True Grit- Old and New

My apologies for my absence from the blogging world over the past 2 weeks; I have been quite preoccupied, as most of you probably have been, with all things Christmas; most importantly for me as a college student home on break, relaxation (or more accurately, laziness).

Last week I went and saw True Grit, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin, and then that night watched the 1969 version of that same film, starring John Wayne. Though the overall storyline and plot progression were the same between both versions, the movies were quite different (though both were excellent). The story centers around Rooster Cogburn, a rough-around-the-edges U.S Marshall hot on the trail of a murderer named Tom Cheney, who has escaped into Indian territory. Cogburn is assisted by a Texas Ranger named La Boeuf, and Mattie, the daughter of the murdered man. Here are my thoughts on the films-

The original 1969 version of the film is everything you would expect a John Wayne western to be. Not that it was bad, it just wasn't much of a suprise. Plenty of old fashioned gun-slinging, horse chases, scenic backdrops, and " what in tarnation!"-esque 1 liners. Waynes' portrayl of Cogburn is a far strech from the updated Jeff Bridges character, but it was still quite good. As usual, his character has a larger than life air about him, which is what made John Wayne the timeless movie star he has become. La Boeuf (played by Glen Campbell), was a bit too clean cut for me. Lawmen of the old west are supposed to be gritty, dirty, mean, and fearless, right? Well, if you're using Campbell as your template, wrong. Quite the polar opposite of John Wayne, Campbell is glistening, blonde, handsome, charming, and way too pretty to be on a horse. If old west lawmen carried hairdryers in their saddlebags and Garnier Fructis in their boots, Campbell would have been the most believable character in the movie. Kim Darbys portrayl of Mattie made up for what Campbell left us lacking. Her sassiness was just as believable as her more heartfelt scenes. All in all, the original True Grit didn't win me over as much as the remake, but it was a good film nontheless.

41 years later, and the Coen Brothers have created yet another masterpiece. These brilliant directors took everything about this movie that was stale, cliche', outdated, and cheesy and made it fresh, unique, quirky, and original. If more film makers made westerns like this one, westerns would probably be more dominant on the big screen today then they were 50 years ago. In the 2010 version of the film, Rooster Cogburn is played by Jeff Bridges, who managed to "out-grit" the original John Wayne version of the character by leaps and bounds. Bridges' Cogburn is dirtier, smellier, meaner, and more sarcastic than Waynes. He talks in a gravely drawl that is sometimes hard to understand, but somehow makes him likeable and even comedic at times. The updated La Boeuf is played by Matt Damon. Damon did the character the way it SHOULD have been done. Instead of a Herbal Essence model dressed as a cowboy (as Glen Campbell was), Damon was authentic. Everything from his moustache to his pipe, spurs to his overall demenor made him a perfect supporting actor for this role. And if the acting wasn't good enough, the Coen Brothers did a perfect job of mixing dialouge with action, making the movie move at the perfect pace. If you only see one movie before the year is up, see True Grit.

An interesting sidenote- John Wayne won his only Academy Award (Best Actor in a Leading Role) for his role as Rooster Cogburn in the original True Grit. Many movie critics and buffs predict that Jeff Bridges will be nominated for that same category in the 2011 Oscars. If he wins, I think it will be the first time that 2 different portrayls of the same character win the same academy award. Also, If Bridges wins the oscar, he will be the first actor to win the Best Actor oscar 2 years in a row since Tom Hanks won it for Philadelphia and then Forrest Gump in 1994 and then 1995 (Bridges won the oscar last year for Crazy Heart).

The Fighter

Grade : A

                                                                                

The Fighter is the real life story of "Irish Mickey Ward", a down and out, past-his-prime boxer from Lowell (suburb of Boston), Massachusetts. Though the film was a bit of an underdog story like most boxing movies are (Rocky, Cinderella Man), it is so much more than that. It dealt with everything from poverty to drug addiction, family hardship to greed. This wasn’t just an athletes' struggle with himself to achieve the ultimate; it was a battle against his upbrining, his family, his brother, his management, and his own fear of being a disappointment.  The Fighter is, in my opinion, one of the most immaculate sports dramas ever made.

The element of this movie that made it so great is its believability; it is such a REAL film.  In place of cheesy inspirational music like Eye of the Tiger is Led Zeppelin and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  In place of fake Hollywood backdrops and handmade sets are the actual povery stricken streets of outer Boston. The fighting scenes aren’t blatantly staged like in other boxing movies, they are authentic, and made me cringe just to watch them. Every aspect of this film gave it a completely unique dynamic;  the soundtrack, the screenplay, the filming/location, and obviously, the acting.

Though Mark Whalberg and Amy Adams were both tremendous, the real acting gem in this movie came from Christian Bale. Bale is typically an actor I don’t care for, but his portrayl of Dickey, Mickeys’older brother and trainer, was absolutely brilliant.  A far cry from his fleetingly handsome characters in The Dark Knight and Public Enemies, Dickey is a strung out, overzealous crack addict who is stuck in his past as a once promising boxer himself. The character is constantly in a battle with his own demons, while at the same time trying to be there for Mickey as a good brother and a good trainer.  If you at one time thought Christian Bale was a colossal douche, as I did, you’ll be his biggest fan after seeing this film.

As someone who typically doesn’t buy into inspirational sports movies, I can personally vouche for this movie.  It’s authentic, intense, exciting, humorous, and thought-provoking. I wish I had more than 2 thumbs, because “2 thumbs up” isn’t quite enough. “2 thumbs, 2 big toes, and all my fingers up” is more appropriate.

Up and coming goodies

I haven’t had much time for blogging this past week, much less movie watching. My spare time, sleep schedule, and general will to live have been largely dominated by finals week, which I’m sure all of my collegiate-aged brothers and sisters can attest to. In the absence of any spare time to watch movies for discussion/review, here is a list of some flicks that I’m pretty excited about that I plan on seeing over the upcoming 5 week break.

The Fighter



Though Mark Whalberg admittedly doesn’t have as much range as a lot of other Hollywood A-listers (i.e. The Happening), one role that he dominates time and time again is that of a badass (i.e. The Departed, Four Brothers). Combine that with Christian Bale’s superb acting talents in the supporting role, and Amy Adams as the love interest (and my obvious soul mate, as the spiciest ginger on the big screen), and you’ve got some serious Oscar material.

True Grit



The western is a genre that is pretty risky to tackle in the 21st century. They don’t appeal to as many movie go-ers as they did fifty years ago. Only a handful of good ones have been made in the last couple decades (3:10 To Yuma, The Quick and the Dead, etc.), but if anyone can make (or remake rather) a western that‘s fresh, unique, and relevant, you bet your britches it’s the Cohen Brothers (see what I did there?). Though Matt Damon’s moustache may haunt your dreams, I suggest you see this one ASAP.

Black Swan



This film is also getting a lot of Oscar buzz, and rightfully so. Natalie Portman’s performance definitely looks to be top notch, as do the cinematography, costumes, and general film making. Being more of a film festival piece and not as much of a Tinsletown blockbuster, it may be it bit harder to locate a theatre showing it, so sack up and drive the extra twenty minutes.

Casey Affleck as of late

If you’re looking to get a wee little taste of actor/director Casey Affleck, watch his two most recent works, I’m Still Here, a mockumentary about academy award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix’s’ supposed career switch from acting to hip-hop, and The Killer Inside Me, a sort of macabre indie film based on a 1952 crime novel about a cop-turned killer, set in a small Texas town.

I’m assuming most of you are familiar with the controversy surrounding Joaquin Phoenix’s “career change” in late the fall of 2008.  For those who aren’t, here’s the link to the painfully awkward David Letterman interview where he first announced to the world that he was going to stop acting (and shaving) and become a “rapper”, or more accurately, a mildly hip Hasidic Jew. Immediately there was speculation that this was an elaborate hoax, especially after he announced that this career change would be documented and directed by his brother- in- law Casey Affleck.  Though our bearded friend confirmed that the whole thing was fake shortly after the documentary was released, the period leading up to its’ release (roughly 2 years) left the general public wondering if this incredibly talented actor and seemingly well-mannered artist was actually on a downward spiral  perpetuated by bad decisions, bad rapping, and bad hygiene.  After watching the documentary the first time, I was honestly perplexed. On the one hand, it isn’t unheard of for creative people to experience extreme emotional peaks  leading to breakdowns and career-suicides.  The documentary certainly did a good job of illustrating this, showing Joaquin’s raging temper tantrums, public embarrassment, and recreational drug use. On the other hand, after watching the film a second time, the actors’ newly-acquired persona seemed too perfectly cliché.  From the weight gain to the fiery temper, cocaine and call girls, to the grotesque attempt at rapping, it became too reminiscent of Motley Crue behind the Music to actually be real. And of course, I later found out that Phoenix had actually gone on the Letterman show again to plug the new documentary and fully confessed that the whole change of career and lifestyle had been a scheme, birthed by his amazement that people actually think reality TV is unscripted. Though some people believe his claim that it was all a hoax is due only to the fact that his hip-hop career never actually took off, I think it’s safe to say that our clef-lipped compadre pulled a fast one on us. Bravo Joaquin, bravo. Grade: B+

On a completely different keel is The Killer Inside Me.  This movie flew under the radar for most movie-goers, including myself, and although I thought it to be an overall decent film, I can see why it didn’t experience much commercial success.  The premise is something like this- Casey Affleck plays a detective in a small Texas town during the 1950’s. Though on the outside he seems normal, even boring to some, he is actually a violent sociopath with a taste for rape and murder. Though the movie is brilliantly shot, brilliantly acted (at points), and is filled with grade-A cinematography, the film, in my opinion, made one key flaw-Character Development. In films like this, character development is probably the most crucial factor.  When a movie contains difficult and controversial subject matter such as violence, rape, and domestic abuse, you have to justify that content by showing the audience why that material is necessary. In this case, it was part of who this character was.  He was a complex and divided protagonist, split between being an enforcer of the law and a twisted killer, shaped that way partially by childhood events and partially by his own demented psyche.  Had there been more emotional character development, the viewer would have a clearer understanding of the intent of the films more squeamish scenes.  This cinematic tool was almost non-existent in the film, and therefore the more graphic scenes were perceived by most to be more for shock-and-awe value, instead of an integral part of the story. That all being said, I’ve always been a big fan of the younger Affleck, and thus it’s hard for me to be overly critical. Not his best work, but fo sho worth seeing. Grade: B-

“You can’t handle the truth!"

  As a cinematic enthusiast, it’s not always easy to admit that there are movies that are considered “classic” that you still haven’t seen. After all, haven’t most history buffs been to Gettysburg? Haven’t most Red Sox fans seen a game in Fenway Park? Haven’t most art nuts been to the Metropolitan Museum?  I realize that there are still a handful of iconic movies that I still haven’t gotten around to renting from Blockbuster ( i.e. Animal House, Citizen Kane, The Birds), and I am constantly trying to remedy that.  In an effort of doing so, I finally got around to seeing A Few Good Men, an intensity-charged courtroom drama starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, circa 1992.

After seeing the movie, I was questioning myself as to why I never saw it sooner.  If you can manage to shelf the cheesy late 80’s background music and Kiefer Sutherlands god awful crew cut (which were both hard for me to stomach at first), you’ll be in for a real treat.  I realize I’m probably the only shmuck that hadn’t seen this movie until recently, and thus I won’t bore you with a blow-by-blow plot summary.  If there happen to be any shmucks left, Wikipedia does a pretty good job summing it up- 

A Few Good Men

The movie earned Jack Nicholson a much deserved Best Supporting Actor nomination, as well as nominations for Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

The legal drama has always been one of my favorite genres, and this flick is arguably the most famous of that genre.  Maybe their appeal to me is in part because of my lawyer dad; maybe it’s because being a courtroom lawyer is in of itself, partially being a convincing actor; or maybe I’m just a sucker for a good “Objection!” In any case, here is a list of some of my favorite legal dramas.  Check em’ out yall!

A Few Good Men

Amistad

My Cousin Vinny

The Hurricane

Philadelphia

Rules of Engagement