But then things went pear-shaped with 'No Country For Old Men': a dark thriller with some western elements. Most movie critics lauded the film, though I found the dialogue to be stiff and strained and the storyline to be far-fetched and difficult to keep track of.
I wasn't too thrilled with it's follow-ups: the bleak though star-studded 'Burn After Reading' and the only mildly amusing 'A Serious Man'.
On Thursday, I got to see the latest Coen outing: 'True Grit', starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and fresh new face Hailee Steinfeld. This in a press screening which took place at the NBC Universal HQ in Brussels.
It's always a special experience, attending press screenings there, not only because you get to see the films serveral weeks before they're released; also because you wouldn't guess there's a cinema when you enter the nondescript building in King's Street. There's this whole secretive vibe which looms around the visit.
Anyway, I liked the film. It didn't wow me the way the early Coen movies did - I don't think they'll ever get back to that original level - but I found the acting supreme, the backgrounds breathtaking and the attention to detail unparallelled.
'True Grit' is about a 14-year old girl (Steinfeld) who seeks to avenge her father's death by hiring a bounty hunter (a rugged Jeff Bridges) to hunt down her father's killer (Brolin in only a minor role). They're joined by a quirky Texas Ranger (Damon) in their quest through Indian territory.
The story clanks now and then, but both Damon and especially Steinfeld (Hollywood seems to have discovered a new breed of 14-year old ass-kicking heroines; young girls that talk trash like you've never heard - see Chloë Moretz in 'Kick-Ass') deliver magnetic performances.
It's a full-blown western with some ingenious dialogue and the odd hilarious scene (especially those involving Indians) which more than makes for an entertaining evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment