TRUE GRIT?

It wasn't a bad film. It was well-made in every degree.

But honestly, this is the Coen Brothers! The same geniuses of storytelling who brought us No Country for Old Men, Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, and The Ladykillers. Typical reaction after a Coen Bros. film: WOW!

After True Grit: Meh.

I think the main criticism I have is that the film lacks the "true grit" it advertises! Although there are some cringe-worthy moments, the story was obnoxiously predictable. With a heavy score of cute Western tunes, the atmosphere was far too light for a world that includes Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, rifles, whiskey, and an eye patch.

As much as I didn't want the girl (Mattie, played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) to get hurt, I thought she could AT LEAST get her braids mussed up! Even when she's captured by "the bad guys" she's offered coffee and food and kept safe.

Maybe it's just the nature of the Western. Since the film is based on the book, True Grit, it must follow the rules: no one innocent gets hurt, someone always saves the other guy at the last minute, and someone good must be struck by a malady (snakebite, malaria) that almost kills them.

There was no shock. No edge. I never worried about Hailee, I never really felt for her. I was hoping to be wowed by her acting, but I just wasn't. It was probably due mainly to the nature of the dialogue, but I found her acting to be very normal and theatrical. There was nothing natural, I never got lost in the moment.

But maybe that was the goal!  Some say, conformity can be the most effective form of radicalism...

Final note: Jeff Bridges is awesome.

Just my opinion! ^^^