TRUE GRIT (Paramount, 2010) D: Joel and Ethan Coen, w/ Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld. Rating: NNNNN DVD package: NN Rating: NNNNN
True Grit, the Coen brothers’ adaptation of the Charles Portis novel earlier adapted for a John Wayne movie in 1969, is a contender for genuine classic status. It has a strong story, engaging, flawed characters and, as always with the Coens, it’s flawlessly delivered, with understated humour and without sentimentality.
In 1888, a 14-year-old (Hailee Steinfeld) hires a U.S. marshal (Jeff Bridges) to track down the man who killed her father. She insists on going along. So does a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) – a possible ally and rival for the bounty.
All the performances are believable and intimate, a remarkable feat considering that the actors are using antique speech rhythms that at first distance us from the characters, then lend them weight.
This approach to the dialogue never gets mentioned in the extras, which are confined to costume and production design.
EXTRAS Cast interviews, costume doc, production design doc. Widescreen. English, French, Spanish audio and subtitles.