True Grit (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• John M

  
  Top to bottom a solid retelling of the classic. The Coen Brothers do a wonderful job and Bridges and Steinfeld shine. I havent seen the original in years and have never read the book. But this an amazingly good film.

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Considering True Grit is a mainstream release the Coen Brothers have brilliantly remained faithful and affectionate towards the novel and have managed to craft a modern western masterpiece. True Grit is quite… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Considering True Grit is a mainstream release the Coen Brothers have brilliantly remained faithful and affectionate towards the novel and have managed to craft a modern western masterpiece. True Grit is quite simply a revenge western that's much more intelligent than expected, it's backed up by brilliant performances from Bridges, Damon and Steinfeld and remarkably feels like a gritty but also emotional Western considering the highly stylistic gore restraint. To put it simply, amazing.

• Scott G

  
  This is the oldern american that will make the critics jaws drop. with a strong cast and a high grade scenery, alongside it's immaculate plot, the Coen's deliver us a God of a film, one that will be extremely hard to replace in the coming years of re-make's, that would… More
  This is the oldern american that will make the critics jaws drop. with a strong cast and a high grade scenery, alongside it's immaculate plot, the Coen's deliver us a God of a film, one that will be extremely hard to replace in the coming years of re-make's, that would take a bright director to produce such a film.

• Albert K

  
  Loved the script, the editing, and cinematography. Seriously, this movie is perfectly made in terms of technicalities. And what about Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. Wow, extremely surprising that she did not win for best actress. Nevertheless, "True Grit" was an extremely… More
  Loved the script, the editing, and cinematography. Seriously, this movie is perfectly made in terms of technicalities. And what about Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. Wow, extremely surprising that she did not win for best actress. Nevertheless, "True Grit" was an extremely entertaining movie.

• Joseph M

  
  It's not riviting and dosen't have much that will exicte you but it makes up for that thoroughly with strong performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and especially Hailee Steinfield at times deeply emotional and not to mention fine dialogue. True Grit is not the best film… More
  It's not riviting and dosen't have much that will exicte you but it makes up for that thoroughly with strong performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and especially Hailee Steinfield at times deeply emotional and not to mention fine dialogue. True Grit is not the best film of the year.But it's up there with the Coen's finest.

• Tim S

  
  How can you not love everything that the Coen Bros. get their hands on? Everything they touch is cinematic magic and True Grit is no exception. While a lot of us went into this movie with a preconceived notion of what it's about based on the previously filmed John Wayne version,… More
  How can you not love everything that the Coen Bros. get their hands on? Everything they touch is cinematic magic and True Grit is no exception. While a lot of us went into this movie with a preconceived notion of what it's about based on the previously filmed John Wayne version, the film still manages to seem fresh and different. I think everyone gives great performances (even though I miss the presence of a young Kim Darby) and they all seem to be vital to the storyline. However, I think the characters tend to peter out and the story loses its focus somewhere in the second act. I'm not quite sure how to explain it. We're on this mission with Rooster Cogburn and Mattie Ross to catch Tom Chane, but somehow it becomes about Ned Pepper and a personal feud between him and Cogburn, which doesn't seem to be pre-established in any way. Then the main villain seems to serve no purpose in the story because of this, other than just being a distraction to that particular story thread. It bothers me a bit, and I feel bad for saying so. Perhaps it was the point of Charles Portis' book to be so severed and not be so formulaic, including the abrupt ending, but it just felt shorter than it needed to be. Overall, it's not a bad a film and has some great character development. Just don't look to be too involved with the story dynamics or you'll be disappointed.

• Sanjay R

  
  This movie had a great screenplay and terrific acting by everyone on screen. The action sequences are nothing new and somewhat bring this movie down, but its sharp writing keeps its great from start to finish. Also, it was a lot funnier than I anticipated.

• Daniel P

  
  It's a descriptor that drives me crazy, it's so over-used, but I can't resist saying it: pitch-perfect. Maybe it's that I came to this film without the baggage of the John Wayne original, or maybe it's the fact that I read the novel first; either way, this is… More
  It's a descriptor that drives me crazy, it's so over-used, but I can't resist saying it: pitch-perfect. Maybe it's that I came to this film without the baggage of the John Wayne original, or maybe it's the fact that I read the novel first; either way, this is a lean story made for the big screen. Character, objective, obstacle. Jeff Bridges is solid, Hailee Steinfeld impresses, and Matt Damon completely disappears into his role. The shots are beautiful, and the adaptation kept the right stinging bits of dialogue to tell this story of a 14-year-old girl out for revenge. Great music, great pacing, and great storytelling. I'm of the opinion that without the weight of John Wayne's de facto lifetime achievement Oscar for the first film, the Academy would have had no trouble giving this excellent new adaptation its biggest prize.

• Jason R

  
  Solid movie. I'm not into Westerns, but it is fun to see the banter between Coen Brothers' characters. All three of the leads do a fantastic job with the script, elevating what might have been a potentially boring plot to something watchable and re-watchable.

• Jack H

  
  I was looking forward to this film, but ultimately it was forgettable, a disappointment. My main problem with this film is the pacing. The majority of the film is slow, building the character of 'Tom Chaney' to be this elusive, faceless nemesis, almost being comparable to… More
  I was looking forward to this film, but ultimately it was forgettable, a disappointment. My main problem with this film is the pacing. The majority of the film is slow, building the character of 'Tom Chaney' to be this elusive, faceless nemesis, almost being comparable to 'Keyser Soze' in 'The Usual Suspects'. I felt that when or if the clan finally found Chaney it would be a grand stand-off, a chilling confrontation. But, in the back of my mind, it dawned on me that this film was only around the 1 hr 40-50 minute mark; it had the pacing of a film an hour longer than that, it couldn't afford to be like this. And so it was, very little happened in the first 1 hr 30 minutes, with absolutely everything coming to a head within the next 10 to 15 minutes or so, it felt rushed and created a crushing sense of bathos. Ultimately, the film has a simplistic premise that is, quite frankly, poorly told; stories of retribution have been told dozens of times, and much better, too. While the narrative of the film lets it down, the acting does not. Performances from Bridges, Damon and Brolin are all relatively good (if you can put up with Bridges' incoherence), but it is in Hailee Steinfeld that we see the best performance. The gumption the 14 year-old portrays in her character reveals her great confidence and talent as a young actress; initially it must have been daunting for a girl of her age working with her male co-stars. People I have consulted about the film praised its cinematography, but the similar wide and open landscapes and nail-biting sequences of the Coens' outstanding 'No Country For Old Men' were leaps and bounds ahead. Unfortunately, 'True Grit' produced nothing original, nothing that particularly etched itself on my mind. In conclusion, I am totally bemused by True Grit's praise and score on Rotten Tomatoes; I have a suspicion that it has something to do with the Coens' reputation. If the film were directed by a lesser name, I think this film would've garnered the average score of around 70% that it deserves.

• Wildaly M

  
  Not usually a fan of westerns, but ventured to watch this one because of the good reviews. It certainly did not disappoint and even the ending left me wanting more. Definitely looking forward to seeing more films with Hailee Steinfeld.

• Brad W

  
  True Grit is not just another western, it is without a doubt my favorite western of all time (tied with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly). The story is about a 14 year old girl named Mattie Ross who embarks on a journey with a Marshall named Rooster Cogburn and a lawman named Lebeof… More
  True Grit is not just another western, it is without a doubt my favorite western of all time (tied with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly). The story is about a 14 year old girl named Mattie Ross who embarks on a journey with a Marshall named Rooster Cogburn and a lawman named Lebeof to kill Tom Chaney, the man who killed and robbed Matties father. The plot is a deep and emotionally driven movie that knows that its more brains then action, and I think the Coens did a good job realizing thats what the author was going for and they did a incredible job. The cast is one of the best ensembles ever, Jeff Bridges can never be live up John Waynes performance, but I think he came pretty close and that his role was honestly amazing, Matt Damon was just plain awesome and is one of my favorite actors, but the show stealer is newcomer Hailee Steinfeld who I predict will soon be one of the best and most famous actresses of all time in a fee years. The musical score was composed perfectly and it honestly was one of the best composed scores of all time. True Grit isn't a perfect movie, it was pretty slow the first half hour and could've gone faster but it honestly is one of the greatest westerns I have ever seen and is probably, like I said, favorite western of all time, tied with The Good The Bad and The Ugly.

• familiar s

  
  Westerns not being my cup of tea, I wasn't too curious for this one. To make matters worse, this one had the Coen brothers name attached to it. I don't know why but they've been a turn-off for me. Anyways, yesterday I ran out of options and gave it a go (as I was… More
  Westerns not being my cup of tea, I wasn't too curious for this one. To make matters worse, this one had the Coen brothers name attached to it. I don't know why but they've been a turn-off for me. Anyways, yesterday I ran out of options and gave it a go (as I was supposed to sooner or later which as happens to be the case with most of the top rated movies). The movie served its purpose, i.e. to entertain, well enough, but there's nothing to it beyond it. The humorous portions are its best offering. The girl's dialogues got on my nerves at times, though. If you're a Coen Brothers fan, there's no stopping to you going for this sooner or later. I found it satisfactory all around,

• Graham J

  
  Bridges as Cogburn is perfect. As it's come to be expected, another masterwork by the Coen's.

• Jason O

  
  Never have seen the John Wayne original, but this one was so awesome it makes me wanna!

• Sergio G

  
  I love westerns. I heard this a remake of a classic Wayne's movie and honestly I was expecting better specially from Jeff Bridges. He's great, but the adaptation wasn't outstanding as many critics said. Anyway is a very nice story with one of those very Hollywood… More
  I love westerns. I heard this a remake of a classic Wayne's movie and honestly I was expecting better specially from Jeff Bridges. He's great, but the adaptation wasn't outstanding as many critics said. Anyway is a very nice story with one of those very Hollywood endings.

• Josh L

  
  A wholly entertaining western with great dialogue, acting, and action that will keep you focused the whole time. It is a little predictable, but it's hard not to be at some points in a story. I still fully enjoyed the ride, and would gladly watch this movie again anytime. Jeff… More
  A wholly entertaining western with great dialogue, acting, and action that will keep you focused the whole time. It is a little predictable, but it's hard not to be at some points in a story. I still fully enjoyed the ride, and would gladly watch this movie again anytime. Jeff Bridges is one of the best actors working today and has proven himself once again by reinventing Rooster Cogburn while the Coen Brothers prove that they can make a more straight-laced movie and still bring their signature style to the table and produce a great movie.

• Lewis C

  
  (EDIT: Bumping my original review up from 3 1/2 stars to 4 after seeing it again. The writing of the Coen Brothers shines as always with repeated viewings, and the characters are even more endearing and memorable.) "I knew the marshal long ago. We too had lively times." A… More
  (EDIT: Bumping my original review up from 3 1/2 stars to 4 after seeing it again. The writing of the Coen Brothers shines as always with repeated viewings, and the characters are even more endearing and memorable.) "I knew the marshal long ago. We too had lively times." A surprisingly funny (maybe not so surprising, this is a Coen Brothers movie), poignant, rousing adventure of a western. Beautifully shot, and with excellent performances from all the main cast members. This isn't as complex as the typical Coen flick, but there's no reason for it to be. True Grit succeeds admirably at being an entertaining movie with a brisk pace. I haven't seen a better ending in quite a while, this film is about true grit in more ways than one. I can't compare it to the original movie (yet to watch it) or the novel (haven't read it), but this version more than stands on its own, and any fan of westerns, the Coens, or good movies in general should see it.

• Kase V

  
  The Coen Brothers' 'True Grit' is filled with sweep and scope, but the movie falls short of Coen Brothers greatness. For one, the pace is not nearly brisk enough to keep bloodthirsty western fans delighted. However, every aspect besides its faltered entertainment value… More
  The Coen Brothers' 'True Grit' is filled with sweep and scope, but the movie falls short of Coen Brothers greatness. For one, the pace is not nearly brisk enough to keep bloodthirsty western fans delighted. However, every aspect besides its faltered entertainment value is highly stable. The performances are amazing, especially Bridges, with Steinfield impressive for her age. Deakins' cinematography is also good as ever, but it still doesn't reach the brilliant height of those amazing shots in 'No Country for Old Men'. The dialogue from the script is sharp and poignant, making the film joyfully linguistic. You can always sense the usual 'Coen Brothers Touch' throughout the film with its witty dialogue and somber tone. Its not the Coen Brothers' best, but it deserves a spot in the 'best of' the year lists for its technical brilliance. Performances, cinematography, script, etc.

• Michael E

  
  Out of all westerns I've seen (being only 3) this is probably the second best to me (Cowboys and Aliens being my favorite,) Its extremely well acted, the action, though very little, is still very well done, also the comedy is also pretty funny, though some of the comedy comes… More
  Out of all westerns I've seen (being only 3) this is probably the second best to me (Cowboys and Aliens being my favorite,) Its extremely well acted, the action, though very little, is still very well done, also the comedy is also pretty funny, though some of the comedy comes from how random some of the scenes are such as the bear guy. The film is also much like a horror movie, with some pretty brutal deaths and some pretty graphic frights like some hanging man they have to cut down from the trees. The one flaw I dislike about this movie is that Jeff Bridges is very hard to understand in a lot of moments in the film (Thank God for Subtitles on DVDs.) But overall this is a fantastic film.

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