Review: ‘True Grit’ is an adventure drama flick

Spicezee Bureau ‘True Grit’ is a film by the duo- Joel and Ethan Coen. It is the second adaptation of the 1968 novel by Charles Portis about a U.S. Marshal who helps a young girl find her father’s murderer.

True Grit has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Jeff Bridges). In the film, Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) tells the story of her quest to find her father’s murdered. She explains that her father was killed by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) who her father use to work with. She decides to hire Deputy Marshal Reuben Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her since she believes in his “grit.” A part of her deal with the Marshal is that he will have to take her with him on the chase for Chaney. He does not like this idea for starters but later his need for money and Mattie’s toughness force him to accept her terms. While Mattie and Cogburn prepare for their trip, a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) arrives at Fort Smith. He is also after Chaney for the murder of a senator and his dog in Texas. Despite their differences in motivation and temperament, Cogburn and LaBoeuf decide to join hands. They also decide to leave Mattie behind, but later they accept her as a member of the party. Together, these three very different characters bring justice to Chaney. True Grit is far too authentic from the typical John Wayne Western film. It draws the audience right into the events of the story, just like other Coen brother movies (No Country for Old Men). The characters of LaBoeuf and Cogburn represent the chemistry of a macho upright hero and a sleazy anti-hero. Damon and Bridges have excellent performances, but the tough relationship between these two main characters is spiced up by the presence of Mattie, an unbelievably tough fourteen-year-old girl who faces these two grown men at every level. Every single one of these three unique characters show ‘true grit’ during the hunt for Chaney. It is a pleasure to witness how the relationship between the main characters develops. Newcomer Steinfeld did an incredible job as a debutant. Rating : Three cheers for this one!