True entertainment

A solid cast and script make True Grit a Coen brothers classic.

The Coen brothers remake the 1969 film that netted John Wayne his only Academy Award, with Jeff Bridges in the Duke’s role as a crusty US Marshall hired by a teenage girl (Hailee Steinfeld) to bring her father’s killer to justice. And if there’s any justice, this True Grit will also nab Oscar statues. Bridges, Steinfeld and Matt Damon, as the Texas Ranger who both helps and hampers the manhunt, are deserving, as is the script, which gives the players plenty of highly stylized, jerky-flavoured dialogue to chew on and makes the movie as much fun to listen to as watch. Otherwise, the Coens play it surprisingly straight in the Western world, holstering their usual oddball humour and cynicism. This departure results in their best pure entertainment since Lebowski.

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