Wednesday, 23 February 2011

FILM: True Grit (dirs: Joel and Ethan Coen, 2011)


"My bullet!"
"YOUR bullet?"
The Coen brothers deliver another film that is a complete joy to watch. The viewer is literally dropped into a wonderfully-realised Western tale from the start, and it is to the film's credit that it is instantly absorbing and needs no preamble. This seems to be one of the most relentlessly dialogue-heavy Westerns ever made, with a fantastic script that is expertly delivered and gives the superb cast so many opportunities for their characters. Jeff Bridges gives a wonderful and mesmerising take on John Wayne's iconic Rooster Cogburn role, with excellent support by Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper, and an absolutely stunning (and demanding) feature debut by Hailee Steinfeld as young Mattie Ross, the girl who hires Cogburn to track down her father's killer. Roger Deakins as returning Coens' cinematographer captures the arid winter landscapes beautifully, and Carter Burwell's restrained score complements the film superbly. This new interpretation of True Grit is completely confident, accomplished and a real treat from start to finish.

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