True Grit (review with Spoilers)

[Afterthought]

this is a good old tale of revenge as young Mattie hires a U.S. Marshall to track down her father's killer. she picks the most ruthless one, but she too is ruthless. observe her bargaining skills with both the Marshall and the store owner. at only 14, this small thing could cut the wind with her words, impressive stuff. a Texas Ranger joins up with our odd duo, now making it an odder threesome if you ever did see. the Ranger wants the killer for a crime committed in Texas and a hanging is still a hanging in the Old West. we get an interesting doctor visit out in the middle of the woods that I won't spoil because it's just too funny to see.

after a failed ambush, the killer Chaney gets away, but never fear for our trio are still on his heels. granted the Marshall Cogburn loves the whiskey, so they aren't that fast. but is it better to be fast or lucky? because Mattie finds the killer down by the river (not living in a van sadly). sadly Mattie gets taken hostage and it looks like that's all she wrote for her, but for the valiant return of the Ranger. yee-haw!

some "fill your hands you son of a bitch!" moments later, and you think that's that. not so. Mattie has a rifle recoil moment of revenge that makes her fall into a pit, where she is bitten by a snake. Cogburn takes Mattie back to civilization as fast as he can, at the expense of her horse, but in return saves her life. though she loses her arm, you can tell this woman was a hard ass all the way. a last bit of narration, and the story ends.

despite it's revenge overtones, the film comes across in both a realistic and humorous way. some scenes are just plain funny.
it may be a simple movie with a simple plot but it has a complex family of characters who grow on you quickly.
the child actress playing Mattie was incredible, though I don't know if she can get an Oscar or not.
the debate will be who's better: John Wayne or Jeff Bridges, but Bridges is just more believable to me.
the movie ends up showing what the meaning of True Grit is, as being tough is just as important as acting tough.
overall - 9.12 smashies.

[OU8]

I've heard Oscar rumblings about this one.  We'll have to see.  You're messing with a legend (Wayne), so anything short of magnificent will have the skeptics shooting it down.

[OPIE]

Just got done watching this. It's a good one. Another accurate and well review by AT.