#2 Son and I went to see it. Two thumbs way, way up.
It took some guts to remake a film that not only stared John Wayne, but Glen Campbell, Dennis Hopper, and Robert Duval. One that won an Oscar. But this film not only bests out the original, it possibly sweeps the board: it's possible that every role is performed better in the new one than the old. Not certain, but possible.
What is certain is that young Miss Hailee Steinfeld (at 14, a year younger than #2 Son) gave a performance that is nothing short of astounding, and which is Oscar-worthy. Kim Darby's performance in the original pales in comparison.
And Matt Damon steals the show as La Boeuf, the Texas Ranger. I have a soft spot in my heart for Glen Campbell, but he was as hard drinking as the character of Rooster Cogburn. Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but his performance doesn't match Damon's.
Jeff Bridges perhaps won't get nominated for an Oscar, as he did in last year's Crazy Heart, but he fills The Duke's big, big boots more than adequately. His Rooster Cogburn is different from Wayne's - it doesn't feel like he's trying to be Wayne at all, although one quote is clearly left in as a tip o' the brim to the original: Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!
Remakes are Hollywood's stock in trade, it seems. Love that or hate that, we should appreciate when a great, iconic film is redone better. Highly recommended.
An impressive review, Borepatch. It might, just might, persuade me to rent the movie when it's out on DVD.
ReplyDeleteMinor nit: "although one quote is clearly left in as a tip o' the brim to the original: Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!"
No, it's not. It'd be nice if it was, but it isn't. The reviews I've heard/read say that this version was not a remake of the John Wayne film as it was a new adaptation that stuck much closer to Charles Portis's novel. I don't have my copy handy, but I'm pretty sure that line is in the novel.
Just saw it - yep, two thumbs WAY up.
ReplyDeleteI understand that Glen Campbell claimed that he'd never acted in a movie before True Grit. He says that fact hadn't changed after he'd appeared in the movie. I like him better for that.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a remake in the traditional sense, that's a brand new movie based on the same novel.
ReplyDeleteIt was teh awesome, tho, just like you said.
Fill your hand is a quote from the novel, the whole line was Fill your hand, you son of a bitch! Here I come!
ReplyDeleteThe Wayne movie used huge chunks of the novel's dialog, so much that I think that the screenwriters had very little to do. The iconic Well, come see a fat old man sometime! was not in the novel, however.
I'm going to see the new version tomorrow, myself.