True Grit (2010)

I wasn’t wild about the original version and I was hoping that this remake would satisfy the disappointment that I felt when I watched the John Wayne version. I have to say that I think that this remake is 110% BETTER than the 1969 version. Firstly Hailee Steinfeld is brilliant and considering its her first role is astonishing. I also thought that the story was better told than the 1969 version as the Coen Brothers have done wonders with this story and there are classic Coen things in it such as characters that make brief appearances yet are instantly funny and every scene is truly wonderful. Like No Country for Old Men, there are some visually stunning scenes and everyone in the film deserves to be there.

Jeff Bridges is better than John Wayne but I just couldn’t understand him half the time and had to stick the subtitles on. It was only then that I could make sense of what he was saying. He was very good though. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin are also very good and they are also better than their originals. However it is Hailee who steals the film and is far more beleiveable in the role than Kim Darby.

This is possibly in my top three of films of most recent films and it just falls short of No Country which isn’t a bad thing. The Coen Brothers are great film makers and now what it takes to make a great film.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

I had no real idea about this film when I put it on but I want to state right now how brilliant I think this film is. Being a Cohen film it's got characters that are truly bonkers. Not one single character was worthless and didnt deserve to be there. Javier Bardem won the oscar for best supporting actor but to be honest he should have won best actor because he stole this film. Tommy Lee Jones would have stolen it in any other film but in NCFOM he has very stiff competition but when he's on he's very good. Josh Brolin is perhaps the third best but he's still relevant in the story and it was quite surprising that his death isnt seen on screen.

Every time that Bardem is on screen I just found him creepy. There was one particular in the film where Brolin's character has just discovered the tracker and Bardem is by the door, I found that very tense and it's been a long time since I have felt like that in any film. There were some scenes that I felt like this but it was the tracker one that stood out for me. I also thought that Kelly Macdonald is not in it very much but she is very charming when she is on screen and whilst I didnt quite buy that Brolin and Macdonald's characters would have got together, aside from that I thought that all performances were very good.

The Cohen's track record with directing films is very strong and I would go so far to say that this is on par with Fargo. Their directing style is very distinctive and like Fargo everything in NCFOM is there for a reason and there are some striking scenes which are lit beautifully by the sky and by artificial lighting.

No Country For Old Men is the best film that I have seen since this film blog was set up and whilst watching the trailer's I saw 'There Will Be Blood' and I have to say the trilaer sold me on that and I will be adding that to my list.