True Grit is a movie of revenge and how perseverance of one makes the most indifferent join their forces to a person’s willpower. Youth and age join the story with both displaying hot temper and cool wisdom. The plot is predictable.
What is not is which of the three protagonists-- a girl, Mattie Ross (14 year old, played by Hailee Steinfeld) bent upon avenging her father’s death, a youngish, fit law officer from Texas, eager to catch the same man as the girl because of the reward, and another man of law, a one-eyed, fat and old person with a subdued energy and laid-back attitude around him, ready to help the young lady for money–would survive.
The determined young lady who can take every hurdle with a pinch of salt has for her companions the reticent Texas ranger (Matt Damon playing LaBoeuf) and a U.S. marshall (Jeff Bridges playing Rooster Cogburn) two men fit and willing enough to venture into the tough Indian territory where their quarry has escaped. Only, they don’t see eye to eye with each other and part ways, to join, to part….again and again….till the final showdown where the traditions of the American West-- of endurance, of shooting right on the dot, and of doing good and not waiting for applause—are shown.
Revenge is taken. There are some losses…No love or sex interest in the story. Some dry, wry and black humor though. Bridges is good and has done good work with accents too. Damon has done well in the space given to him. The villainy of the main villain and so the taking of revenge is somewhat diluted because of some other bad guys coming in between. The final taste the movie leaves is of awe and regret –for the passing away of such men and such simple causes—both. Camera work is good. So are the action scenes, the long shots and the close ones both. See the movie!