Plot: Rooster (Jeff Bridges), a tough U.S. Marshall, helps Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld) track down her father's murderer.
Review: I saw this around January 2011 in theatres. I honestly didn't know what to expect. It was cheap movie night so I figured why not go see something I hadn't heard of. And if it sucked, it wouldn't be a big waste of money. I was genuinely surprised at how fantastic this movie was. I'm not the biggest fan of Westerns, with a few exceptions, so it takes a lot to get me on board.
A wanted fugitive, a smart youngster, horses and of course guns being shot. That's what you'd expect out of a Western. And it's all in here. But there's so much more than that. What I see in this film is a story about justice and the serving of justice. But each character in the movie has a different sense of what justice is and how it should be served. What is the right and wrong thing to do? Is death the answer? I found the points of view interesting and they mesh together and make a compelling story.
An aspect of the film that shocked me most when I first saw it back in 2011 was how funny the movie is. It's not laugh out loud funny, but there are moments of good humor provided, especially by Jeff Bridges. The movie's tone is dark and suspenseful so it's good to laugh at certain points.
The acting is top notch. Jeff Bridges is of course fantastic as he usually is in his portrayal of Rooster. He is able to convincingly play a man who cares, although he doesn't allow it to be shown. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor last year and was completely deserving of it. Matt Damon plays LeBoeuf, a Texas ranger after Tom Chaney for the murder of a Texan senator. I think Matt Damon was a good choice and I found that his character is like a younger version of Rooster. Josh Brolin plays Tom Chanry, the man who murdered Mattie's father and the senator in Texas amongst others. I thought he was a convincing and menacing villain. Most villains have some sort of redeeming quality. This one had none that I could see. And I liked that because there are some characters that can't atone for their sins. I still believe that Josh Brolin and Matt Damon should have received Oscar nominations for their performances. Of course their chances of winning were slim, but they should have been recognized for their brilliant work.
But the real standout of the film is Hailee Steinfeld. She is phenomenal in her on-screen debut. Her character is determined, fearless and courageous and wise and mature beyond her years. And Steinfeld portrays that perfectly. Hailee Steinfeld was fourteen when she made this film and she's quite impressive. She was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category. Although I'm happy she was recognized, she shouldn't have been nominated for Supporting Actress. She's on-screen more than Jeff Bridges, who was nominated for Best Actor. She should've been nominated for Best Actress. Nonetheless, her chances of winning were unfortunately slim in whatever category she got nominated in. Maybe it's her age. Either way, if she continues acting, I think she'll have a great career ahead of her.
Joel and Ethan Coen (who wrote, directed and produced this) are an awesome duo. Their ability to create moments of intensity, suspense and flat out humor in this Western is incredible. Each of them uses their own respective talent and use them to make an incredible film. True Grit received ten Oscar nominations last year (the second most nominated film) and didn't win any. I think it was one of the least talked about out of all the nominees. I do think if The King's Speech (2010) wouldn't have won, True Grit would've.
True Grit is an intense, suspenseful, entertaining and humorous film that you shouldn't cut yourself short of.
Rating: 5/5
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