Let me preface this by stating that I have not viewed the original, John Wayne version of True Grit. Without a screening of it, this review is partially incomplete for many reasons, among which originality and plot are foremost.

My impression of True Grit is simply that it was not anything I did not expect. It did not disappoint, it did not amaze. But that was certainly enough for this film.

And that’s not to discount the film itself, which was quite an accomplishment.  Making a Western-style (not a formulaic Western) movie that appeals to the mass modern crowd, including teens is a tall task–of which I am confident the Coen brothers accomplished.

A good friend of mine said it well,

I loved True Grit. It was exactly what I was expecting and wanted it to be. You won’t be disappointed. #fillyourhandyousonofabitch

With a college minor in Cinema Studies, this–and all of my reviews–will have an academic-like structure, analyzing the main components that I noticed in the movie. Each will be given a rating out of five stars, with an overall rating at the end. Spoiler alert below the jump.

Plot (★★★)

The story itself leaves a lot to be desired, and not in an Inception-style way. Where the mark of an extraordinary film may often lie in its ability to leave an audience wanting more and curious about how the story ends, True Grit leaves the audience wanting more with a definite ending–not a great combination.

The lack of an effective climax really hurts the audience’s emotional involvement with the plot. I never felt that Mattie Ross (female lead) was ever in trouble that she couldn’t escape. The “showdown” between her and Tom Chaney was extremely anticlimactic…which worked for the scene, but not for the grand scheme. In addition, the moment when she shoots Chaney was almost completely tense-less. It just happened. No buildup, no payoff. It was almost a forgettable moment, yet it was the lead’s only goal in the story.

When writing a story, the goal is for you to first feel for the lead character’s mission, and once you’ve been roped into that you’ll ideally root for that character for the rest of the film. Often, writers will employ a “Save the Cat” moment (one where the lead sticks his or her neck out to help someone) designed to leave us in admiration of them and hoping they succeed. While I identified with Mattie’s goal and struggle, I never felt she pulled viewers in to root for her to succeed. We did because we were supposed to, not because we wanted to.

The plot was serviceable and didn’t ruin the movie, but it wasn’t breaking new ground. It was nice to see a strong female lead role, despite the restrictions the story gave her.

Characters (★★★★½)

Hailee Steinfeld, better know for…nothing at all, absolutely steals the show as 14-year-old Mattie Ross (female lead) here–an extremely difficult task considering Jeff Bridges turned in an incredible performance as the rough and gritty Marshall Rooster Cogburn.

Steinfeld really portrays the oddly overconfident Mattie quite well, showing no weaknesses or frustration. At a moment in the movie where Cogburn is preparing to shoot approaching enemies, she points out that he seems poised. She, however, has an inordinate amount of poise, both as an actress and in the role she played. I would have liked to see her show a weakness or breakdown to closer identify with her struggle to avenge her father’s death, but that is more of a plot failure than an actress flop.

Bridges dominated his drunkard and scruffy US Marshall role. We first meet him being questioned as a witness in court, and the lawyers’ questioning defines his character to us: a raggedy, lays-by-his-own-rules vigilante-yet-lawful bounty hunter. He’s a western version of Showtime’s Dexter, but he wears the badge while hunting down criminals instead of using it as a partial cover. His delivery of dialogue is superb.

Matt Damon and Josh Brolin both perform above expectations, but not to the level of which they are capable. Above average performances for these two are simply a let-down compared to their typical roles. They facilitate the story as major-minor characters. While it may seem difficult to envision Damon as a wild West bounty hunter, his costume and makeup were well-done–just as nearly everyone’s in this film were.

Minor characters played themselves well and a few were memorable despite small roles, including the undertaker.

Dialogue (★★★★★)

It doesn’t take many words to describe those spoken on screen: Clever, well-timed and funny. Mattie’s negotiations and Cogburn’s stubbornness both rear themselves many times but always well-orchestrated and perfectly delivered. The introductory voice-over seemed a bit wordy (and I’d like to have seen more of that than heard it), but who am I to question the Coen brothers? Jeff Bridges steals the laughs as he methodically falls from grace by way of alcohol.

There’s a lot to appreciate in the dialogue, and the comedy would hold up to multiple viewings.

Cinematography (★★★★)

When you’re primarily filming in nature, it’s not hard to find stunningly beautiful shots, of which there are many in the film. It is difficult to produce them repeatedly with scheduling, lighting, equipment, cast and crew all pulling different directions. True Grit shows a lot of the great outdoors at its finest, properly mixing depth of field, exposure, framing and placement, and locations to create a pretty film to watch.

The opening sequence, a slow fade and slow focus-reveal shot was particularly amusing once you saw the object in it’s proper focus and exposure.

The DP earned his paycheck on this film.

Overall (★★★★)

True Grit will please you and tease you, but its certainly not to be missed. A balance of badass and dramatic Western give a modern edge to the often stale reputation of the genre today.