True Grit

Crackling dialogue. Dark and atmospheric and funny by turns. Terrific performances all around. Roger Deakins' cinematography and Carter Burwell's score. Better than the original, in my opinion. Loved it.

My mother and I watched the original with John Wayne so that we could compare. It is harder to say which movie was better. A lot of the dialogue was word for word the same as the original. I was surprised at what a stage presence the young girl had and how, when they showed her as an adult, how her personality had not changed.

Best movie I've seen in a long time.

Ethan and Joel Coen, more famously known as the Coen Brothers, team up with Jeff Bridges twelve years after he starred as The Dude in the Coens' "The Big Lebowski" and with Josh Brolin three years after he starred as Llewelyn Moss in the Coens' Academy Award winning "No Country for Old Men", to create their newest classic, "True Grit".

There really isn't much wrong with the film. The film starts out slow, but this is on purpose as it builds up slowly overtime until you are placed into the fast paced thrilling action sequences. The film gets better and better as you keep watching, however, the ending is actually kind of a letdown after the really strong beginning and middle. The film ends very abruptly, but I guess the Coen Brothers are known for making films with weird endings. Exhibit A "No Country for Old Men".

Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld have been receiving their fair share of award nominations for their performances, while Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper have been recognized for their solid performances as well. Jeff Bridges has the potential to get back to back Best Actor Oscar nominations and even win back to back Oscars and Hailee Steinfeld could clean up all of the Best Young Actress Awards along with capturing either a Best Actress of Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Oscars.

With this film and Tron: Legacy Jeff Bridges definitely left his stamp on 2010.