True Grit Movie Review 9/10!

A statement I have heard several times in the last few months was "True Grit? That's a movie they shouldn't remake, people should just leave well enough alone." Well, there are two things to address here. Firstly, they are not attempting to remake the movie True Grit, rather this is another adaptation of the novel written by Arkansas Novelist Charles Portis. This happens all the time, people remake novels in a variety of different ways. Secondly, people tend to look at John Wayne with rose colored glasses. His role of Rooster Cogburn is unquestionably the defining role of his career, and the stories of how he labored during filming make it pretty legendary. But the truth his, John Wayne as a person is more iconic than John Wayne the actor was talented. He was a larger than life personality that played the kind of roles that people wanted to root for, and that the country needed. However, he was not the most gifted in terms of raw talent. Jeff Bridges is.

As for the movie, frankly, its fantastic. What I was most surprised about was how funny this movie was. You don't get this from the trailer. Jeff Bridges comic timing is dead on, and the comic dynamic between Matt Damon, Bridges, and newcomer Hailee Steinfield is absolutely fantastic. This film has a small and intimate cast, and they must have spent a lot of time together, because the chemistry between them is rare, and has a very authentic feel to it. Aside from the acting, the movie is also beautifully shot, and creates that sweeping western feel that is much needed, but not always obtained, in creating a great western. It really creates a feeling of being on the trail, and of traversing the wilderness.

As a resident of Arkansas, I am glad to point out that a large part of this movie takes place in Arkansas, and that the town of Jonesboro is mentioned. I kind of like that.

I am keeping this pretty short, because honestly, there isn't much to say. Its a fantastic film, and I don't really want to give much of it away because I want everybody to go see it. SO GO SEE IT!