True Grit: Didn't have to grit my teeth!

So, I saw True Grit tonight with my friend Carol.  Carol was familiar with the 1969 movie version with John Wayne.  I had seen that plus I read the novel by Charles Portis.  While neither film was word-for-word from the novel, I believe the 2010 version is slightly more realistic and, dare I say, grittier.  Some have described it as darker. 

                                                   

There are a couple of questions that come to mind about a movie such as this. 

1.  Is it Oscar worthy?  No.  Good work, good performances, some nice cinematography, but not Oscar worthy.
2. How does it compare to the novel and the 1969 remake?

The remake is a good.  One can say the same thing about The Taking of Pelham 123.  The novel was good, a movie was made based on it a year after.  Apparently there was a remake that most, if not all, of us missed.  Then the Travolta-Washington remake.  The difference between Pelham and True Grit original movies is that the first Pelham movie was great.  The first True Grit movie is more of a send-up.  Larger than life John Wayne, acting more like John Wayne than Reuben Cogburn.  Glen Campbell as LeBoeuf did not work and wasn’t believable.  (Glen Campbell as any one, for that matter.)  This new version, courtesy of the Coens, is a more serious movie with humorous elements.  As is the book.  But the Coens stray from the book as much as, if not more so, than the 1969 version.  I am disappointed with the Coens for not having Mattie Ross hear about Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn as a man with true grit.  She does say that to him later, but I feel if one was to cut anything from the novel, don’t cut that!  It’s the premise of Mattie’s choice to hire Cogburn.  It’s how she singled him out. 

The movie goes on, there are differences from the novel, but overall, the 2010 movie is good.  Jeff Bridges is a capable Rooster Cogburn.  Matt Damon is a much more credible LaBoeuf.  Matt Damon at anything is great, but in this instance, being better than Campbell is not a stretch.  Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney was excellent, considering that Mr. Brolin tends to play very masculine roles.  In this instance, he does a great job as a coward.  Manner and voice make it believable.  He makes a great wimp.  Who knew?  Hailee Steinfeld is delightful as Mattie Ross.  Her youth makes all the difference.  I can’t decide if she looks more like my niece Kelsey or my niece Amanda.

Cinematography was nice.  It was filmed in various places in Texas:  Austin, Blanco and Granger.  Also, filming took place in New Mexico. 

Bottom line:  Good movie, not Oscar worthy.  But not all movies can be nominated (despite the efforts of the Academy last year).