Today’s quick review: True Grit. To avenge her father, Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), a strong-willed teenager, recruits the help of Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a washed-up marshal with a reputation for killing his targets. Accompanied by La Boeuf (Matt Damon), a dubious Texas ranger, Mattie and Rooster head into Choctaw territory in search of the killer Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) and Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper), the outlaw protecting him.
True Grit is a Western drama from the Coen Brothers. The story follows Mattie Ross as she sets out to bring her father’s killer to justice with the help of two lawmen of questionable skill. True Grit tells an unusual story for a Western, trading in the classic cowboy hero for a precocious girl and a brutal mess of a marshal. The interplay between the characters, the journey itself, and artful direction make True Grit a rewarding watch.
True Grit has a few wry touches that mark it as a Coen Brothers film. The characters are all a little strange. Mattie is a willful girl with peculiar notions of how the world works. Rooster has a salty personality and a keen tactical mind that only works when he’s sober. La Boeuf butts heads with Rooster constantly and brags about more than he accomplishes. The trio’s odd dynamic gives the film a very particular flavor.
Unlike other Coen Brothers films, True Grit is largely serious. There are a few lighter moments, and the script has hints of irony, but there is not much outright comedy. The journey is protrayed as perilous every step of the way, and Mattie is never coddled or treated as an action heroine. True Grit is a glimpse at a particularly harsh side of the Old West, where its heroes will need luck and skill to achieve their goals.
True Grit is a solid pick for fans of the modern side of the Western genre. Although its story is almost unchanged from the original John Wayne version of the film, the Coen Brothers is a little more violent, a little more quirky, and has a greater focus on camerawork and direction. The result may come across as odd to some viewers, but the strength of the story, acting, and presentation make it worth checking out.
For a more even-keeled rendition of the same story, check out the John Wayne version of True Grit. For a stranger Western anthology from the Coen Brothers, try The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. For a bleak, Western-style crime drama from the Coen Brothers, try No Country For Old Men. For another skillful modern wester, try 3:10 to Yuma.
[7.6 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/). I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a compelling story and capable direction.