The Duke would be right proud

THOSE crazy Coen brothers have done it again.
It’s always challenging to re-imagine a classic – and one starring The Duke himself, no less – but here, they’ve done it with their usual aplomb.
True Grit tells the tale of precocious 14-year-old bush lawyer Mattie Ross, seeking to avenge her father’s death.
It’s a bold appearance by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who hits just the right note in a challenging role. Watch for this lass to be the next big thing in movies.
Matt Damon is having fun as a Texas Ranger, but it’s Jeff Bridges as US Marshall Rooster Cogburn who steals the show.
Bridges’ booming bass is more felt than heard, and more heard than seen in his early scenes.
It’s a brilliant way to introduce this giant of a man.
Perhaps surprisingly, Bridges fills The Duke’s boots and 10-gallon hat to perfection.
The new movie is said to be more based on the original book, than the original film – yet it seems like an almost scene for scene re-shoot, with some new bells and whistles thrown in, of course.
Watch for the famous scene when Rooster grabs the reins between his teeth, and takes on half of Texas at full gallop with six-shooters blazing.
The Coen brothers have done right by The Duke, and the original film.
There’s life in the western yet.
True Grit will take you somewhere else for a couple of hours – and that’s all we can ask in this crazy world.
– Jason Beck