The Dude as The Duke
When I heard that The Coen Brothers were doing a remake of the John Wayne classic True Grit, my first reaction was “I’ve got a bad feeling about this” ( to coin the catchphrase of Bollo The Gorilla from The Mighty Boosh)
This trepidation was based on the fact that my least favourite Coens film to date is The Ladykillers which was a pale imitation of the original Ealing Comedy with Tom Hanks hamming up the role immortalised by Sir Alec Guinness.
But after learning that Jeff Bridges was taking the Wayne part of Rooster Cogburn I started to come around to the idea.
Bridges is great, playing the part like an older, crustier Dude from The Big Lebowski minus his Creedance Clearwater Revival tapes and with whisky replacing his spliffs.
The movie also boasts a remarkable performance from 14-year-old Hailee Steinfield as Mattie Ross, the precocious and headstrong girl who hires Rooster to find the man who killed her father. She uses great words lie ‘braggadocio’ and takes delight in pointing out to Rooster that the word futile (as in his handwritten note ‘pursuit would be futile’) is not actually spelt F-U-D-E-L.
I wasn’t totally convinced that Matt Damon was the best choice for the part of Texas ranger LaBoeuf but Bridges and Steinfeld steal the show anyway so he doesn’t spoil the enjoyment.
Haillie Steinfield as Mattie Ross
It may not be vintage Coen Brothers’ but it’s head and it is shoulders above most current movies.
One reason they are so consistently brilliant is that they use a tried and tested team of collaborators. The soundtrack here is by Carter Burwell who has provided all the music for their films except for O Brother Where Art Thou.
He gives True Grit a hint of epic Western themes without going for a full on widescreen overkill. His score is apparently based on 19th-century church music to get an effect that was severe without being depressing. An 1877 tune “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” was chosen young Mattie’s theme and is sung over the closing credits by the sublime Iris Dement, a far superior version to the wishy-washy rendition of Alan Jackson.
Inspired attention to details like this are what keeps Joel and Ethan Coen at the top of their craft.
Related link:
Burwell in tune with Coen brothers – Variety
