the script elevates the proceedings above what could have been a very traditional story.

While Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon have the two flashiest roles (and they're great) they could have been filled by a number of actors, but the role of Mattie is key. She's the emotional center of the film, and if you don't buy her motivations the whole thing falls apart. Steinfield nails the role and I shudder to think what would have happened if a Miley Cyrus type played it. The only question I had afterwards was what character was a bigger bad-ass Mattie or hit-girl from Kick-Ass? This of course assumes no weapons...but I digress.

The film's a little bloated in parts, but overall its a fun ride marked by good performances and a well written script. In that sense its much like Yogi Bear.