TRUE GRIT

I saw this about a week ago. I don't know why I'm deciding to write about it now, but here goes...

-The fact that it's doing really well at the box office = fine by me. Not that the Coens need to have one film break $150 million in order for their careers to be validated... but it's nice to see anyway.

-I thought the film was pretty pleasant, but was really surprised at how... inessential it felt. A lot of talk I read was about how it doesn't really feel like a Coen brothers film--which... I mean, it had a bit of their brand of humor, and the typical cast of colorful characters that permeates their films (even if Mattie might be the least flawed character they've ever had), so I don't know if I agree with that. But there wasn't enough intrigue for me. I enjoyed the small moments--the courtroom scene, the winter scene in the woods encountering that bear guy... but I guess I was expecting something a little more tense, a little more violent... I don't know.

-I think it boils down to the fact that everything with Chaney (the bad guy who they've been looking for the entire film) is kind of a let down. Which might be the point, but when Chaney is first introduced, I thought that the film was just getting started, and we'd have a great 30-40 minute third act to transform the film from merely good to great. Instead, Chaney comes onto the scene... and then what feels like 10 minutes later, the movie is over. Umm... what?

-I never read the book (nor did I see the original movie), so I don't know if that I'm just missing the entire point of the ending (and I probably am)... but as it is, the resolution feels more than rushed, which sorts of cheapens the rest of the film for me. Maybe I just need to see it again. Or maybe it's just supposed to be a little slight. I don't know.

-Bridges is pretty great, though. It's almost a shame he won for Crazy Heart, because if he hadn't you'd have to assume he'd be the favorite for Best Actor this year. I might rank him a little bit over Jesse Eisenberg in terms of my favorite for the Oscar, but that might change day to day--not that it matters since Colin Firth is going to win it anyway... oh well. Hailee Steinfeld is pretty great in her role as a tough little critter as well... Matt Damon didn't really have much to do, which is unfortunate, but he did what he could, I suppose.

-I forgot that Jeff Bridges kicks over two Indian kids. That might be worth an extra point if I had bothered to give the film any form of numerical value.