Monday, February 21, 2011

True Grit (film review)

To Bristol and the Cribbs Causeway Vue this afternoon to see the Coen Brothers latest, "True Grit". Matt Damon's acting talents were on display as we failed to recognise him as Jason Bourne. In any event, as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (pronounced cringingly as "La-Beef"), he's a less than sure shot with his Sharps rifle.

Actually it's a great film with a strong moral centre and dialogue as sharp as the rifle. To be honest I was struggling a bit to follow the conversations: Jeff Bridges (Rooster Cogburn) is so laconic that he's capable of sucking a whole sentence into his beard. Still, the stuff I could make out was witty, deadpan and amusing. The Coen brothers have caught a rather polite, mannered mode of address which is enchantingly strange from the lips of uneducated roughnecks (Mattie excepted).


Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, the 14 year old heroine, is clearly a star in the making. This is presumably why her name is omitted from the poster.