In this remake of the 1969 classic, Jeff Bridges dares to fill the grizzly boots of the late great John Wayne. More than four decades sprawl between the original and this release, so no doubt most of those heading to theaters this Christmas will not have seen the former. I'll review this Coen brother's version on its own merits. That said, in certain winces, hobbles, and especially the sideways glare of that one unpatched eye, Bridges succeeds at cajoling fond memories of the aforementioned American cinema icon.

Though essentially a "gritty" story of a teen's (Hailee Steinfeld) plight to avenge the murder of her father told in the harsh, old untamed west, this Coen brother's "True Grit" spikes its gun powder with quirky humor. Sometimes that humor resonates from the awkward matching of the Duddly Do-Right-like Texas Ranger (played by Matt Damon) with the just-assume-shoot-you-in-the-face toughness of US Marshall/bounty hunter (Bridges). But, most of the time, the comedy slithers in the contraction-less dialogue like so many snakes in the murky darkness. You've got to listen hard for the shake of the rattler, but this quirky humor has a bite that'll infect your funny bone. All the while, the story, characters, and actors endear.

Gunshots certainly accent the tale, but it's really the clever one-on-one verbal confrontations that carry the drama. In one of these matchings, and perhaps meatiest, a bull-headed fourteen-year-old negotiates a hardened businessman into a nervous corner. Though the film seems a bit heavily front-loaded with these sweet interactions, the Coen brothers take great care assembling each individual part, making the whole feel evenly loved. The end result is highly watchable, cinematically aesthetic, surprisingly subtly funny, and even marginally emotive. I liked it.

-- Books by Author/Illustrator Ross Anthony --