True Grit (2010) - The Coens' grand western present

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4 Film Excess nominations:

Best Non-Adult Actor: Hailee Steinfeld (lost to Kiernan Shipka for Mad Men S4)
Best Score: Carter Burwell (lost to Treme S1)
Best Costumes: Mary Zophres (lost to Pat Field for Sex and the City 2)
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins (lost to Wally Phister for Inception)

 

+ Best Western of the Year

 

Jeff Bridges doesn't appear to welcome bullshitters on this poster for Ethan & Joel Coen's True Grit

 

A strong 14 year-old girl, Mattie Ross, has lost her father to a traveling bandit. She wants revenge, so she pays the decisive Marshall Rooster Cogburn to lead her to the miscreant. 

True Grit is the 15th feature from Oscar-nominated Minnesotan master writer-director brothers Ethan and Joel Coen (Fargo (1996)), the second adaptation of Charles Portis' (Norwood (1966)) same-titled 1968 novel, adapted first as True Grit (1968) with John Wayne in the part that won him his only Oscar. It seemed to me an obvious folly to try to readapt Portis' novel that already had resulted in one classic western, and I feel confident that the Coens knew this taking on the project. Still, amazingly, they succeed in making a hell of a new take on the story. - Their movie is quite different from the earlier version, reportedly closer to the novel in terms of plot and tone.

Oscar-nominated Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski (1998)) makes Cogburn his own, wisely not appearing to channel any inner Wayne he might forster. Hailee Steinfeld (Barely Lethal (2015)) is credible and feisty as the girl with grit galore, and the two create many enjoyable moments in True Grit. Matt Damon (Syriana (2005)) as a Texas ranger whose self-confidence gets tested and Josh Brolin (Hollow Man (2000)) as the villain are also good, and Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan (1998)) is terrific. The film is distinguished by its sweeping production values, breathtaking photography by Roger Deakins (Doubt (2008)), and a truly formidable score by Carter Burwell (The Fifth Estate (2013)), - as well as wonderful costumes by Mary Zophres (Dumb and Dumber (1994)).

True Grit is thoroughly enjoyable, brandishing grand characters that spit out marvelous dialog as if it was chewing tobacco. A story of tough people during tough times and a very American tale.

Related posts:

Ethan and Joel Coen: Hail, Caesar! (2016) - The Coen brothers serve a whimsical, flashy letdown

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) or, The Man Who Wasn't Dylan   

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Burn After Reading (2008) or, Idiocy 2008 
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Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Barton Fink (1991) or, The Writer's Hell

Here's a short interview with Matt Damon about his performance in the film

Cost: 38 mil. $

Box office: 252.2 mil. $

= Huge hit

[True Grit was released December 22 and runs 110 minutes. Open casting sessions for the role of Mattie Ross were held in Texas with 15,000 girls applying and Steinfeld landing the part, her theatrical feature debut. Filming took place from March - April 2010 in New Mexico and Texas. The film opened #2, behind Little Fockers, with a 24.8 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it stayed #2 for another week, before it climbed to #1 and spent a total of 6 weeks in the top 5. It grossed 171.2 mil. $ domestically (67.9 % fo the total gross), becoming the first Coen movie to cross 100 mil. $ domestically as well as their highest grossing film to date. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 13.4 mil. $ (5.3 %) and France with 11.5 mil. $ (4.6 %). Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5/4, equal to the rating it gets here. The film got nominated for 10 Oscars: For Best Picture, Director, (both lost to The King's Speech), Adapted Screenplay, (lost to The Social Network), Actor (Bridges), (lost to Colin Firth in King's Speech), Actress (Steinfeld), (lost to Melissa Leo in The Fighter), Art Direction, (lost to Alice in Wonderland), Cinematography, (lost to Wally Phister for Inception), Costumes, (also lost to Alice), Sound Mixing and Sound Design, (both lost to Inception). - It won none, and was additionally nominated for 8 BAFTAs, winning one, for cinematography. True Grit is certified fresh at 96 % with an 8.4 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of True Grit?

The Homesman (2014) - Revisit the harsh American West with Jones, Swank and a wagonload of crazy women

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+ Best Western of the Year

The rough and weary French poster for Tommy Lee Jones' The Homesman

In the middle of the 19th century in Nebraska territory, a small community is stuck with three women who far different reasons have lost their minds and need to go away, before tragedy ruins their homes forever. A strong, religious maiden sets out for the long voyage and soon partners up with an aging, cynical renegade.

The Homesman is an adaptation of a 1988 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout (The Shootist (1975)). It is the 4th film directed by great American actor/filmmaker Tommy Lee Jones (The Good Old Boys (1995), TV movie), who also stars in the film in the lead alongside Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry (1999)). It is nice to see her in a fleshy, good part becoming of her sizable talent here finally again, and together the two lead an ensemble as great as probably any director today could wish to work with:
John Lithgow (Obsession (1976)), James Spader (Secretary (2002)) and Tim Blake Nelson (Lincoln (2012)) play men with each their faults. Hailee Steinfeld (Begin Again (2013)) plays a small role that seems like a respectful hat-tip to her fine performance in the great True Grit (2010). Meryl Streep (The Hours (2002)) and fine character actors complete the cast.
The film offers a stark look at living conditions in the Midwest in the period: it has not a single frame of glamor or traditional western macho warmth. - And that is refreshing. It also refuses to be a suspense-picture; refuses to saw off some of its detours and knots to be a 'straighter' picture, and instead offers serious representations of its issues of insanity and survival in the rugged American country of yore. It moves along as an episodic yarn very much following the mind of its rugged filmmaker. Jones also injects moments of brevity that are testament to his humorous affinities.
Homesman opens with some marvelous landscape images, accompanied by Marco Beltrami's (The Hurt Locker (2008)) phenomenal score, which seems to manage to direct our very souls into the film like so many harps in very little time.
The Homesman serves food for thought and for discussion. - Why did that happen? - Is that right? And so on. It isn't neat nor readily digested. SPOILER Its ending becomes nearly mythological, as Jones is carried off in sorrow and devil-may-care attitude on a raft. I loved the ending. It was as if I had been on a journey with Jones for the film's 2 hours, and now he sailed onwards, singing and doing his jig to mark the parting. Jones is cinema's most endearing geezer in The Homesman.

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2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
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2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
Men in Black 3 (2012) - Third MiB-chapter entertains the suits and shades off of everyone! (actor) 
Hope Springs (2012) - Making an old marriage work, peppered with Streep at her best and top-grade talent all-around (actor)

Watch the film's great trailer here

Cost: 16 mil. $
Box office: 2.6 mil. $ (and counting)
= So far a huge flop
[The Homesman's prospects look exceedingly glum at the moment, since it has already enjoyed a limited American run in November-December, unless it makes a wider release soon. It has competed in Cannes and been shown in Telluride and at The AFI Film Festival. It has already been released in most markets and probably simply got out at the densest period at the American movie year and didn't make the commercial cut. It needs all the admissions it can get right now, so don't miss it.]

What do you think of The Homesman?
Other fine westerns about women in the West and/or insanity?

Begin Again/Can a Song Save Your Life? (2013) - Carney's welcome New York music treat

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+ Best New York Movie of the Year 

The promising, light poster for John Carney's Begin Again

Gretta is about to leave New York when an old friend forces her to perform one of her songs at a bar. Among the crowd sits a fired, unsuccessful record producer, who sees and hears possibilities in her.

Begin Again is a really good and very welcome film that I will warmly recommend. It is a tribute to creative DIY-spirit, and it is also in itself a very frank and unpolished project, which is shot over large parts of the beautiful metropolis. The shot continuity is at times not too great, but most will forgive it due to the film's unperfectionist creed.
The comedic music drama story is well told and sweet, - without ever becoming sentimental. Marc Ruffalo (Zodiac (2007)) and especially Catherine Keener (Enough Said (2013)) are truly wonderful. CeeLo Green (Hotel Transylvania, voice (2012)) is funny; and you don't have to be a Keira Knightley-fan to enjoy Begin Again, (I'm not.) She's credible in her role as the slightly awkward but sweet Gretta.
There's something anachronistic about this film, which is written and directed by Irish John Carney (Once (2006)). - Ruffalo's character seems painfully aware of his own outdatedness, which seems to characterize the film in general. But that feeling only makes it so much more of a pleasure to experience that there is a definite space in 2013/2014 (when Begin Again has been in theaters) for such a charming film.
The highly musical Carney is already shooting his next film, Sing Street (2015), which is an Irish music film about going to London. After Begin Again, I am full of great hope for this film.

Related posts:

2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch the nice trailer here

Cost: Estimated 8-10 mil. $
Box office: 63.4 mil. $
= Big hit
[Begin Again has had a slow release, beginning at Toronto International Film Festival in September 2013 under the title Can a Song Save Your Life?, reaching several other festivals before its limited American release in June '14. It was released nationwide in August, and still has premieres coming up in Italy (October 16th) and Japan (February 2015). It has done very well commercially.]

What do you think of Begin Again?
Other music films that you think are recommendable?