Conventional wisdom would suggest it takes guts to dare to remake a Hollywood classic, but considering how often it happens and how unapologetically horrible most attempts turn out to be, that can't possibly be true.
Sure enough, there's nothing innately dangerous about True Grit, which quite comfortably adopts the plot, characters and overall disposition of the 1968 novel - and, to a lesser point, the 1969 John Wayne movie - without rocking any boats.
But that's precisely why this shines where others stain.
True Grit doesn't take extreme liberty with its source material, but instead culls material from the book - in particular, giving 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) her complete due as the catalyst in this hunt for her father's killer.
That, along with a reverence for the book's sense of humour, gives this True Grit a voice of its own that never sets foot in the realm of alienation. Instead of changing the story, the movie lets its cast shine en route to giving old characters new life.
Jeff Bridges was born to play Rooster Cogburn, but that doesn't mean Mattie and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) can't steal a scene or three as absolutely perfect foils.
And when we finally meet the object of Mattie's revenge (Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney), the moment is terrifically tense, despite resembling what otherwise might be mistaken as a clever exchange of pleasantries.
True Grit continually toes the line between tribute and reinvention simply by staying true to its original reasons for being, and where most cowardly remakes are panned, ignored and deservedly forgotten, this one belongs right alongside all that paved its way.
From: Paramount
Rating: PG13
- Billy O'Keefe
