TRUE GRIT

Written and Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin

Rooster Cogburn: I'm a foolish man who has been dragged into a goose chase by a girl in trousers and a nincompoop.

To have grit, one should have an indomitable spirit. For that grit to be true, one would need to subscribe to the theory that grit can achieve some sort of altruistic state of constant existence but that’s just not how grit goes, far as I see it. From where I’m standing, grit is something that, for those fortunate enough to have it inside, shows itself when life requires it, in those situations when you suddenly find yourself needing to get through something you can’t imagine getting through. In TRUE GRIT, directors Joel Coen and Ethan Coen exhibit a whole whack of grit getting through their first “remake” but I’m not convinced they ever reached any real truth along their journey.

TRUE GRIT is said to be an adaptation of the Charles Portis novel and not the 1969 Henry Hathaway film that starred John Wayne and won him an Academy Award for his performance as Rooster Cogburn. The role has now been appropriated by another Oscar winner, Jeff Bridges, and, while I cannot comment on the how the performances differ having not seen the original film, I can say that Bridges definitely lays down the law as a dirty boozer of a U.S. Marshall who has agreed to help one feisty, young lady (Hailee Steinfeld) find the man who killed her father, so that she can have him brought to justice. Matt Damon plays a bounty hunter who is also looking for the same man and so the three reluctantly embark on their mission. This is a western though so the pace of this mission is much more trot than gallop, leaving a lot of time to talk about the weather. The performances drive the film but not fast enough to have kept my interest in achieving the goal.

The Coen Brothers are indisputably two of the most talented contemporary film directors around and this is abundantly evident in TRUE GRIT. They take their craft very seriously and have clearly done their homework here. That said, the aimless nature of the western genre might have been too much for them as it seems to have exacerbated their philosophical tendencies to the point of meandering ramblings. The film can be gorgeous, thrilling and engaging but it took a little grit of my own to get through the leaner parts.

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Black Sheep presents: The Belanger Brothers vs. The Coen Brothers

PART FOUR: O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?


Joseph:
I suppose it is somewhat fitting that our final Coen Brothers face-off is about O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? This is not just because I find myself asking that question most times we talk about film in general but also because one of the film's major themes is brotherhood. I was not a fan of this one when it first came out but I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. I won't suggest that this is a film for all. It is intentionally and often overly symbolic and it takes itself very seriously, sometimes far too much so. That said, it has a peaceful tone to it. If you read it like one big Homer-style odyssey, then it is a lot easier to enjoy the journey, no matter how lost it may seem at times. Oh, and to properly honour the film, I was sure to download the soundtrack when I was done watching. In fact, I'm listening to it now. Go ahead; mock me.

Matthew:
I wasn't going to mock you at all. The soundtrack is one of the best soundtracks to a film ever. I loved the music. Just thinking about the movie I have "Down to the River" in my head. For me it was tough to watch this movie. Setting the Odyssey in modern day seemed completely out of place and made this movie look like a poorly made fantasy/bank robbery/escape movie. It just seemed all over the place. Lost doesn't even seem to cover what this movie felt like. I enjoyed a few scenes, but this is not even close to being a good movie.


Joseph:
I find it funny that you would call the turn of the last century to be modern times but I suppose it is in relation to when Homer walked the earth. I have to agree with you; the setting is awkward and does not always come across the way it should. The Coen's were stubborn with this project. They tried to make something work when they might have known it wasn't. That said, I think that the scenes that do work, which is a good deal of them - the baptism by the lake, the sirens song, the Big Dan scene - make it functional, if not fully. What you need to carry you through this film is something to follow as a leader and as George Clooney is not strong enough in this film to do that, I chose to follow their unintended path - pursuing a treasure blindly because it is a seemingly easier score when there are already riches in their lives that they just don't see.

Matthew:
"Riches in their lives..." I almost gagged when you said this. All you need is love, blah blah blah. Hippy. They were unwashed and running from the law. A little money would have been good. Anyways, I did enjoy the Big Dan scene. The thing is, when it comes down to it, this movie isn't worth the memory it's taking up in my head. If I'm going to watch a quirky fantasy movie set in more modern setting, I'll watch THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN. Much more enjoyable film.


Joseph:
For one, all you do need is love but that wasn't what I was talking about when I referred to riches. I simply meant that while they are focused on a treasure, the Soggy Bottom Boys could be raking it in. You see? They had the treasure all along; they were just going about it all wrong.

Matthew:
The Soggy Bottom Boys make them sound like a tag team of bed-wetters. That would have made for a better movie.

Joseph:
O Brother ...

Black Sheep would like to thank Matthew Belanger for putting his disgust for the Coen's aside and participating in this series. That's my little brother y'all!

Come back tomorrow for a full length review of the Coen's latest film, A SERIOUS MAN.

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Black Sheep presents: The Belanger Brothers vs. The Coen Brothers

PART THREE: THE BIG LEBOWSKI


Matthew:
So when we talked about FARGO, I mentioned that it was one of the most overrated movies of all time. THE BIG LEBOWSKI is the other one. I always compare this movie to SCARFACE. Wait for it. SCARFACE and THE BIG LEBOWSKI have some great quotes to them. Some of the most quotable movies ever. But that's all they've got. When I talk to fans of the movie and tell them how much I don't care for it, their usual response is something like: "The Dude abides." I do enjoy the two John's (Goodman and Turturro) in this movie. I think they made their scenes entertaining. But I don't care to watch some useless layabout strive to do nothing and fail at that (and life) for two hours. The Matt does not abide this. The Dude is up there with Ernest (Ernest Goes to Camp) and Freddie (Freddie Got Fingered) as one of the stupidest characters of all time.

Joseph:
Yes, to think about The Dude for any lengthy period of time would lead you to think he is a waste of space. Coen characters are often those without voices though. You might argue that they don't deserve voices but in this day when everybody has a voice online, why shouldn't The Dude? That said, I don't feel that THE BIG LEBOWSKI ages well. I am not laughing as hard as I did when I first saw it but maybe the drugs I'm taking aren't as strong as they were when I first saw it either. This is a Coen Brothers stoner flick, which is to say I guess, an artsy stoner flick and I think, once the buzz wears off and the smoke has cleared, there may not be so much art to speak of waiting. Premise-wise, it is still a hilarious mistaken identity caper.


Matthew:
Why shouldn't the Dude have a voice? Because he doesn't want one. He wants nothing. He just wants to drink white russians and bowl. Which, sounds like a decent existence to some of this movie's cult following, but is a waste of space both in this world and on the DVD shelf. You call it a hilarious mistaken identity caper. Why? They have the same name. Are these gangsters from FARGO? Can they not think a little harder and realize that this might not be the right guy? I once lived on the same street as another Matt Belanger. That Matt Belanger has a blemish on his credit which showed up on my credit report. You know how long it took to clear up? 5 minutes. The only reason these storylines work is because the Coen Brothers live in a cartoon world where you don't need actual thought. I feel like Beavis and Butthead have not only been allowed to make movies but are considered brilliant for doing it. I feel like when these guys aren't directing they're just banging their heads against a wall and calling it brainstorming!!

Joseph:
Isn't that part of the point though? The Dude wants nothing to do with anything. He just wants to bowl and get stupid peacefully but life will not leave him alone. Sometimes life shines its light on those who would rather stay in the dark and that is what the Coen's have done with The Dude. He is a reluctant hero, which I suppose can be off putting to someone like yourself, who likes his heroes to smile, show up and want to be there, but that just isn't always the way life works. Yes, the plot could have been nipped in the very beginning but The Dude keeps it going by demanding compensation for his poor pissed-on rug. I agree that the Coen's take some elaborate liberties in this one but this doesn't come from banging their head on the wall ... "bonging" their heads against the wall is more likely.


Matthew:
I have no problem with a reluctant hero or one that doesn't smile. Some of the best heroes never smile. Jack Bauer. Batman. Bilbo Baggins. I have a problem with a hero that doesn't think. I have a problem with calling him a hero at all. This movie doesn't even deserve this much attention.

Joseph:
I don't think The Dude would want to be called a hero either but here we are. And you may noth think it deserves it but it's gotten this much attention and then some. THE BIG LEBOWSKI remains a favorite amongst Coen Brother fans. Can they all really be wrong?

NEXT: O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

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Black Sheep presents: The Belanger Brothers vs. The Coen Brothers

PART TWO: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN



Joseph:
There is nothing you can say to me that will take away from how I feel about this film. After watching it again for the third or fourth time last night, I can confidently say that NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is the Coen brothers absolute best work. I know I just said FARGO was their bast work yesterday but I've changed my mind. I'm allowed to do that. It saddens me somewhat to say that as it is an adaptation and author, Cormac McCarthy's solid structure clearly keeps Joel and Ethan in check here. Regardless, this film attacks with a hushed ferocity that never lets up and completely transfixes the viewer into this intense hunting session. They have dropped their signature quirk and let their characters be more human than ever before, making their filmmaking more disturbing than it has ever been before as well.

Matthew:
After reading what you wrote, I couldn't agree more. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is the best film among many awful movies. This is not to say I didn't enjoy it. They just make bad movies. I enjoyed "No Country". I found it gripping and filled with tension. The score and scenery were amazing. I found Javier Bardem to be the best part of this film. Everyone else played characters that were not stretches for them. Bardem blew me away. And the weapon of choice was genius. I think that this was the most accessible Coen film because they dropped the annoying wide-eyed acting. What you call signature quirk, I call annoying and the reason I wish they wouldn't make any more movies. I'd say my only complaint about this movie is the end. I found Tommy Lee Jones' speech at the end to be long and it went nowhere. The movie would have been much better off finishing right before this.


Joseph:
I will ignore your comment about how all their other films are crap and just focus on the fact that you liked this one. I find it particularly interesting that you would call "No Country" their most accessible film. "Accessible" is not a word I would associate with such a carefully paced film, let alone one that is so violent. I feel like you're saying that this is the Coen movie for people who don't like the Coens. And while I agree that Bardem was haunting and pushed himself personally (especially when you consider his heavy Spanish accent), I think that "No Country" put Josh Brolin back on the map and that Tommy Lee Jones really tapped into that sense of loss and defeat necessary to make the movie. After all, he is the old man from the title.

Matthew:
I am trying to say that actually. The Coens finally made a movie that people who don't like to Coens can watch. And while I also agree with your other comment abuot Brolin back on the map, I wouldn't excactly call this a stretch from him, which is a theme throughout Coen films. Actors (whether they have range or not) playing rangeless roles. What I liked most about this film is Carter Burwell's score. I am looking forward to seeing what he does with Where the Wild Things Are. The tone and overall feel of the film was perfectly set by the score. This was a highlight for me. I was annoyed that it didn't even get a nomination. It won so many awards it didn't deserve. For me this movie should have only won the Oscars for the DP Roger Deakins, Bardem for sure and the score. I would have preferred the Best Picture go to JUno (which would never happen) or THERE WILL BE BLOOD.


Joseph:
While I do love JUNO and THERE WILL BE BLOOD, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is an instant American classic. It is a distinctly American story and a culmination of so many incredible elements that make it a near perfect picture. In my opinion, and apparently also Roger Ebert's according to the BD sleeve, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is flawless.

Matthew:
You see, we were being so civil to each other and now you went and called it a classic. Making a flawless picture (which it's not) doesn't make for an instant classic. You have to have something that will stand out. Something that will make you remember. His murder weapon and his eyes are memorable. But this movie will not even rank in the classic category.

Joseph: There you have it, folks. My brother just called Roger Ebert a big liar.

TOMORROW: THE BIG LEBOWSKI

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Black Sheep presents: The Belanger Brothers vs. The Coen Brothers

PART ONE ... FARGO


All this week, Black Sheep will be taking a look at a different Coen Brothers movie each day in anticipation of their latest release, A SERIOUS MAN. Well, I am anticipating it; my brother, Matthew, is certainly not. In fact, I would think that he would be seriously boycotting A SERIOUS MAN but that would imply that he cared and when it comes to the Coen's, my brother likes to exert as little energy towards them as possible. This is why it surprised me when he agreed to partake in a little back and forth about four of the Coen brothers more prolific films with me. This would mean he would have to think about them and maybe even watch some of them again. He really came through though and for those of you who don't know us personally, you only need to know that we both love movies but have near opposite taste most of the time. It has in the past come to blows. Seriously.

First up on the chopping block, or perhaps I should say, first up at the wood chipper is FARGO.


Joseph:
FARGO for me is the Coen's best work. It's quirky but it's also very real. This is a story of desperation and how that can lead to unintended, horrible outcomes. The bleakness of the story is matched only by the Minnesota landscape where it is set and is only offset by the vivid colour of the performances by the entire cast. William H. Macy makes me feel so uncomfortable at all times; Steve Buscemi cements himself as the weird looking guy of indie film; and Frances McDormand is the film's soul. As that body is infamously being stuffed down the wood chipper, it becomes perfectly clear why FARGO won the Coen's their first Original Screenplay Oscar.

Matthew:
Fargo for me is one of the most overrated movies of all time. I find the characters to be typical quirky Coen brothers style but everyone in this movie is unrealistic and way stupid enough to fit into a Harold and Kumar movie. McDormand's Marge Gunderson is a character that fails upwards throughout the movie and has been considered brilliant by the film community for doing this. Buscemi, Stormare and Macy have played the same character over and over again, so not much depth there but it fits into the film so kudos to the casting director. The plot was ok but not remotely original. And the "infamous" wood chipper scene is the most overrated part of an overrated movie. Nothing about this movie makes me believe that the Coen brothers have any grasp on reality let alone a grasp on good film making. Where you saw vivid color against the Minnesota landscape, I saw cold weather and tired plotlines combined with typical Coen brothers wide-eyed acting.


Joseph:
It's funny to me that FARGO for you does nothing to ground the Coen's as realists when I think that the reason it works so well is because I can believe that this whacked out situation is actually plausible thanks to their fine screenplay. And don't you be dissin' Margie! She is tough, sharp and good at both her job and being a wife. The film community applauds the performance, not just the character, and McDormand follows the trail with as much amazement as the viewer does.

Matthew:
I have no idea if she's a good wife. One could argue that a pregnant woman as far along as she is running around in stressful and dangerous situations is not doing her baby any favors and, as an extension, not showing her husband respect. But as for tough and sharp, we clearly have different definitions of those words. I would think of her as more dimwitted and lucky. Sure she looks like a genius next the rest of the idiots in this movie, but this movie is one slow person shy of being a Trailer Park Boys movie. I will give you that though. It is realistic to have this bunch of inbreeds come up with this series of events.


Joseph:
The woman makes time for breakfast with her husband even though there is a murder investigation waiting for her. She even picks him up art supplies so he can sit at home and paint bad duck art. Now, that's love! And as for the inbreeding comment, I know you dislike the Coen's but that is no reason to start insulting their parents.

Matthew:
I did not mean the inbreeding comment towards the Coen brothers but rather the bunch of geniuses in their films. Although I do disagree that their parents don't shoulder some of the blame and deserve some of the ridicule. As for her making breakfast and funding her degenerate artist husband, thank you for furthering my point.

Ouch. I got schooled a little there. Next Up: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

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