"True Grit" is not the typical Coen brothers' film. Let me fix somebody if I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that for the first time in their career we do not have to use a complex definition divided by several slashes. Although they both refused to use the word Western (at the Berlin Festival Joel said that this is just a story that happens in Arkansas in 1872), we are a classical representative of the genre. The brothers also resent the definition of a remake, as they believe it is a new screening of the novel by Charles Portis. After watching the 1969 film, I can say that with a little exception, the new version does not differ from the old one. The similarities between the two films are exhausted. Joel and Ethan Cohen tell the story on a whole different level. Adding the class to the actors' performances, we get a film that definitely outperforms its predecessor. The first screening is unconditionally dominated by John Wayne, who for this role receives his only Oscar prize. We can not say that this is a rather late recognition of his entire career than of a concrete achievement. If you can make such a comparison, in the 1969 film John Wayne performs the role of John Wayne, while Jeff Bridges is now the real one-eyed, drunken and scruffy sheriff Rush Cogburn. The paradox is that the more gloomy and sometimes finer performance of Bridges makes his hero much more sympathetic than Wayne's. As we say, a legend can be overshadowed by another legend. In this respect.
When it comes to Oscars, the other actress is nominated for the young Haley Steinfeld, who fits impeccably with the difficult task of building her own personality amid the dominance of Jeff Bridges. 13 years old during the filming, she admits that this is her first clash with the Western world and that she has never heard John Wayne's name before. Something that does not matter if she judges her perfect reincarnation in the 14-year-old confident, sometimes reckless, mouth-blown Matti, who has nothing more to discover and punish her father's murderer. Without any exaggeration, it can be said that Steinfeld's achievement is commensurate with that of Bridges. It is impressive that, with almost no acting experience, she manages to cope with the intricate image of a militant creature, but it is better to be among friends than among your enemies. Also, the fact that we have to put Matt Damon in third place, despite the remarkable contribution to the role he makes in comparison with the first film, is enough to showcase the film's qualities. In his performance, the image of the Texas ranger Labyf is far more complete and, last but not least, more entertaining. Without getting out of the shadow of the protagonist, Daman, with little money, but quite convincingly creates a character worthy of comparison with those of the main heroes.
Though they spend some time on the screen, Josh Brolin and the almost unrecognizable Barry Pepper, are drawing attention to the slightly unconventional images of the two main villains. Through them, the directors push the interesting idea that fear and calculus can be a strong enough incentive for the disrespect of human life. It would not be fair if I missed another name. The movie would not have been the same without Roger Dickinson's cinematographic work, for which the tainted breath-taking definition is right in place. I have read somewhere that "True Grit" is "Uunforgivable" in the 21st century. I can agree with this insofar as the Cohen Brothers succeed in their endeavor to add a new dimension to Westerns without violating the rules of the genre. Without unnecessary claims, the film is serious and categorical enough in its messages. I can not help mentioning that the only coil that Cohen allowed themself in the finale of the plot gives more individuality and drama to the story. The two have surpassed themselves in the brilliant dialogues by striking the first nail in the initial scene with those convicted of hanging, and the scene in which Matty is bending over with the horseman will surely enter the textbooks. We can not miss the little jokes that remind us of the good old brothers Cohen. Sheriff Cogburn to kick the poor kids on her porch is pure classics.