2010 Rewind: "True Grit"

When Oscar season rolls into town you can expect a few things: popcorn flicks are put into hibernation, several foreign language films will see a limited release in New York (meaning no one will see them), and of course there will be a historical film or two about the nazis. Over the past few years a new trend has emerged to join the ranks of these other venerated traditions, the appearance of a Coen brother film. In 2010 we had "True Grit".

Ignoring the fact that this film is based on a novel and has already been adapted to the big screen in the past with legendary screen gem John Wayne himself, the Coens take this rather simple western story about revenge and the emergence of law and intellectuals into the anarchistic wild frontier and reshape it into their own highly entertaining vision that can be enjoyed by nearly all audiences.

The film has great acting, terrific cinematography, a compelling script, and some gut busting scenes of comedy that prove once again that the Coens are masters of comic timing and are always able to pull the best line delivery from their actors.

Helping to deliver those lines is an all-star cast of dependable actors who are strangely all playing second string to a young actress who not only serves as the film's protagonist but also it's sacred cow. To say that she has acting talent seems wildly inaccurate as this girl could have stood to win the best actress award this year, if the Academy hadn't pigeon holed her into the supporting actress category. She'll probably be someone we see a lot of in the near future and I couldn't be more happy to see some fresh blood in Hollywood that didn't get to where they are by posing on the cover of a hot rod magazine.

Everything about this movie is so very perfect that it might seem odd to hear me say that I really felt like the Coens were putting their feet up and vacationing with this one. Everything is by the book and feels like so many other Coen films in the past, but even when they are slumming, the dynamic duo somehow manage to turn out material that blows most competitors out of the water. They definitely know film and are very accomplished artists; "True Grit" may be nothing new or special but it is highly entertaining and is one of those rarities that will please the cinema snobs and matinee popcorn texters alike. Check it out.