"You speak with a great deal of poise."

[cyrano]

True Grit is the least Coen-y Coen Brothers film I have ever seen.

People are, apparently, raving about this film in comparison to the 1969 version. I cannot go so far as many of them do, but I will say "better than the original". They did us the favor of making a new film rather than recreating the old one, especially Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, but all the way along including Mattie Ross, LeBoeuf, pacing, relationships, chemistry....

I think I prefer the older version's opening, or at least I would have cut out the narration from the new--I believe in show don't tell even if I don't always follow it in my own work. And at first I didn't care for Mattie Ross, but I quickly figured out that it was just because she was different from what I was accustomed to and I became quite fond of our new Mattie. I admit that I was disappointed when we found out early on that there really was a Lawyer Daggett, but I recovered. And as much as I missed the lovely Colorado backdrop, New Mexico looks a lot more like Arkansas.

I have a lot of scattered and unconnected thoughts, but overall I say "Yay, this is good," whether seen as a piece on its own or in contrast with the earlier film. Four wags, with popcorn and a soda.

Comments

[seachanges.livejournal.com]

I've had mixed feelings about seeing this. I love the original, though mostly because I have fond memories of watching it with my dad when I was growing up. OTOH, the remake is a Cohen Brothers film, and that's major points in its favor.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I probably would have had no real interest in this project if it were not for J&E being at the helm. And while I was disappointed that this was not one of their 'bad things keeps getting worse' films, I still thought they did an admirable job. This, like 3:10 to Yuma, is one where they went back to the well and rebuilt it from the ground. It's still obviously the same shape, the same general size, but it is not beholden to John Wayne.
I think you'd like it, despite the fact that it won't be the same as watching it with your dad.