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Screen Spotlight Featured Reviews

True Grit

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Are you familiar with the age old expression “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all”? This aphorism explains why I have not, until today, written a review of True Grit. By all accounts it is a media darling. The film will likely take home several Oscar awards and be heralded as a “great Western”. Ladies and gentlemen, I would not even compare it to a Best Western. I love Westerns. Give me John Wayne or Clint Eastwood or Emilio Estevez or even Billy Crystal for two hours on a movie screen any day. I am not afraid of a little virility and red meat. What I am afraid of is True Grit’s piss poor dialogue that does not match the time period, a hippie actor well past his prime (Jeff Bridges), and an overly-hyped young actress (Hailee Steinfeld) that seems out of her element throughout the film. Watching True Grit is like sitting in science class at 2:30, after lunch, before the closing bell, and listening to the screeching noise of Dr. Moore’s protractor circling the chalk board. In other words, it is unpleasant if not intolerable.

How is it possible I rate True Grit as one of the year’s ten worst films rather than as an Oscar contender as so many critics would have you believe? Let’s begin from the logical starting place, the beginning. Mattie Ross’ (Steinfeld) father has been murdered. She demands justice and a reasonable inheritance. Mattie is determined to bring the criminal Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) to justice for murdering her father. Chaney had been a hired hand who became green with envy. He decided to pilfer her father’s horses and gold bars for his own selfish gain.

Mattie’s quest for justice is a steep road that seems like a Sisyphean endeavor. First, she must recover her inheritance to afford the expenses she intends to incur. Second, she wants to recruit a rugged lawman to bring Chaney down. Third, she must survive in uncharted waters. Being a fatherless 14 year old girl would be a challenge even in modern circumstances, let alone in the Wild, Wild West.

Mattie chooses to retain the services of Rooster Cogburn (Bridges), a Deputy U.S. Marshal, to pursue the murderer. At first, Cogburn refuses to help her. With a great deal of chiding and of course the promise of adequate financial remuneration, the Marshal consents. Mattie has heard rumors about Cogburn’s ruthlessness and this fits in perfectly with her vision for revenge. While attempting to hire Cogburn, Mattie meets another lawman, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). LaBoeuf is a Texas Ranger (no Chuck Norris jokes necessary) who is also pursuing Tom Chaney. The Ranger encourages Mattie to find a way to work with Cogburn because the man is an expert tracker and is familiar with the terrain where the murderer is in hiding. Wanting to show Cogburn her loyalty, Mattie ignores the Ranger’s offer for help. It turns out his interest is twofold. LaBoeuf wants to bring both Chaney and Cogburn to justice. This throws quite a monkey wrench into Mattie’s plans for judgment and creates a temporary quagmire.

Let me state emphatically, the story is not what bothers me about True Grit. The actors do. Matt Damon is not suited for a role in a Western film. His typically role is that of a foolish funny guy or a weasel or the occasional espionage agent wannabe. He has no grit, no masculine soul, and he looks as out of place as a crocodile at an alligator’s convention. Jeff Bridges may be a fine actor (from time to time) but he is so eccentric and hippyish that playing the role of a hard as nails avenger is in and of itself a critical mistake. Teamed with a 14 year old, this is a recipe for disaster. I feel like True Grit would make a wonderful cartoon series. As a film it fails in the most important ways. I flat out loathe it and I refuse to support the critics that extol it relentlessly.