True Grit

Now, a much better film I've seen recently but not written about thus far is the Coen brothers version of True Grit.

It'll come as little surprise to hear that I think is another gem from the brothers. It's not as bleak as their modern take on the western 'No Country For Old Men', not quite as tragic as 'Fargo' but not as funny as 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'. In truth it lies somewhere in the middle of those three in terms of tone.

It has moments of comedy (the Coen's love of language games), but these are for the most part low key and the coda underlines the message of what vengeance can make of a person and that nothing in life comes for free.

Praise was rightly given to Jeff Bridge's turn as Cogburn, this time interpreted as a man with a distinct sense of wrong and right but with a sometime questionable interpretation of them. An almost broken man doing his best to try and do some right (we're given some brief glimpses into his life and how he got to this point in some of the stories he tells).

Matt Damon is also strong as the Texan ranger LaBoeuf who at first is presented as rather unlikeable but ends up developing an almost Odd Couple partnership with Bridge's Cockburn. One almost the idealised version of the old west and the other muckier reality.

But the true standout is Hailee Steinfeld as the young Mattie Ross. As determined as Marge Gunderson and as forthright as Holly Hunter's Penny from 'O Brother', she truly is the star of the show. As convincing as when she hard bargaining a horse trader as when Mattie lets the 14yr old girl occasionally break through her steely determination to see justice done for her father.

After the hot and uncomfortable West of 'No Country' this time around the Coen's present the cold and uncomfortable West where an untimely end is and ever present danger with the odd splash of surrealism thrown in.

So think Unforgiven with a lighter touch and a couple of jokes and you're pretty much there.