TRUE GRIT (2010)

title: TRUE GRIT
year: 2010
cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
rating: *

The Coen Brothers claim this is not a remake, but rather, a brand new vehicle more faithful to the source novel. But with the exception of a few scenes, it's a pale imitation of the John Wayne classic. The plot has an assertive fourteen-year old girl who, in order to track her father's killer, hires a violent U.S. Marshall, Rooster Cogburn. The entire first act, setting up the three leads... also including Matt Damon as an uptight Texas Ranger with aims of his own... never settles into any worthwhile communication. By the time the search is underway, we hardly know the characters: each at odds but without seeming genuinely motivated. The villains are an afterthought, and antihero Jeff Bridges, as the legendary tough guy, is more a sloppy town drunk slurring tales that, if visualized (and comprehended), might make a more interesting film. At attempting to make an arthouse Western, the Coens failed twice: it's not intelligent nor involving or exciting. And the beautiful scenery feels condensed and wasted throughout.