True grit

It's just that he's making a statement that says: this movie is better than Fargo or No Country for Old Men. It's bold. We shall see.

 

The source material does not suck. The NOVEL by Charlie Portis is quite good. The original film was a victim of a too light-hearted, cartoonish style that featured horrific acting from Campbell and a poorly aged performance by Kim Darby. The novel it self is well-paced, with witty dialogue, and well, just plain good storyline.

 

I'll leave a review in the movie thread, in case anyone likes my rambles.

 

I dont think it'd be hard to be better than No Country For Old Men. One of the most overrated pointless flicks of the past decade. A movie I almost regretted watching.

I'm a sucker for most westerns for some reason. This looks good, but kind of bland at the same time. I'm interested, but I could see it being one of those that make you wonder if it were worth the time afterward.

 

Might be seeing this tonight.

Coen Brothers + Spielberg. Can't go wrong.

 

True Grit:

First of all, I am not a fan of John Wayne. I preferred my tough guys Bronsonized or Eastwoodized. The Duke was what he was, and I did not like it. Even in the original, I saw John Wayne playing John Wayne. It was a mediocre film with some horrendous performances (namely, Glen Campbell) and uneven tones.

The Coen Brothers have since taken a very good Charlie Portis novel, and brought it to life. The humor is here in spades, dark and dry. The Bros direct each actor masterfully, and in turn get some fantastic performances out of a lot of people. The supporting cast (Pepper, Brolin, Matthews) are brilliant in very small parts, but it is the three main leads that are particularly fantastic.

Brides IS Cogburn. It's that simple. The guy plays tough, drunk, and weary better than Wayne ever did, and it comes off seamlessly. Damon is solid in a part I always considered a bit of a boring part, although a huge improvement on Campbell, namely because Damon is actually a legit actor. Steinfeld comes in as an unknown and comes out an intriguing young actress. The lines she delivers are arguably the most impressive, and yes, this film is FILLED with lines that require extreme verbal dexterity.

Direction here is solid, and cinematographer Deakins (a favorite of mine) is as fantastic as ever at delivering beauty around every turn. The score by Burwell isn't anything too special, surprisingly, and sort of comes in at confusing times.

The biggest problem with this film is that it doesn't FEEL like a Coen's film. While the film is very funny, it's more about how the actors deliver the very dry, witty lines. There is a clear lack of the Coen's morbid, quirky humor seen in films like The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and others. it isn't completely absent, just rather sparse. This is by far the most conventional, by-the-numbers film they have ever done. That's not a bad thing - their mastery is very keen and up front with the performances and shots they chose and crafted. It just isn't what you'd come to expect from them.

 

I will go see this sometime this week. Thanks for the great review as usual Kami