Review: 'True Grit' is a must-watch film

Film: True Grit (A)
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper
Rating: ***1/2

True Grit is a tale narrated by an older Mattie Ross about her childhood adventure with Marshal Reuben Cogburn (Bridges) and Texas Ranger LaBeouf (Damon) into the Indian territories of the American frontier to take the life of the varmint Tom Chaney (Brolin) who murdered her father.

Traversing the wilderness, Ross at 14 (Hailee), who (sometimes to great comic effect) displays a maturity beyond her years, personally hires uncouth tough guy ‘Rooster’ Cogburn in a fashion which pretty much establishes that she is beyond the trappings of other kids her age.

The film’s sharp writing, adapted from a novel by Charles Portis, is rife with humour, some of it absurdist, a lot of it black. It is Hailee’s grasp of the nuances of the Coens’ clockwork-like writing in addition to her disarming physical presence that makes her the scene-stealer she is.

Bridges does a great job as the ageing law-enforcer with a penchant for heavy drinking and hard living. With his rough-around-the-edges, churlish exterior, we know that there lies a soft spot for his pint-sized employer.

Damon’s casting as LaBeouf is perfect as the occasionally pompous ranger who never seems to get along with Cogburn, whom he considers a discourteous hack. Brolin and Pepper as Chaney and Lucky Ned rise above stereotypical villainy.

Roger Deakins conjures up some striking cinematography (let's hope he finally gets some recognition at the Oscars this year) and Carter Burwell’s soundtrack with melodies of old-time hymns as motifs is simply beguiling.

The Old West with its propensity for violence is good territory for the Coens, and while the film isn’t to Westerns what Miller’s Crossing was to gangster movies, it is a must-watch not only for Western fans, but also for people who appreciate good acting and a tight script.