True Grit

After their last work "A Serious Man" was very well received by critics, but could only find a small audience, the Coen brothers now deliver their most successful film to date with their quasi-remake of the John Wayne classic "The Marshall". Over 150 million dollars box office alone in the U.S. speak a clear language.

However, "True Grit" is based less on the John Wayne film adaptation and more on the 1968 novel by Charles Portis: after her father is gunned down in cold blood by outlaw Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), his 14-year-old daughter Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) vows revenge. For 100 bucks, she hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down the fugitive Chaney in Indian Territory and bring him to justice. But Cogburn is not only a professional at his job, he's also a drunkard who is so not comfortable with the idea of Mattie accompanying him on the assignment. As if that weren't enough, Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) is also hot on her heels, also after Chaney and the bounty on his head. But the mismatched trio has no idea what dangers lie ahead in the hunt for the killer.

"True Grit" is a film that impressively proves what cinema was made for: Terrific actors, with the script putting wonderful dialogue in their mouths, embedded in stunning shots captured in New Mexico and Texas by multiple Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins ("The Reader", "No Country For Old Men"), make the Coen brothers' latest a feast for the eye and intellect, while also vigorously stimulating the humor center. In particular, the war of words between Cogburn and LaBoeuf, as well as Mattie's unbeatable negotiating techniques, make for quite a few amusing moments, though they never degenerate into over-the-top silliness, always clever and just plain funny.

In the engaging overall picture of the fantastic images and the beautiful, reminiscent of classic Western film music by Carter Burwell, the actors fit in perfectly. And even if Jeff Bridges as the rough-around-the-edges, one-eyed U.S. Marshall gives probably the most dominating performance, it is primarily Hailee Steinfeld, who was only 13 years old during filming, who almost steals the show from her experienced colleagues with her strong acting. But only almost, because the actors as well as the directors obviously paid a lot of attention to the fact that every single performance can be appreciated by the audience. It would have been a shame if Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, who deliver first-rate performances here, hadn't been allowed to step out of the large shadow cast by the mismatched leading duo. But the Coens give them - and the other supporting actors - just that opportunity, which is why in the end the ensemble as a whole is positively remembered.

Naturally, "True Grit" is first and foremost a classic Western. And even if the production doesn't seem dusty at all, it's still a piece of old-fashioned Hollywood cinema in the best sense of the word. But you shouldn't let that scare you off in any case. Because even though the Coen brothers have gone much more mainstream here after their rather unwieldy "A Serious Man", they've hardly lost any of their genius. They've directed a film that, while it can clearly be categorized in one genre, will appeal to more than just fans of that genre. They've created a film that blends the old-fashioned and the modern into a timeless whole. Or, to sum it up in one sentence: They've made a damn good movie that you definitely shouldn't miss in theaters. Because "True Grit" simply belongs on the big screen - and you as the viewer absolutely in front of it!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp