True Grit
starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Hailee Steinfeld
written for the screen and directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Based on the1968 novel by Charles Portis which I read last Christmas in preparation for watching this re-make of the 1969 classic of the same title starring John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell and Robert Duvall, True Gritis one of the films I was hoping to be able to see on the plane going to or returning from my summer trip. I got lucky! That 1969 film was the performance that won John Wayne his Best Actor Oscar. He won the Oscar, I think, because of that thing he did with his eye. Anyway, I still prefer the original, which I bought on DVD while in Canada.
The new Mattie Ross played by Hailee Steinfeld looks cuter than Kim Darby in the original, because of her braided hair and the hat and tight fitting coat and trousers. Or maybe it’s the difference between a 21-year-old Darby playing a 14-year-old character, and Steinfeld who was a teenager herself when she played Mattie. I also I think Steinfeld is more tomboyish than Darby was, and her character feels more ramrod straight and hard than Darby’s portrayal of Mattie.
Jeff Bridges has proven himself a great actor. But as Marshal Cogburn he does not fill and control the scene the way John Wayne did. Maybe that’s charisma translating through the film. You can still sense John Wayne’s charisma.