Film Review: True Grit

True Grit. Rated M (violence). 110 minutes. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Based on the novel by Charles Portis.

For John Wayne, the role of ‘Rooster Cogburn’ would become something of a signature role: with the eye-patch-wearing, swaggering, boozing US Marshall whose own sense of justice (characterised by a series of personal vendettas), going no small way to becoming one of the most recognisable characters in Hollywood’s celebrated ‘Wild West’ genre.

And it is the ghost of the enigmatic Mr Wayne that pervades practically every scene in this artful and handsomely-produced take on Portis’s marvellous novel and the 1969 ‘original’ (in which the Oscar-winning Wayne starred opposite Kim Darby and Glen Campbell).

Teenager Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is determined to avenge the murder of her father by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), she learns, has a reputation for having the “true grit” necessary to bring Chaney to justice. With Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who has his own reasons for capturing Chaney, along for the ride – the unlikely trio ride into ‘Indian territory’ where Chaney is thought to be hiding.

While the Coen’s take certainly hits its mark, it is also missing so much more – to the point where, by the time it eventually collapses under the weight of a peculiar earnestness – it is has become difficult to care. Bridges’ often inaudible mumbling, grumbling and growling are achieved at the expense of the thumping big-heart that was at the core of Wayne’s unforgettable performance. While Miss Steinfield works effectively (and incredibly hard) in the challenging lead role, their famous partnership lacks the necessary charisma and abandon that might have ensured we went along for the ride with more of an emotional commitment to their journey.

For the quirky and idiosyncratic Coen Brothers (A Serious Man, No Country For Old Men, Fargo, The Big Lebowksi), it is the contributions from frequent collaborators Roger Deakins (cinematography) and Carter Burwell (original score) that almost manage to keep it honest.

This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.