I can’t put my finger on what exactly drew me to True Grit. I have not seen the original, revered film by the same name and starring my late grandfather’s favorite actor, I don’t hold a candle for the Coen brother’s films other than Fargo and The Hudsucker Proxy, and I’m not particularly fond of westerns. Nevertheless, I felt a great urgency to see this movie, and my instincts proved me right.
The film, which follows a young girl’s attempts to avenge her father’s death at the hands of an outlaw, earns every bit of praise it’s gotten to date. It is well paced, sparing the indulgences that I normally take issue with in the Coens’ movies. It smartly balances action, drama and comedy, inserting the latter at all the right times and never seeming to reach for a laugh. Jeff Bridges, who plays a fairly trite role – a gruff, drunken lawman with more than a foot on the wrong side of right – turns in a brilliant performance, complemented nicely by Matt Damon’s righteous Texas ranger, unfortunately not named Walker. The real star of the movie, though, is young Hailee Steinfeld, whose smart, measured performance displays more grit than either of the hardened hunters she accompanies.
Perhaps the only downfall to True Grit is its ending, which jumps many years forward to allow an elderly version of the young protagonist to wrap up loose ends. It’s an economical way to finish the movie and appropriate for the character, considering her almost dispassionate demeanor throughout the story, but I’d rather have spent five more minutes with the younger versions of the characters, of whom I had become fond over the preceding two hours. Even with this misstep, True Grit is a wonderous moviegoing experience that any fan of film should partake of before it is too late.
**** of 5