2010. Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper. ●●●●○
The Coen Brothers have done it again, they have taken their brand of subversive reverance and paid homage to a new genre. Tackling for the first time, in a direct way, the great American artform: the Western. All at once True Grit is a reminder/throw back to the classics of the genre that once ruled the commercial cinema scene, and yet at the same time there are distinct touches of Coen humour that fit the movie to their style perfectly.
We begin with a voiceover describing how Mattie Ross's (the younger version of whom will be played by Hailee Steinfeld) father has been brutally murdered at the hands of outlaw Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin in a virtual blink and you'll miss him role) and how she will set out to avenge his death, in a strike for feminism unlikely to be seen or believed in the Arkansas plains in which it's set. On the way she picks up two radically different compatriots in her quest (Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon).
It's impossible to review the Coen film without comparing it to the 1969 Henry Hathaway version which won John Wayne his only Oscar (and it's far from Wayne's best performance see The Searchers or The Quiet Man for that), so I will pepper the review with direct references to both version and I hope you don't mind that. The Coen's obviously might, they've claimed repeatedly that this adaptation is taken directly from Charles Portis's novel but there remain some obvious shots (hello final shootout) and iconic images (Cogburn has no eyepatch in the Novel) that must have arrived, conciously or subconciously, from the older version.
The screenplay has been tightened in the last 40 years, with some fluff removed quickening the pace of the movie and substantially improving the flow of the non-action scenes, although disappointingly the scenes between Steinfeld and the inept horse trader trying not to pay out for her loss have been cut down which takes away from the precosious intelligence of the character. Not that Steinfeld really needs it, she totally inhabits the role and convinces both as a teenage girl struggling to find a way in a man's world and as a hardened frontierswoman, coming to terms with the harsh realties of necessary violence.
Jeff Bridges, as the Marshall with True Grit she signs up to the cause, takes a deliberatly low-key approach to the role (in direct contrast to the bombastic Wayne), mumbling into his beard, breathing the drawn out intentions like every line is quoted from the Old Testament. It's the sort of performance that only Bridges can do, laidback but intense able to hold the audience in the palm of his hand.
Matt Damon is "a Texas Ranger" already under contract to capture Chaney. He's a comic delight, drawling his lines with a mix of pomposity and underscored menace. It's a shame his work hasn't seen more recognition from awards bodies. The character is missing for much of the screenplay - the arguments between him and Cogburn seem more realistic and thorough than the previous version with the team splitting up to allow the dust to settle on two occasions.
The Coen's, working within the post-revisionary Western Arena, have constructed a world far muckier and infused with corruption than Hathaway could allow. When Cogburn breaks his promise to bury a dying man there is no conscience baiting argument from Maddie. The ending is also changed significantly, and whilst surprising in it's anti-climatic brevity it does reflect the ambiguity of most of their work.
The look of the film is perfect, New Mexico has never been shot to make the vistas so elegant, and it's good to know the inevitable overdue Oscar for Deakins will be for a piece of work that thoroughly deserves it.
I would have to highly recommend this movie, it's very limited drawbacks would only be the lack of ambition with regards to subtext and an over-enforced brevity which doesn't givve the actors the freedom to explore they probably deserve.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
True Grit
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Ooh la la - (Out this week - 17/12/10)
It's a quiet week with only seven major releases - a couple of which you can very easily discount as being utter trash (seriously this is the first time I've had to dish out 2 one blob marks in the same week). Although it's trash that wins the day in the end, narrowly pipping Facebook romance documntary Catfish and proving my sexuality once and for all, the film of the week is Burlesque.
Animals United
Slightly preachy looking European animation, with the voices recast for a British audience (James Corden and Stephen Fry become the headliners, Vanessa Redgrave and Jim Broadbent add some class). It's all about wild beasts grouping together to protest against man's destruction of their habitats - and for kids.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Burlesque
It may not live up to the glorious heights of it's obvious predecessor Showgirls, and it probably insults anyone who actually works in the industry with it coyness, but it does have Christina Aguilera belting out the tunes, Stanley Tucci doling out advice and Cher as a trump card.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Catfish
In a year of divisive and questionable documentaries this almost fly-on-the-wall experience from Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman has led the discussions. Whatever your thoughts on that question the high praises remain - certainly one to watch.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Cuckoo
Very poorly reviewed British thriller/horror about a student hearing voices in her head at night and getting very anxious about it. Richard E. Grant should know better than star in this sort of crud.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○
Fred: The Movie
You wait for two months for a one-blob movie then 2 come at once. Lucas Crikshank extends his youtube success in a feature length high pitch rant spent chasing Pixie Lott. In America you are lucky enough for this to have bypassed cinemas before going to TV. Here this is filling up the multiplex screens!
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●○○○○○○○○○
Loose Cannons
Italian comedy about a young gay man trying to come out to his homophobic comedy. I hear the film exposes Catholic hypocrisy about sexual proclivities whilst at the same time enjoying the camp best friends of our hero. Trailer looks like a lot of fun.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tron Legacy
It's not the Christmas turkey you've probably been led to believe it is, but then neither does it look to be greats shakes in the scripting and acting department (Jeff Bridges aside, obviously). Definitely worth buying the Daft Punk soundtrack.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Brake, brake, brake! (Film news - 27/11/10)
It almost goes without saying but the last couple of weeks where I've been unable to access a computer for lond stretches of time there were news stories coming thick and fast, exciting new projects on the go every few minutes. Now that I'm back, gently typing away at my desk with all the time in the world, the presses seem to have stopped. It's been Thanksgiving week, of course, which had led to many news organisations running on lower staff and consequently fewer stories, but ultimately I'm left with just two items which got my attention. Luckily we have some release date changes otherwise I'd be considering if it was worth coming home this weekend at all.
Jayne Mansfield's Car
In a fit of pique at the current state of cinematic releases actor/director Billy Bob Thornton has decided to just write his own. He is quoted as saying: "I think because of the nature of movies they are making these days. They are really not my bag as much. I figured that instead of sitting around complaining that I really don’t want to be in a superhero movie or cartoon or a 3D vampire movie and all that kind of thing, I’ve written movies before, so why not write one."
I personally feel the star of Eagle Eye and Faster may have more of a point if he had touch more integrity in his film choices, but that's by the by.
The title is probably going to be a bit of a red herring. Jayne Mansfield, as you probably know, was tragically killed in a car crash in 1966 with less than 25 films under her belt. This film won't be a biopic of Mansfield (below) or even her car (not pictured). Instead it will focus on the randomness of life and death and the impact of the Vietnam war on a community in Alabama.
Thornton has made a number of films in the late 90s, notably Sling Blade which garnered mass acclaim and an Oscar so it will be good to see him back in the directors chair.
Read on for a surprise return to Anarene and the latest changes to release dates.
Untitled Last Picture Show sequel
Jeff Bridges has been busy doing the publicity for both Tron and True Grit over the last couple of weeks, so inevitably he's going to let a few odd snippets of information about other films he's preparing for. Notably he told journalists that he's been spending time with Peter Bogdanovich with the idea of returning to their 1971 hit The Last Picture Show (below) and continuing the storylines of those characters. This would be the second sequel after the largely unsuccessful Texasville (1990), and something tells me Randy Quaid won't be joining them this time around.
Release Dates
The release schedules have been going crazy over the last few weeks - loads of new stuff as well as some minor changes - hopefully there'll be something for everyone in this list:
Black Swan - Natalie Portman's prima ballerina reaches for perfection whilst performing Swan Lake and may just smash her brain in Aronofsky's latest movie. Become obsessed about your art on 21 January 2011.
The Ward - We may not have a poster, a trailer or even the vaguest nod towards a fully fledged plot synopsis but John Carpenter's return to the big screen does have a release date. Panic to a synth score on 21 January 2011.
The Tempest - Three of this weeks films with new release dates originally had an earlier date but then drifted into limbo for a bit, Julie Taymor's bonkers looking bard adaptation is the first of these. Talk to spirits on 04 March 2011.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Woody Allen's latest, which looks at fortune telling among other things, has already opened in the US so naturally we have a long wait over here. Not as long as some of his though which might indicate this one's OK. Find your fortune on 18 March 2011.
Red Riding Hood - Stepping away from the back end of the awards season and closer to the onslaught of summer tentpoles seems like an interesting elease strategy for this Twilight-lite looking fairytale adaptation. Be afrad of the Big Bad wolf on 15 April 2011.
Warrior - There's still a 20 week gap in the middle of next year for me with no films I'm interested in coming out, luckily Tom Hardy will be largely naked and fighting for his life when this is released. Get back into blood sports on 07 October 2011.
Footloose - Of all the remakes of 80's standards that we've been seeing over the last few years the least surprising is this story of a young man fighting oppression through dance. Go with the music on 14 October 2011.
Hugo Cabret - It'll definitely be making it to my most anticapted films of 2011, proving I'm an unapologetic Scorsese fan even when he's making a kids film. Find the father of cinema on 09 December 2011.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - It looks like they just ca't make their mind up about the release date for this US remake, it's danced about at the end of December next year yet again. Frown and find a serial killer on 30 December 2011.
Bad News for The Debt and War Horse though; both of which have had their UK release dates pulled and with no sign of a new one at this point. I fully expect both of them to return to the schedules and will update when I know more.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Jeff Bridges
Happy Birthday to
Jeff Bridges
60 today
As the Dude reaches the age when most actors begin to take it easy he's signed on to the Tron sequel and the True Grit remake, back with the Coen brothers. Can't wait.
