True Grit

Terrific: tough, exciting, funny, gorgeous and bewitchingly acted, this is darn close to perfection. more

In some ways, much like Charles Laughton's "Night of the Hunter," which the Coens quote both musically and visually, True Grit is a parable about good and evil. Only here, the lines between the two are so blurred as to be indistinguishable, making this a true picture of how the West was won, or - depending on your view - lost. more

The Coens direct True Grit with a light touch, but like Portis' stark, funny novel, their adventure tale shaves off none of the rough edges. more

On its own conventional terms, the film succeeds – maybe not as a "Coen Brothers" movie, but as a tall tale well told. more

The first hour and half or so of True Grit is as good as anything the Coens have ever done-a sweeping Western that, like John Ford's best films, exposes the cracks in American myths of frontier justice and self-reliance. more

When Iris DeMent's impeccable version of the hymn is heard on the soundtrack as the final credits roll, it's the perfect touch to end a film whose aim is always true. more

For the Coens, the plot elements are a given; the telling is all.

Smartly emphasizing Portis' quirky dialogue and dark comic tone, the Coens show the flare that made them famous. more

The original "True Grit" might have been eclipsed by John Wayne's larger-than-life persona, but the Coen brothers' remake is an ensemble piece that feels freshly their own. more

What makes True Grit a new classic for the Coens is the way the brothers absorb the unfairly unsung Portis into their DNA, like they did with Cormac McCarthy in "No Country for Old Men." True Grit is packed with action and laughs, plus a touching coda with an older Mattie, but it's the dialogue that really sings. Great filmmaking. Great acting. Great movie. Saddle up. more

This review refers to the Paramount(Widescreen Collection) DVD edition of "True Grit"... A great big nod to Paramount for giving us The Duke's Academy Award winning role as "Rooster Cogburn" on this superb DVD. This fabulous Wayne western from 1969 looks immaculate. Presented in widescreen, the picture is clear and sharp, and all the beautiful scenery in Technicolor is glorious.The sound in DD2.0(MONO) was surpisngly good as well.(Could be great in surround though).If you love this film, John Wayne or a great western, grab this one up! The story for those that may have missed it, is very... more

Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this? ) * In ways this is an old chestnut; but it has its charms. It's beautifully cinemagraphed: the colours are rich and vibrant. The natural scenery is wonderful. Plus, the beginning of the film is a splendid evocation of American Victorianism--with the funeral parlor, court house, boarding house, etc. The representation of post-bellum middle-southern America is excellently drawn. (The locale is supposed to be Arkansas. There is mention of Yankees and Texicans, etc.) Glenn Campbell was not an actor at all, but he was a good fellow and a nice folk singer... more

True Grit DVD True Grit is probably my favorite John Wayne western, maybe The Shootist is a close second. It stars John Wayne as an old, rough and coarse U. S. Marshall who reluctantly helps a teenager (Kim Darby) who both won academy Awards for their roles in the movie. The Marshall helps track down the killer of Darcy's Father into Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma). The movie is based on the novel True Grit . Glen Campbell sings and plays a Texas Ranger who tags along. Highly recommended for fans of John Wayne, Classic Western movies, and Cowboy movies the way they used to be made.... more

This movie is a very ambitious undertaking by the Coen bro's who are perhaps the best ambitious project writers & directors around. That this would be compared to the orignal TRUE GRIT & that Jeff Bridges would face comparision with John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn was inevitable. Yet this is a different TRUE GRIT. Not in major story line but rather in the personalties as displayed in the book. Truth be told the original, which I love, was much more John Wayne does John Wayne in TRUE GRIT than it was John Wayne becomes Rooster Cogburn in TRUE GRIT. The Coen's set out to make a movie truer to... more

In my world, the arrival of any film by the estimable Coen brothers is a welcome sight. But I must admit, I was a little surprised when I heard they were taking on a new version of "True Grit." In a sly way, however, it made sense. I have always felt that the 1969 John Wayne film version underserved the subversively comic masterwork by Charles Portis. I thought that perhaps the Coens were, thus, the ideal pair to bring the cynicism, eccentricity and subtle humor of this fine novel (and underrated American classic) to the big screen. The Coens assembled a big-name cast including Jeff... more

...much the same as Rooster. Fortunate for me, the last time I saw the original I was just a small lads and therefore felt no guilt for insufficient reverence or fidelity to The Duke. My thought going in was that it would be a good time to revisit the original version. Half way through Bridges and Steinfeld were creating such compelling characters that reading the book came to mind. By the end of it however both notions dropped away. Not now; much too soon. The zen of True Grit 2010 is aging nicely and unblended in the oak-charred-whiskey-barrel of my psyche. This is 5 stars if ever there... more