True Grit

True Grit is a remake of the popular western, True Grit, released in 1969. It was written and directed by the ever-popular Coen brothers, and starred Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, and Matt Damon, as well as Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper. It was released on December 22, 2010.

Well, it's time for another Coen brothers film. You already know that it was gonna be good, but would it hold a candle to the original, or go in a completely different direction? The Coen brothers said while making the film that unlike the original, this was to be a direct adaptation from the 1968 book, with the same name as both films. Quite frankly, I'm glad of this. Not to insult the original film, it's a great one, but compared with the remake, the original is a comedy. I mean no offence with this, it's just in this day and age, True Grit works more as a drama. That said, let's get to the review.

The film was spectacular. It has that Coen brothers feel to it that we all love, where it makes you laugh one minute, and shocks you the next. As well as that, it is an effective Western, having gun competitions while drunk, an ample amount of horse riding, and of course, Rooster Cogburn. It even has some references to the original, ie, "I didn't think you were gonna do it!"

Let's talk about the acting. Jeff Bridges. What can you say about him that hasn't already been said? The man is an amazing actor, and is more than sufficient to replace John Wayne in the role of Rooster Cogburn. Jeff Bridges is always good, and even better when with the Coen brothers, so we all knew he would be good. The person we're all wondering about however, is young Hailee Steinfeld, the new actress who plays Mattie Ross. She was surprsingly good, a very impressive child actor. She was able to play a young child who wanted revenge for her daddy's death, and also a young scared child. It was impressive, and I hope that unlike the original Mattie Ross, she will have a career. Now, for the other actors, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper. Matt Damon plays Texas Ranger La Boeuf, attempting to hunt down Tom Chaney. Matt Damon always does a good job, and this is no exception. Josh Brolin I was fairly surprised with. Whenever he plays villains, I always saw him as a smart villain, a thinker. However, Tom Chaney is just a hired hand, a dumb villain. Josh Brolin surprised me when he played him, because, "I didn't think he'd do it!" All jokes aside, he was very good. Barry Pepper's role was a small one, which he decently acted, but nothing special.

Overall, this film gain s a score of 8.5/10. If you liked the original, check it out. If you like the Coen brothers, check it out. If you like Jeff Bridges, check it out.You should probably just check it out anyways, cause it's really good.