True Grit (2010)

Over their storied career, the Coen Brothers have made some of the most original, most iconoclastic, and most critically-acclaimed films of all time. They've tackled adaptations (No Country for Old Men, O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and remakes (The Ladykillers) before, of course, but even these films have borne the brothers' unmistakable mark of originality, their skewed vision of the world, and their cynical, sarcastic sense of humor. What, then, to make of True Grit? It's t...

Some people have said that this film followed the book better than the original one with John Wayne. I have not read the book but I must say that I did not feel that there was that much difference between the John Wayne version and this one. Sure, there was a difference in the details but the main elements was pretty much the same. There was an epilogue on the end which was a tad more sad, but certainly not misplaced, than in the original film. I have to say that the film it was very good. Jeff...

There's not much point in comparing this to John Wayne's version from 1969. In may ways it's similar - especially the dialogue - but in most it's a completely different telling of the story of the determined young "Mattie" (Hailee Steinfeld) whose father has been slain by "Chaney" (Josh Brolin) and who has now engaged the services of the curmudgeonly US Marshal "Rooster" (Jeff Bridges) to track him down. They are not the only folks looking for th...