Bridges steals the show

ONE thing I hate more than big budget films with weak plots is when movie makers get so lazy they dust off old classics.

However, when the Coen brothers make a movie it always has a unique quality, so despite this film having the same flavour as the 1969 original, it has a new taste. Since True Grit is a remake of the classic that won John Wayne an Oscar, the Coen's certainly had some big shoes to fill.

Casting Jeff Bridges in the leading role was a smart move and, since the trio had previously worked together on the Big Lebowski, there was an obvious ease to the production. Bridges is fantastic as Rooster - an old US marshal who bears an uncanny resemblance to a disgruntled pirate.

Rooster is without question the toughest dude in the west, he's a bit rough around the edges but you know he has a good heart. However, with all due respect, at times Bridges is so deeply in character that he fails to annunciate and some have claimed that the audience would probably benefit from subtitles.

The plot revolves around the murder of a farmer named Frank Ross. During a trip into town to sell some horses, Frank's angry employee Tom Chaney decides to shoot his boss, pocket the cash and head for the dangerous Indian territory to escape.

Ross' head-strong teenage daughter Mattie doesn't take the news of her pa's death lightly and sets about enlisting some help to track down his killer and bring the man to justice. She manages to persuade Rooster to join her in the hunt; although he makes it clear he's only in it for the money.

Hot on their trail to find the shooter is Matt Damon, who plays an egocentric bounty hunter named LeBouf, who happens to be after the same man for a separate murder. This role would be ideal to showcase Damon's talent ... provided he had any. Predictably he fails to provide much depth to the character and spends most of the film looking like a bulldog chewing on a wasp.

He tells the dynamic duo that there is a bounty on Chaney's head for the murder of a politician and so the trio set off in search of the killer for the reward and justice. The adventure begins right from the start as they deal with hostile terrain and some even more hostile characters along the way.

I have never been a huge fan of westerns, which is odd because I like cowboy hats and the phrase 'darn tootin!' ... yet, for some reason I really liked this film. It may have something to do with the fact I am a lifelong Jeff Bridges fan or perhaps it's the superb casting of Hailee Steinfeild as Mattie Ross.

The young actress manages to shine on screen, even against the backdrop of some pretty big stars. She brings a sassy, no nonsense feel to her character, whilst at the same time alluding some profound sensitivity and empathy. I see this young lady having a bright career ahead of her.

This film is a darker incarnation of the story than the original, but it manages to provide some well placed laughs. Even if you're not a fan of the Wild West, give this one a chance because it just might surprise you.

Showing in Cineco, Seef II and Saar Cineplex