Art & Entertainment

True Grit

A good old revenge saga set in the wild, wild West, the second adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel

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True Grit
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Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Rating: **

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‘You have to pay for everything. Nothing comes free except the grace of God.’ The film begins on this philosophical note from Mattie Ross (Elizabeth Marvel) recalling the time when she was 14. Then follows a scenic shot of whirling snowflakes falling gently on a body lying crumpled. It’s the body of Mattie’s father and the child is resolved that she shall avenge his death. With True Grit the Coen Brothers tell a good old revenge saga set in the wild, wild West, the second adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel after the 1969 John Wayne film.

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At its very basic, the film is all about correcting a wrong at any cost, even by getting yourself on the wrong side of the law. It’s a rock solid, compelling formula of sorts and the Coens play it straight. Mattie’s father is murdered by one of his hired hands, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), who runs off with his horses and two gold pieces. Chaney is on a long list of offenders and Mattie can’t keep waiting for his arrest. So she decides to hire marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down Chaney. Meanwhile, ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) is also chasing Chaney for a past murder and wants to join hands with Mattie. She rejects LaBoeuf’s offer because she wants Chaney hanged for her father’s murder, not for some prior crime.

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Roger Deakins’s cinematography enlivens the stark place, the tough people, their interactions and motivations. The many outlaws, their violent encounters, scarlet blood, blown faces, chopped fingers, decaying corpses, solemn public hangings: these brutal images are juxtaposed against some droll, quirky lines, making the film bizarrely funny. Like when a man casually says he’d be ok to have Mattie sleep the night in a coffin. Besides Deakins, it’s Hailee Steinfeld (deservingly nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar) who steals the show. She is heart-breaking as a child ripened before time, trying desperately to be a hard-nosed, driven adult, fearless yet fearful. Matt Damon is gorgeously flashy and upstages Jeff Bridges’s performance. Bridges’s rasping, grunting act disappoints the most. Besides, he is indecipherable. These are the times you wish Hollywood films could come with subtitles.

High Fives

Bollywood

  1. Tanu Weds Manu
  2. Saat Khoon Maaf
  3. Patiala House
  4. Drive Angry (dubbed)
  5. Yeh Saali Zindagi

Hollywood

  1. Hall Pass
  2. Gnomeo & Juliet
  3. Unknown
  4. I am Number Four
  5. Just Go With It

Rock

  1. Sigh No More (Mumford & Sons)
  2. The Suburbs (Arcade Fire)
  3. The People’s Key (Bright Eyes)
  4. Lungs (Florence +The Machine)
  5. Brothers (The Black Keys)

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Courtesy: Film Information

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