True Grit (2010)

This film, an adaptation of the book written by Charles Portis, is a remake of the 1969 film starring John Wayne as U.S. Marshall Rooster Coburn. It is directed by the Coen Brothers who have also directed films such as Raising Arizona and Fargo.

Mattie Ross' (Hailee Steinfeld) father was murdered by one of his ranch hands, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), and she needs help tracking him down. She asks U.Sm Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) for help, but he doesn't want to do it. Around the same time a Texas Ranger named LeBoef (Matt Damon)who is also tracking Chaney down for another murder wants Cogburns' help as well. Mattie doesn't want to combine the efforts as she knows that if LeBoef finds Chaney that he will take him back to Texas and hang him for the other murder instead of her fathers. Cogburn decides to team up with LeBoef and they try to leave without Mattie. She chases them until Cogburn agrees to take her with them. LeBoef is not happy with this and decides to go his own way. Mattie and Cogburn come across a shack where outlaws hang out and find that Chaney may be coming to the cabin. Cogburn and Mattie lie in wait for the outlaws to arrive and see LeBoef instead. The outlaws do arrive and have a scuffle with LeBoef and Cogburn shoots three of them. LeBoef departs again. Mattie goes down to the river for water and runs into Chaney herself. She shoots him once then her gun jams. Chaney drags her off to his gang and they decide to hold Mattie as a hostage to get rid of Cogburn but it backfires and Cogburn kills most of them. LeBoef shows up again just in time to shoot the last one. Mattie tries shooting Chaney again but falls into a hole that is filled with snakes and is bitten. Cogburn rides all night with her to get help.

This movie was very good and often humorous in parts. All of the actors were quite good with Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges receiving Oscar nominations for their roles. The movie was filmed mostly in the Santa Fe and Austin areas.

This version darker than the original 1969 version. I recently saw the original and it had a more uplifting feel to it. Even the music was semi happy. John Wayne apparently refused to wear a moustache in the role as the character in the book had one wondering how the audience could see his facial expressions with both a moustache and an eye patch.

110 minutes. PG-13. I give this move THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.