True Grit
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I suppose if you have then CV of the Coen Brothers (too long to list) you can do a remake of a B western in which John Wayne won an Oscar, near the end of his illustrious career, do a standard job , with a great cast and get away with it, just ‘cause you liked the original. No one is brilliant all of the time, not even me. That being said this wasn’t bad. It was entertaining, Jeff Bridges, fresh off his Oscar winning performance in Crazy Heart, doing about the same thing only this time with horses, is good, As is Hailee Steinfeld , playing the young girl (the one with True Grit) out to avenge the murder of her father, having to rely on a mostly drunk marshal (Bridges) and a pompous Texas Ranger, Matt Damon, who seems miscast, but maybe he’s supposed to act like a dufus. All in all pleasant and entertaining, and as Douglas Adams once described the earth, “Mostly Harmless”. But I can think of better uses that $38 mil can be put to.
258 stars
The 3 burials of Melquiades Estrada;
In this old fashioned western Tommy Lee Jones, whose face is by now as rugged and lined as the far west Texas landscape where this story is set, plays Pete Perkins a rancher, who is out to fulfill a promise he made to his Mexican buddy Senor Estrada, who is accidentally gunned down by a thug of a border guard, played by Barry Pepper. When regular channels no longer work Perkins take matters into his own hands and sets out to bury his compadre in his Mexican village, with the extremely unwilling help of the shooter. A story of commitment, friendship and morality, set against the breathtaking west Texas scenery, that I know well. Written by Guillermo Arriaga (21 Grams, Amores Perros) a solid piece of work that stays with you. 350 stars and a quart of antifreeze.
Don’t Come Knocking;
Sam Shepard plays a cowboy actor, well past his prime, when in the middle of yet another western, he and his trusty horse leave the set for parts unknown. Ostensibly off to find some meaning in his life, he wanders back to the scene of one of his many romances, and finds that he has a son & daughter that he mislaid, during his drunken youth. His fumbled attempts to reunite with his now very angry son, prove disastrous, as do his ham fisted overtures with the boys mother, played by Jessica Lange giving an incendiary performance. This whole journey of self discovery is reminiscent of “Paris Texas” a film where Wim Wenders (the director) and Sam Shepard collaborated 22 years ago with much more successful results. Shepard is not a good actor in this film, and the whole piece lacks the resonance of 22 years ago.
100 stars.
The Proposition;
This Australian production is the antithesis of the regular Hollywood Western. No Filtration system here. Set in the outback of the 1880’s this brutal, spare, unflinching, look at outlaw life and it’s consequences. It is the story of three outlaw brothers their criminal rampage, and the authorities equally criminal retribution. The film opens with a blistering gun battle in which 2 of the three brothers are captured. Captain Stanley, brilliantly played by Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast), makes a deal with one of the brothers, Charlie, wonderfully played by Guy Pierce, (Memento) letting him go, if he brings in the third brother, Arthur, played also with a great performance by Danny Huston (dead or alive). He sets off to find Arthur in order to save his younger brother Mikey who is held behind as a hostage who will be hanged in 7 days unless the two other brothers return. And return they do, but not as the captain had intended. The violence here is of the seat squirming variety, not gratuitous, but completely in context, it’s just not a context that you want to be living in. A very grizzled John Hurt makes an appearance as a loony bounty hunter and Emily Watson also does a great job as Captain Stanley’s sophisticated wife trying to make some civility among the ongoing horror’s surrounding her. The acting here is completely outstanding by all the leads, the scenery and photography is likewise memorable, as is the music, by Nick Cave and the direction by John Hillcoat. If you have a strong stomach this is a wonderful film.
400 stars and too many knife wounds to count.
