True Grit

I love westerns! Be it sixties "spaghetti westerns" or more serious action westerns, I love 'em. I have always loved the semi campy style of John Wayne's, Rooster Cogburn. When I saw the teaser trailer for the remake of "True Grit" I was elated. I could see from the trailer, this was going to be a much more serious take on the 1968 novel.

First let me say what a cast! Jeff Bridges, Matt Daemon, Josh Brolin! They were all awesome. And then we come to Hailee Steinfeld. Her performance was simple stupendous. Her portrayal of Mattie Ross gave the character a clear sense of strength and determination which was at the same time a mask for her characters true fear about what lay ahead.

There was amazing dialog in this movie, some of it rather campy but played so straight faced that it lent to the feeling of authenticity of the film. Part of that authenticity was in the violence. I do not particularly enjoy violence on the big screen, especially when the filmmakers seem to be rubbing in my face in gregarious proportions. While this film definitely pushed the line of graphic violence in a PG-13 movie, it was not reveling or glorifying it. It was merely a way of life and portrayed as such. While I could have used less graphic depictions, I did not find it offensive.

In conclusion the film has great heart and whit. It lived up to my excitement and as a lover of the genre I would recommend it to any avid western lover.