True Grit

The Coens are good storytellers and true lovers of film as a craft, you can feel it from every single frame. Westerns are tricky because it's a different era and it's not what it used to be. Today's audiences want to see more explosive Transformers rather than legends of the Wild West. But the directors have approached it in a relatively modern way, with a significant dose of brutality, spiced up with plenty of tomato ketchup. The grumpy Bridges is excellent, Hailee Steinfeld in the lead child role is absolutely charming, as well as Barry Pepper's rotten teeth. A film without compromises and classic western grit. On par, that's the right word that this piece evokes for me. (2011-07-09)

One great piece of Western poetry smelling of gunpowder, beans and tears. The film, which is perhaps most reminiscent of No Country for Old Men in Coens' pedigree, but with its humility towards genre conventions and absolutely brilliant work with the central triangle, creates a very pleasant and warm place of nostalgia and melancholy for the old dusty times of heroism. (2011-02-15)

The Coen brothers are known for their maximum precision, with which they approach every tested genre and film being prepared. In True Grit, this can be seen in every aspect, whether it is the casting, prop selection, the well-crafted screenplay, and above all, traditionally high-quality directing. This film is a return to the traditional western, which experienced its golden age about 60 years ago and has been rather languishing in recent decades. Precisely because it is a return to the roots of the respective genre, there are no major surprises and it is not a modern genre variation like Dead Man or Dances with Wolves. This is a classic battle of good and evil, tough men and wilderness, where law and justice are far from what we imagine in today's courtrooms. However, it is rawer, less romantic, and somewhat more sober than the famous films of the golden era. Furthermore, the presence of a stubborn girl who stubbornly seeks to avenge her father's death and bosses around the gunmen brings important lightness to the film. It is unnecessary to highlight other film elements, such as the camera or music because in the case of the Coen brothers they always work perfectly. Overall impression: 80%. If I were a fan of the genre, I would not hesitate to give it 5 stars. (2011-06-06)

I'd been meaning to rewatch True Grit for quite some time, continuously putting it off until today. Yes, the Coen brothers once again struck gold with me. This type of western typically has an intriguing start and a powerfully action-packed ending, with a lengthy bridge of seemingly endless wandering connecting these islands, gradually lulling the viewer to sleep. However, with this movie, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the bridge, and the credit for that undoubtedly goes to the screenwriters, as well as Jeff Bridges, and Hailee Steinfeld. These two delivered engaging and convincing performances and dialogue throughout the journey, making the nearly two-hour runtime race by. Oh, I almost forgot, Matt Damon was also there. The fact is, whether there was shooting, talking, or just beans, I had a great time again with this western. / Lesson learned: If you want to be properly buried, don't die in winter. 4*- (2022-07-18)

Strong on detail. The Coen bros offer something more than a story about a spirited girl who wants to revenge her father’s death. They are talented in delivering the goods in ways as yet unseen. And Jeff Bridges should have gotten that golden baldy this year for his iconic portrayal of Rooster Cogburn. Otherwise an excellently acted (really great Hailee Steinfeld) adventure drama packed with great lines, which is surprising just where you aren’t expecting. Your fifty dollars gone. Gone the whiskey - seized in evidence. (2011-05-25)