I thought this film was fantastic. I'm a huge Coen Brothers fan and they didn't let me down with this one. I've not seen the original as I despise John Wayne but I understand this version sticks closely to the book and really gets the feel of it.
True Grit remake
- Thread starter A beaker full of death
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One imagines that was deliberate; what he says isn't important in those instances, just the impression that he's a slurred drunk.
Possibly, but he said something about the Texas Ranger when he was down in the pit with Mattie, that the audience howled at, but I have no clue WTF he said. Apparently most people understood him, but I just didn't quite catch it.
One other observation. I've seen different people referring to this as a "darker" or "grittier" version than Wayne's version. I just don't see that at all. Both movies follow pretty much the same story with the same outcome of events. I just didn't see anything in this version that was inherently that much darker than the original EXCEPT maybe the aforementioned epilogue which admittedly was a bit depressing.
When Maddie asks if he is alright Cogburn replies something to the effect of "Oh he's awake and talkin his mouth off already"
It's probably the movie I want to see the most next month. But got plans to check out the original either before or after I see it.
Saw this yesterday and I have to say I was very impressed. The dialogue, typical Coen in style, was fun and well written. I haven't seen the Wayne version in years, so I may have to revisit.
I do find Bridge's mumbling a bit distracting. I realize the actor is a bit long in the tooth and thanks to years of smoking has a very deep, throaty sound, but some of his lines were almost unintelligible. That said, his performance overall, was quite good.
Matt Damon's Ranger LaBeouf (La Beef) was almost too buffoonish at first, but I really liked the way the character worked out.
It was gritty and authentic, and I always love to see locations near my home (New Mexico) on film.
I do find Bridge's mumbling a bit distracting. I realize the actor is a bit long in the tooth and thanks to years of smoking has a very deep, throaty sound, but some of his lines were almost unintelligible. That said, his performance overall, was quite good.
Matt Damon's Ranger LaBeouf (La Beef) was almost too buffoonish at first, but I really liked the way the character worked out.
It was gritty and authentic, and I always love to see locations near my home (New Mexico) on film.
Yeah, I was surprised that Brolin got his name above the title for playing Chaney. You can see most of his scenes in the trailers!
I found the movie to be "grittier" in the sense that the scenery wasn't as pretty, the town was dirtier, the people's clothes and hair and teeth weren't nice and neat. But as far as "darker" in tone, I quite agree, the older one is not much different.
MINOR SPOLIERS BELOW!
The ending comes from the book, and I liked it. Isn't it interesting to know what happened to these characters' lives after such an adventure? Didn't you want to know if Rooster kept his job as a deputy marshal or drank himself to death, or what? It was interesting to see that Mattie had grown from a very serious kid to a rather severe "spinster woman," and to wonder what her life might have been like if she hadn't been so determined on seeking justice for her father.
Most of the dialogue was taken verbatim from the book, but it certainly does make a good fit for the Coens' style. IIRC the only major addition they made was the surreal scene with the "medical" man in the bearskin. It worked well to give a lead on where to go, and it also let them work in the very Coen-y sounding name (from the book) of "The Original Greaser Bob."
One line I missed from the '69 movie was Rooster telling them that he had a lead on where Chaney went to "pay attention to a lewd woman."
Any King of the Hill fans notice John Redcorn's voice from the Indian on the scaffold?
--Justin
The original had Robert Duvall as Pepper. Josh Brolin's a good actor but no one tops Bobby D. Literally, the greatest American actor of our time.
Brolin was Tom Chaney, who was played by Jeff Corey in the first movie. Barry Pepper, appropriatley, played Lucky Ned Pepper in the new version.
I quite agree about Duvall. My wife and I watch Lonesome Dove at least once a year. Funny that he and Bridges both won their Oscars for playing declining country singers.
--Justin
Well I understand it came from the book, but as I said, the ending was just depressing. I much preferred the Wayne version ending, even though it wasn't "by the book."
I still haven't seen this, and that's starting to bug me a little. I've been looking forward to this one for a while. Mostly because of Bridges/Coen Brothers, but I did enjoy the hell out of the original when I finally got around to seeing it last year.
I can certainly understand not liking a particular ending over another, but can you say what you found depressing about it? Just curious.
--Justin
The ending of the Wayne version could be implied that Maddie never married. I always thought that she and Rooster were emotionally bonded (not romantically or physically), particularly since she invited him to be buried next to her in the family cemetery. Kinda “soul-mates” without being “love-mates” or “life-mates”--they loved each other as individual people, not as a man/woman thing.
I saw True Grit. It was pretty good, whilst being consistently entertaining and darkly comedic. The film really rode on the shoulders of the actress playing Mattie Ross, and I thought she did a really excellent job. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin (in a considerably smaller role than I was expecting) all do fantastic performances, but that's a given.
One of my few complaints was the pacing, which I thought was a tad lethargic at first. It was helped by some dark comedic bits, which knowing the Coen Brothers' litany of works was pretty expected, but I guess I felt like it took a while to get going. The previews made the film out to be some type of Western thriller or action film, but I would say the film hangs on the often amusing character interaction, and while the dialogue is clever, witty and was delivered well (in the cases where I could actually understand some of the dialogue being delivered...) I guess I was expecting more out of the first hour or so.
Things don't get interesting, at least in my opinion, until the last act, where we have some legitimate tension and some great character moments. Matt Damon, for example, did a wonderful job with a character who I thought was going to be one-dimensional but ended up being quite charming and multi-faceted in the end. Josh Brolin's role was pretty inconsequential, despite his importance to the plot, and was more of a plot device than a meaningful character. I was really surprised to see Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned. Out of all the actors in the film, he really changed his appearance the most.
I would also agree with CaptainCanada that the epilogue felt useless. This is why I don't really enjoy epilogues where we see certain characters years into the future with different actors; it ruins any emotional resonance because we've been following certain actors as those characters. The ending of the actual story felt way too abrupt, and I'm not quite sure what the epilogue added. On top of that, the ending song was just way too loud and abrasive and totally ruined any good feelings I had for the film. I mean, usually they fade-in credit songs, but this came out blaring at the end, and didn't really feel appropriate.
I'm probably giving this film a worse review than it deserves, since the acting is fantastic, the direction is superb and the film overall is fairly strong, it just wasn't the overwhelming success that some critics would suggest. It was enjoyable based on Western and Coen Brothers standards, but I think I was just expecting more out of the execution.
One of my few complaints was the pacing, which I thought was a tad lethargic at first. It was helped by some dark comedic bits, which knowing the Coen Brothers' litany of works was pretty expected, but I guess I felt like it took a while to get going. The previews made the film out to be some type of Western thriller or action film, but I would say the film hangs on the often amusing character interaction, and while the dialogue is clever, witty and was delivered well (in the cases where I could actually understand some of the dialogue being delivered...) I guess I was expecting more out of the first hour or so.
Things don't get interesting, at least in my opinion, until the last act, where we have some legitimate tension and some great character moments. Matt Damon, for example, did a wonderful job with a character who I thought was going to be one-dimensional but ended up being quite charming and multi-faceted in the end. Josh Brolin's role was pretty inconsequential, despite his importance to the plot, and was more of a plot device than a meaningful character. I was really surprised to see Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned. Out of all the actors in the film, he really changed his appearance the most.
I would also agree with CaptainCanada that the epilogue felt useless. This is why I don't really enjoy epilogues where we see certain characters years into the future with different actors; it ruins any emotional resonance because we've been following certain actors as those characters. The ending of the actual story felt way too abrupt, and I'm not quite sure what the epilogue added. On top of that, the ending song was just way too loud and abrasive and totally ruined any good feelings I had for the film. I mean, usually they fade-in credit songs, but this came out blaring at the end, and didn't really feel appropriate.
I'm probably giving this film a worse review than it deserves, since the acting is fantastic, the direction is superb and the film overall is fairly strong, it just wasn't the overwhelming success that some critics would suggest. It was enjoyable based on Western and Coen Brothers standards, but I think I was just expecting more out of the execution.
Well in the Wayne version we last see Rooster alive, and Maddie with 2 arms. In the new version, she's a hateful, one-armed spinster, and we discover Rooster is dead. The only bright spot here is that LaBeouf (sp?) is still alive in this version.
While it's interesting to see what Maddie's like in later life, I just found the epilogue to be anti-climatic and pointless.
I do agree with an earlier post that the film takes a long time to get really interesting.
Thanks, that's interesting. Apparently the epilogue ending isn't too popular.
My take on it was somewhat different...
I didn't think Mattie was hateful, just a very proper, serious and somewhat uptight lady. Not too surprising since she'd been a fairly uptight kid. Being unmarried seemed OK with her. It was sad that she didn't meet up with Rooster before he died, but that is how life goes a lot of times, we lose track of people and think we'll get back in touch, but somehow it doesn't happen.
What I found most touching about the ending was that Mattie had Rooster re-buried in her family plot. The fact that this respectable churchgoing woman would have a known drunkard of questionable character laid alongside her closest relatives said volumes about what she felt for the old man. Sadly, she had been unable to express that to him in life.
I thought that was more realistic than the old happier ending. I also always thought it was a little too convenient that LeBoeuf woke up from his braining long enough to get them out of the pit, and then died. Still love that movie, though.
What I found most touching about the ending was that Mattie had Rooster re-buried in her family plot. The fact that this respectable churchgoing woman would have a known drunkard of questionable character laid alongside her closest relatives said volumes about what she felt for the old man. Sadly, she had been unable to express that to him in life.
I thought that was more realistic than the old happier ending. I also always thought it was a little too convenient that LeBoeuf woke up from his braining long enough to get them out of the pit, and then died. Still love that movie, though.
