TRUE GRIT - REVIEW

This is above all, a great adventure story, set in the western style! The 'western' is not necessarily a genre I search for, and indeed, I have never seen the 1969 version of TRUE GRIT starring John Wayne, but The Coen brothers have gone back to the original novel, not the screenplay, and started afresh. They have created a brilliant character driven, adventurous, humourous western.

"Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested." from IMDB

The acting is sublime, with Hailee Steinfield an absolute standout and most deserving of her supporting actress Oscar nomination. She shares the screen with Jeff Bridges, who plays Rooster Cogburn, the 'tough' US Marshall, and although, his drunken, western drawl is often hard to understand, he plays the role to perfection. He and the Coens have not worked together since 'The Big Lebowski'. My lovely Matt plays the Texas Ranger who joins the search for the criminal, and he also ends up with a difficulty speaking,(a technique he achieved by tying his daughter's hairband around his tongue) but is as always, amazing (biased, moi???) The supporting cast is led by Josh Brolin, who seems to be a Coen brothers favourite these days, Barry Pepper, who is barely recognisable, and Dakin Matthews, whom we know so well from The Gilmore Girls where he played Rory's principal!

It's definitely deserving of its 10 Oscar nominations. You may not necessarily think that this would be the sort of film you would like, or normally go to, but you should. It's a ripper yarn, not in the usual quirky Coen way, but in a really great entertaining way! Go see it!!