Movie review of True Grit

True Grit - 6/10
Directed by The Coen Brothers
Cast - Matt Damon,Jeff Bridges,Hailee Steinfield,Josh Brolin,Barry Pepper.

Plot Summary
Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit".

Review
Even though No country for old men was a brilliant movie,I thought to myself maybe just maybe after True Grit,I could finally become a Coen Brothers fan.Well..it didn't happen.I really liked the first 30 mins of the movie.The introduction of the three main characters was really good.but after that,it kinda went downhill for me.I haven't watched the original True Grit which has The Duke, John Wayne in it and neither have I read the book either.Apparently the Coen brothers are big fans of the book and they did this movie very closely to the book.And of course you have your standard trademark Coen brothers quirkiness in it as well.
This time though,The Dude,Jeff Bridges acts as the US marshal Rooster Cogburn.I enjoyed his acting very much and rooster's introduction at the courtroom scene was indeed very cool.but halfway through the movie,I was getting rather bored and disconnected with his character.Now the intro (courtroom scene) was good.Then you have scenes(check the scene with the 2 Indian kids) which made him sort of a badass devil may care kinda guy but at the end,I did not feel anything for his character.Somehow I felt rather shortchanged.I was really hoping Rooster Cogburn to be this unforgettable character much like Anton Chigurh in No country for old men.
Matt Damon acted pretty well even though he had a weird stale Texas accent.The chemistry between him and Jeff Bridges was good as well.
Newcomer Hailee Steinfield as Mattie Ross did a commendable job and managed to stand up on her own amongst the other veteran actors.I very much liked the trading scene which was her introduction.However,there was very little chemistry between her character and Rooster Cogburn.The one actor which I wish they had given him more screen time was Barry Pepper.He was fantastic.
Direction was good.Did not like some of the shots taken like the scenic and the horse feet scenes.Script wise, it was rather weird.Everyone spoke good English and were very polite to each other.Good guys and bad guys talking to each other politely.Really??
POLITENESS during the wild west? That was another problem I had with True Grit.
Oh well..maybe next time I should watch a Coen Brothers movie with low expectations which was what I did for No country for old men.Who knows maybe then I might just become a fan of them.

Worth watching this on a weekend if you are a Coen Brothers fan.

Quotes

Rooster Cogburn: We'll sleep here and follow in the morning.
Mattie Ross: But we promised to bury the poor soul inside!
Rooster Cogburn: Ground's too hard. Them men wanted a decent burial, they should have got themselves killed in summer.

Mattie Ross: And "futile", Marshal Cogburn, "pursuit would be futile"? It's not spelled "f-u-d-e-l."

Rooster Cogburn: [LaBoeuf has been talking about malum prohibitum and malum in se] It astonishes me that Mr. LaBoeuf has been shot, trampled, and nearly bitten his tongue off, and yet not only does he continue to talk but he spills the banks of English.

Recommended movies done by the directors
No country for old men
Big Lebowski
Burn After reading
Fargo