True Grit

The Cohen Brothers remake the classic John Wayne western with True Grit, about a young girl who hires a drunk U.S. Marshall to hunt down her father's killer. All of the ingredients for another hit Cohen Brothers movie are here. The typical humor and superior dialogue, the shocking blood shed, the emotional climax, and the unforgettable characters, including our lead anti-hero Rooster, remarkably reprised by Jeff Bridges, and the spitfire fourteen year old Mattie Ross, played courageously and smartly by Hailee Steinfeld. I hear this version was closer to the book than the one with John Wayne, but the two movies were so similar. I almost thought they'd used the same script, until three quarters of the way through. I was only slightly disappointed in the ending, when Mattie doesn't quite accomplish her goal in the way she had hoped, and Rooster unintentionally lets her down once more. However, we are left with clearer picture of Mattie's soul and the realization that she is the one with “True Grit” for whom this film was titled.

This film is definitely deserving of an Oscar nomination. Even with films like “The Kids Are All Right,” “Black Swan,” and “The King's Speech,” this film is a tough contender, and Jeff Bridges may have the opportunity to take home a statue two years in a row after winning just last year for “Crazy Heart.” Was it in his sights all along? For those of you who do not know, John Wayne was nominated and won the Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in 1969.