True Grit (15) **** Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin. Dir: Ethan and Joel Coen.
After the murder of her father, Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) goes in search of his killer Tom Chaney (Brolin). She hires the local federal marshall Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) to help her track Chaney and a Texas ranger, LaBeouf (Damon) who has been tracking Cogburn for months tags along.
Jeff Bridges portrayal of the one eyed whisky swigger, made famous in the original True Grit in 1969 by John Wayne, is brilliant. With his slurred southern drawl, half of the time it was difficult to understand what he was saying, but when his dialogue became fully audible, he delivered quite funny, and sometimes touching lines, and our first introduction to the character is laugh out loud funny.
Steinfeld's Ross displays a brilliant determination in the face of the unwilling townsfolk of Forth Smith, which includes the reluctant Bridges.
Damon's LaBeouf is a typically arrogant Texan, whose quips with Cogburn are highly amusing.
It is good to see a film that doesnt rely heavily on special effects in it's really very good action sequences, including a hilarious scene with Cogburn trying to prove he's a top-shot with his six shooter to LaBeouf.
All in all, a very good film, made all the better thanks to its simplicity, and Bridges's brilliant acting.
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