Revenge is one of the most common things which can be seen in action movies, and True Grit is among this type of movies. On top of all that, what should highly be appreciated is the fact that it tries to reinvent a genre.
The story is well built around the revenge of Mattie Ross. She is a stubborn girl who has enough money to hire a tough U.S. Marshal, who would help her track her father. At the beginning, Rooster Cogburn is not willing to accept her offer, but he accepts it eventually. The toughest part for the two of them is represented by the Indian Nations lands that are surrounded by "get back or die" signs. On their way, a bounty hunter, LaBoeuf, aids them in order to catch Tom Chaney, who is also the killer of Mattie's father. Their adventure is thrilling and has everything you want to see in a good western.
The movie is a remake of the one in 1969, which starred the famous John Wayne. The same role is now played by Jeff Bridges, who also starred in The Big Lebowski, Iron Man and TRON: Legacy. I think he was an inspired decision, because he really impersonates a "true grit" hero. Altogether, he is charming, he sounds like his mouth is full of marbles every time he speaks like a real all-day drunk man. After completing this movie he stated:
'I'm hoping this will revive the western'
The Coens make a good western display it contains everything for a success story. The remake of True Grit and the way they see it makes it exemplary. They created more intrigue making Rooster Cogburn one eye drunk man and they even make you sense the smell of his breath. All characters speak with formal diction; this is Coens' little joke that the formal talk merely decorates the savage moral incoherence of the west. You cannot see a 14 years old girl, adventuring on the Indian Territory to revenge her father as an everyday scenario. The Coens recreated the western: if in the beginning the westerns were only for good actors to get in shape, now they were replaced by romance comedy that are much more entertaining, where actors put their cowboy hats only to fool around. Just for reinventing the western and bringing it to a new threshold, this movie must be seen.
Mattie is interpreted by Haille Steinfeld - she is good at impersonating a fourteen-year-old girl in pigtails, who is stubborn and desperately wants to revenge her father's death. Mattie is the kind of character that can really impress you. This makes her one of the characters that must be watched in this movie.
One thing I didn't like about the movie in general (I have nothing personal with it though, is the role of LaBoeuf, who I consider being there when he shouldn't be. I didn't react as his decisions; he didn't impress me with his intelligence or his skills. And Matt Damon doesn't even fit in the character's skin. My personal point of view is that he is intended to be the annoying part of the movie.
However when I went to the cinema, in its early penning days the movie theater was empty so I would rather think that the western is not so well appreciated by the movie communities. All in all, as a genre lover, I recommend this movie to everyone who wants to see it.
