When Joel and Ethan Coen decided to remake this iconic western, they turned to the source: Charles Portis' 1968 novel. With Jeff Bridges' irascible Rooster Cogburn inevitably drawing comparisons to John Wayne's indelible Oscar-winning performance in the 1969 original, the Coens focus instead on the character of Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), a fearlessly determined 14-year-old who hires Federal Marshall Cogburn to track down her father's killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). When Mattie first hears about boozing, cantankerous, one-eyed Cogburn, he's described as “a pitiless, tough man … fear doesn't enter into his thinking.” These qualities suit her just fine for a righteous vengeance mission. The pair are joined by an earnest Texas Ranger (Matt Damon), who's determined to capture Chaney himself to stand trial for another murder. In the Choctaw Nation badlands, the trio must survive perilous skirmishes with outlaw Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper) and his gang, even before they meet up with Chaney. Oscar nominee Steinfeld is feisty and intelligent far beyond her years as Mattie, while cinematographer Roger Deakins deserves credit for masterfully capturing the sprawling southwestern vistas, but the wry, archaic dialogue—although paralleling the text—sometimes strikes a discordant note. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards (including Best Picture), but winning none, this sure-to-be-popular title is still highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “Re-Creating Fort Smith” (11 min.) and “From Bustles to Buckskin: Dressing for the 1880s” (8 min.), as well as “Mattie's True Grit” featurette on Hailee Steinfeld's character (5 min.) and “The Cast” (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are several featurettes, including “Charles Portis: The Greatest Writer You've Never Heard Of…”on the author of True Grit (31 min.), “Colts, Winchesters & Remingtons: The Guns of a Post-Civil War Western” (5 min.), and “The Cinematography” (3 min.), as well as bonus DVD and digital copies of the film, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for this multiple Oscar nominee (including Best Picture).] (S. Granger)
True Grit
Paramount, 110 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, June 7 Volume 26, Issue 3
True Grit
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