Review: True Grit

Released: December 22, 2010
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hrs. 8 mins.
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper

Director: Ethan Coen
Synopsis: A 14-year-old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) joins an aging U.S. marshal (Jeff Bridges) and another lawman (Matt Damon) in tracking her father's killer into hostile Indian territory in Joel and Ethan Coen's adaptation of Charles Portis' original novel. Sticking more closely to the source material than the 1969 feature adaptation starring Western icon John Wayne, the Coens' True Grit tells the story from the young girl's perspective, and re-teams the celebrated filmmaking duo with their No Country for Old Men screenwriting partner Scott Rudin. Josh Brolin co-stars. Source

Review: I want to say that I am not a big Western fan...including when there is no romance. However, my dad is in love with them. You can see that when he watches a Rifle Men marathon. But, I saw that Rotten Tomatoes gave this a 96% rating, so I had to see what the big hype was about it.

True Grit is a remake of the 1969 movie that starred John Wayne, so I can't say that the plot was original. However, I will say that the plot was refreshing to watch nowadays. Instead of watching robots or horror movies, it was about a daughter who wanted to avenge her father's death. I loved that the plot was very serious but had quirks in between that made you laugh.

I absolutely loved Hailee Steinfeld in this movie. This was a great break-out performance for her. Her accent was phenomenal seeing as how she is originally from California. She was great when she had her parts with Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. I will say that I thought there were a few romantic undertones between La Boeuf (Damon) and Mattie Ross (Steinfeld). She was amazing, however, and I can't wait to see more of her.

Jeff Bridges is making a comeback, I guess, since he has Tron: Legacy and now, True Grit. I agreed with my dad in that I'm not a big Jeff Bridges fan, but he was amazing in this movie. He is a versatile actor, which I love, and he brings his character, "Rooster", more edge than he already had. Bridges had his little lines throughout the movie that make you laugh, but sometimes they feel a little forces, like they're trying to make you laugh. Bridges was a great in this movie and I'm glad that he and most of the cast were nominated for awards.

I give this movie a four out of four. I have to agree with a lot of the critics and say that this movie was probably the best one of 2010. Even if you hate westerns or need romance, I would give this movie a try because it was absolutely amazing.

Peace and Fangs,

Alisha