Movie Review- True Grit by Jeff Hammer

In True Grit Jeff Bridges has big boots to fill, Matt Damon... well, does not. The Coen brothers remake is a chopped down rendition of the original, which in my opinion would have done well to at least leave the scene of Mattie and her father before his leaving for the city with Tom Chaney in the film. I had my doubts from the very beginning when I felt the film was a bit too silly, "if you would like to sleep in a coffin, it would be alright". As the film went on, I gathered that witticism was sorta the point and somewhere near the middle I started to enjoy the Gilmore Girl with gun banter. As I said Bridges had some big boots to fill and I feel he did a superb job, even better than the Duke's Rooster. I just believed this Rooster more, in terms of being a whino and being the meanest marshal with true grit and all. Laboeuf should have been played by.. I don't know, anyone but Matt Damon, as he seemed at times to be stuck between shakespearean stage play and wild west texas ranger. He was enjoyable tho, probably because he was getting assaulted verbally or physically the entire movie. Hailee Steinfeld was also better than the original Mattie Ross, if only a borderline oscar nom. performance. Characters are strong and believable for the most part. Direction is a bit confusing to me, as it was in the Coens' film No Country for Old Men, this wasn't quite as bothersome this go 'round, I just feel when we've been pursuing something it should be the climax of the film instead of stumbling into a climax caused by nature. Also a bit curious about the end monologue when Mattie says a quarter of a century has passed but then says Labeouf is probably close to 80.... really? Matt Damon was supposed to be 50-55 years old in this movie?? But that's a minor detail. Overall I liked all but the end and it was over quick enough not to totally blow the whole movie for me.

Hammer's Rating: ***½ of 5 stars

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