Jack Bennett After an outlaw murders her father, a feisty 14-year-old farm girl hires a boozy trigger-happy bounty hunter to help track him down. Together with a Texas Ranger, the unlikely trio must venture into hostile territory to dispense some old fashioned Wild West justice.John Wayne famously played Rooster Cogburn to earn his only acting Oscar in 1969 alongside Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper. Bridges's portrayal of the US Marshall is more one of a husky and haggard old man than Wayne's simple drunk, but it's a character which suits the world built by the Coen brothers' script. I hardly think Wayne's Cogburn would've made it far in this less stylised environment without the no nonsense approach of Bridges' grouchy straight-talking one-eyed lawman.Hailee Steinfeld (herself only 13 at the time of filming) won the role from a pool of 15,000 auditions and ultimately changed the character of Mattie from a damsel in need of protection to a capable gunslinger you'd rather have on your side in a fight. She's often smarter than many of the adversaries, a point that's proven in one of the first scenes where she barters with a horse trader using his own logic against him to get a refund.Meanwhile, as the crude, cold-hearted and cowardly murderer Chaney, Josh Brolin plays a man who would just as easily shoot his 14-year-old pursuer as he would the tried and tested Cogburn. The scenes in which he appears are as unnerving as they are eye-drawingly unmissable since you're waiting for him to make his dastardly move.The film isn't what you'd describe as a traditional Coen Brothers film - there's nothing eccentric or quirky about it - but therein lies its appeal, since it allowed the cinematic siblings to go all out on the artistic side of filmmaking. Nominated for ten Oscars (including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography), it undeservedly came away with nothing at all, but when you consider that Inception stole the technical gongs while The King's Speech cleaned up the big prizes that year you realise it was up against some stiff competition.The film drags a little once they find Chaney and there are a few scenes towards the end which might've been better left on the cutting room floor, but it soon pays off in the final 20 minutes so you never feel like your time is wasted. Considering it's a remake (or a 'new adaptation' of the Charles Portis novel), it's one of the Coen brothers' stand out offerings - much better than their atrocious attempt at The Ladykillers! - and truly worthy of its 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating.Best Quote: "The ground's too hard. If they wanted a decent funeral, they should have got themselves killed in summer."

grampy-26686 The dialogue (and almost everything else) is almost identical to the 1969 original. Aside from small differences to make it appear more 'authentic', this movie is a copy. Not a re-make. Why did they bother?

kerimakdogankp First of all, I want to point that I love Hailee Steinfeld and amongst the ones that I watched, this is her best job. We should talk more about the acting, when it comes to this particular movie. Cause what I think is, storyline stays in the background and acting, hairstyle and makeup shines, but the big credit goes to the acting, Especially Jeff Bridges performance. And again, especially drunk Jeff Bridges, what an act! Lets talk about the storyline. I think there is no special thing in the storyline, even though we can consider that this storyline is one of the classics and it never gets old, and its old. Also, there is a few humor in the movie which really enjoyed it. I also want to point another thing, I am not a big fan of western movies. I just watch the good ones and this is for sure upon that list. Despite a few bad sides of the movie, such as weak storyline and weak "gun shots" if u decided to watch it "it would be alright".

zkonedog When the Coen brothers first announced their remake of John Wayne's 1960s film "True Grit", I'll be honest...I thought it was a terrible idea. I vowed never to see it and treated it as a joke.But then, a funny thing happened...it turned into a serious project. Actors like Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon were cast to give the film some gravitas, and all of a sudden the advance previews looked gritty and realistic. So, with a few other Duke fans in tow, I broke my vow and headed to the theater. Boy, was I ever glad I did, as otherwise I might have missed the greatest western film ever made.For a basic plot summary, "True Grit" tells the story of young Maddie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who hires Deputy Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the coward Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Along the way, with the help of Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), Maddie and Rooster track Chaney via the notorious Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper) gang.What elevates this movie from the original is the closer following of the source material: Charles Portis' novel. It isn't perfect, but the Coens portray a much darker, grittier time and circumstances. Whereas the 60s version was all about the Duke, this one focuses on the rightful charge: the young, plucky Ross."True Grit" also does all the "little things" (which so often end up as so much more) perfectly. The acting is flawless, the direction is solid, and even the music adds some emotional depth to the entire production. Every scene is riveting, and will have you on the edge of your seat. Heck, even the comedic and light-hearted moments do their job and add some needed levity.Thus, I consider 2010's "True Grit" to be the all-around greatest western I've ever seen. There isn't a single scene that is a letdown, and all the other filmmaking factors converged to produce a masterpiece. This one would get my vote for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.