Dead RPP Society
Maybe it is just another form of self inflicted pain, but the Society section will be for those rare instances when there is more than two entertainment stories or just feel like throwing in story that just defies all other sections.
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‘True
Grit’ as much masterpiece as remake While I have always tried to judge a film’s final score through both positives and negatives (if both are possible), there are some moments when skepticism is harder to overcome than others. Remakes or retellings fit one of those categories and there are just as many flops as there are successes when it comes to this gamble. When I learned that Joel and Ethan Coen were attached to the project, my mixed feelings weren’t exactly helped along thanks to greats like “Raising Arizona” and tortures like “Burn after Reading.” However, it wasn’t long before they not only put those concerns to rest, but just about convinced me that this is possibly their best work so far. “True Grit” is both a stunning tribute to what John Wayne gripped audiences with many years ago and a rare masterpiece when it comes to live action cinema. The story is doesn’t change too much, if at all, from the first time this was made and centers on a young girl named Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld). Her tale is one she intends to take the path of redemption after her father is murdered by a coward called Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). She needs help to make sure justice is served and it just happens to be in the form of a drunkard US Marshall named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger with more ego than sense named LaBoeuf. This trio will all find that the mission is more than they thought it would be at first, a test of character and will power. Fortunately, there was not a moment where I felt cheated by any part of it. Maybe it was just the awesome beard influencing the character, but Bridges portrayal of Cogburn seems a bit gruffer than the one done by Wayne (Almost a hint of sling blade voice too). Both movies are great in their own respect and it’s hard to say if one really outperformed the other. I’m not the biggest fan of westerns (that would be my grandfather), but this just felt like the way a classic western should be done and so much so that it certainly deserves Oscar consideration. 2010 seemed more of a year for animated films doing well more than anything else, but after seeing how well everything fell in place to the characters ( like the young Steinfeld who certainly has a future to consider in cinema) to the music, this makes up for having to wait all year to see. It is even rarer that I find a movie that deserves my highest rating, earning “True Grit” five out of five gun slingers. Images are copyright of Scott Rudin Productions, Skydance Productions and Paramount Pictures. |
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Past Society: Review of Little Fockers.
1031 B.C. - 2010 A.D., Really Pathetic, LLC.