It's funny to watch the exact same movie filmed 40 years apart, and to watch both of them within a few weeks of each other. After watching John Wayne's version and reading that the new version was more closely based on the book, I think I expected more. Throughout I only spotted a couple of different scenes or scene additions. The Dude definitely did the part of Rooster Cogburn really different. He talked out of the side of his mouth, had a raspy voice, I assume from all the whisky and cigarettes he has smoked, but his demeanor was similar to The Dukes 1969 version. Crude and humorous. He fights for what he believes all the while he acts like he doesn't care about much of anything. It is quite easy to tell when his feathers get ruffled. LaBeouf (Damon) gets under his skin the most, and their arguments are perfect. The similarities are that LaBeouf is still a jerk Texas Ranger, Rooster is a drunken buffoon most of the time, and Mattie Ross is way too smart for her own good. It is acted to perfection. I'm still not sure how I feel about Damon playing LaBeouf, but Barry Pepper as Ned Peppers, originally played by Robert Duvall, is brilliant. His scruff and bad teeth combined with his missing lip was grossly appealing. The ending was a bit different, but I actually prefer the ending in the Coen Brothers version. Its a little darker, which really brings it home. I do love the cut of Jeff Bridges as opposed to John Wayne. Rooster is supposed to be grungy and drunk, but the John Wayne version was too clean. Bridges had the long greasy hair, and it played well. I will say as much as I love Bridges and anything with The Coen Brothers attached, I actually like the original True Grit a little bit better than this superb remake. I like the girl who played Mattie Ross in the new version a little better than the Justin Bieber looking original Mattie Ross. No complaints about either True Grit.
NBM rates True Grit (2010) - Phenomenal
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