While all the Oscar prognosticators are spit shining “The Fighter” this week and trumpeting it as the Best Picture winner, that sentiment will pretty much change next week when “True Grit” starts screening en masse and every crystal ball awards season genie will switch up their tune.
But regardless of what chances it has at the Oscar or not, the prevailing sentiment is that though it’s a bit more of a dry run than audiences are used to from the Coen Brothers, the performances are ace with particular praise being lauded on newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. And watching these four clips from the film, it’s easy to see why. Standing opposite season vets like Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, Steinfeld is utterly commanding and compelling. And that’s just in a couple minutes of clips. We can’t wait to see her in the rest of the film. Additionally, Matt Damon as a full-of-himself Texas Ranger? Looks utterly hilarious.
The film follows a young girl (Steinfeld) who acquires the assistance of aging, drunken U.S. Marshal Rooster J. Cogburn (Bridges) and young Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Damon) to track down her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Brolin), who has taken to a gang led by “Lucky” Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper). By most accounts it’s an old fashioned oater, but we’re definitely pumped. “True Grit” opens on December 22nd.
These clips are awesome. I am so excited for this.
Brolin seems to be channeling Randall \”Tex\” Cobb. Awesome.
The \”accents\” on both Bridges and Brolin are horrific. What\’s wrong with using a normal speaking voice?
I\’ve read some reviews that criticize the film for having too much humor, or more specifically, humor that seems out of place in the type of film it is. Now before you accuse me of being out of my element, I have read the novel and fully realize the humor it contained. I must say the dialouge is tailor fit for the Coens and imagine they didn\’t have to change much at all. My concern is simply that despite being in the book, it might not play out well on screen. To me Fargo is as funny as any straight comedy, but I guess I was just hoping for another Unforgiven with this film.
Anyone else severely underwelmed by these clips. A few of them were difficult to even finish, and they are not that long. I don\’t get compelling or commanding from Steifeld in these clips at all.
The young Hailee Steinfeld seems to fill the role better than I first thought she would. Her photogenic face, now scrubbed clean of the paint and anxiousness to grow up.