We never get to see that much of Western movies anymore. True Grit is a nostalgic remembrance to those folks who lived in a not so distant past and a pleasant introduction to those of the younger people. A reminder to the latter group that there exists a genre where a vast wilderness on the screen doesn’t necessarily mean it’s produced by National Geographic.
True Grit follows the story of a teen-girl who took it upon herself to find the killer (Josh Brolin) of his father. She enlisted the help of Marshall Cagburn (Jeff Bridges) to help pursue for JOSH BROLIN and try to bring him back to her county and be punished.
In probably the first Coen Brothers film I saw where a bag of cash is neither the cause nor part of tension, True Grit easily lived up to my personal hype- most of which stemmed from my ever-growing admiration to the relaxed yet spectacular actor that is Jeff Bridges. The Coen Brothers know how to pick their actors and partner with them every single monumental project that may have. Jeff Bridge is a wonder to marvel at in the picture. He bears the unintentional recklessness of a typical whiskey-downer but he just carried the film especially in parts where there is a little reason in the narrative to hold my interest and attention. Barry Pepper also provided a sound support towards the climax and as the plot moves on after which.
Of course, neither would the usual mundane approach of the Coen Brothers to violence is to be missed in True Grit. Probably one of the reasons why I like their style; they treat some scenes that are supposed to be laid with shrieks and piercing scoring with the enthusiasm of a dead man and yet it works.
The Coen Brothers-they’re just geniuses.
Billy Bob Thornton displays an utter display of lack in interest to life and its daily spectacle. He’s character seems to have the same reaction to a murder as to with a falling leaf. That, my friends, is someone you don’t want to encounter in a poker game.
In the Man Who Wasn’t there, Billy Bob Thornton Plays Ed Crane-a barber working together with his motor-mouthed brother-in-law who incidentally owns the place. Throughout the entire film, rarely does Ed be without a cigarette tucked in his mouth and curvy smokes filling his presence. Other than that, he has a wife (Frances McDormand) and together with his work it's practically all he has.
Ed is a good example of a man who thinks life is nothing but a stop-over before death-or so before a business opportunity.
When a strongly willed man barged into the barbershop afterhours, he talks his plan of looking for an investor and partner for a dry-cleaning business which got Ed’s inner desire for this venture.
This signalled the dawn of a criss-crossing maze which delivers just and logical conclusions yet for all the wrong reasons. The Coen brothers craftily lead us in every numerous turn but handled it with great pacing.
Billy Bob Thornton perfected the terse delivery of his dialogues in the film. In exchanges, he answers and talks with just the exact words he thinks needed of him without even showing any interest of holding an extended friendly conversation.
James Gandolfini ruffled mind and restricted imposing will produces for good encounters with Ed Crane. But the steal of the show has to be handed to Tony Shaloub who plays Freddy Riedenschneider-the top class lawyer Ed Crane tapped for his wife’s court defense. It may not be runaway since the Coens included a fine cast of characters to smitten the story with varying personalities.
For all the humour of The Man Who wasn’t There, an individual’s alienation and actions thereof were tightly explored by the Coen Brothers. Yes, Ed Crane is bored to death-but not the moviegoers.
We never get to see that much of Western movies anymore. True Grit is a nostalgic remembrance to those folks who lived in a not so distant past and a pleasant introduction to those of the younger people. A reminder to the latter group that there exists a genre where a vast wilderness on the screen doesn’t necessarily mean it’s produced by National Geographic.
