Video review: "True Grit"

The Coen brothers' version of "True Grit" goes completely sideways from the 1969 film starring John Wayne. It is not really a remake of that iconic Western, but a new interpretation of the novel by Charles Portis.

Jeff Bridges' Rooster Cogburn is not likely to be confused with Wayne's. Though both played the one-eyed, over-the-hill lawman with a penchant for shooting first and asking questions whenever he felt like it, but the similarities end there.

Bridges' character seems not merely ill-tempered but downright morally indifferent to the violence he perpetrates. The only real difference between his actions and those of the men he hunts down is that he has the protection of the law on his side.

Hailee Steinfeld is a revelation as Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old farm girl who hires Cogburn to capture -- and preferably kill -- the man who murdered her father. Mattie is smart as hell and even more stubborn, and insists on tagging along. Along the trail they throw in with a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) with similar motives but very divergent sensibilities.

With its deliberately stilted, formal dialogue and black moodiness, the new "True Grit" is an entirely novel take on familiar material.

Video extras are a bit pokey. The DVD version comes with four featurettes about the cast, the costumes, re-creating Fort Smith and the character of Mattie.

Upgrade to the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, and you get three more featurettes about the weapons of the Western genre, Charles Portis and the film's bleak cinematography. It does at least come with a digital copy of the film.

Movie: 3.5 stars out of four
Extras: 2.5 stars

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Oscar picks and predictions

In a matter of weeks, this year's race for the Academy Awards has gone from an exciting wide-open contest to one of dull certainty.

"The King's Speech" has emerged as a strong frontrunner, and is setting up for a commanding sweep of the Oscars come Sunday. With "The Social Network," last fall's critical darling, fading quickly and "Speech" riding a box office wave almost unprecedented for a talkie historical film, the chance of any big surprises has been almost entirely drained from the proceedings.

I'm both heartened and dismayed by this development. On the one hand, there's no denying "The King's Speech" represents filmmaking for grown-ups -- the sort of mature, splendidly-crafted movie that critics complain there isn't enough of.

But "Speech" has a stale tang that's hard to deny, like a whiff of mothballs in a closet full of resplendent finery. A period piece about the trials and tribulations of the rich nobility, gilded with fine costumes and sets, and capped off by a conclusion that is as preordained as it is uplifting, "The King's Speech" seems to have been custom-made as Oscar bait.

I gave the film a very favorable review, while noting that it "lacks in novelty." But it did not make my Top 10 list for 2010, or receive an outpouring of adoration from critics.

Metacritic.com, which aggregates the opinions of the nation's highest-profile movie reviewers, lists only three who ranked "The King's Speech" as the best film of the year (compared with 22 for "The Social Network"), and it only ranked eighth in terms of total appearances on Top 10 lists.

One benefit of the "Speech" tidal wave: It makes prognosticating this year's Oscars a much easier affair.

Here then are my predictions of the winners, as well as my pick of who should win. I'll also highlight what I think are the Academy's snubs and flubs, by indicating an unworthy nominee and more deserving one.

BEST PICTURE

For reasons just outlined, "The King's Speech" will win, period. It has swept all the preliminary awards, with the exception of the Golden Globes, which are a joke. "The Social Network" has the only chance of an upset, however slim.

The list of 10 nominees is a mostly solid one, and I was pleased to see the tiny "Winter's Bone" get a nod. Though I found "Black Swan" to be pretentious drek.

Prediction: "The King's Speech"
Pick: "The Social Network"
Snubs & flubs: "Blue Valentine" instead of "Black Swan"

BEST DIRECTOR

This category is most notable for the absence of Christopher Nolan, whose "Inception" was the most original and audacious film of 2010. David Fincher of "Network" was considered a shoo-in, but Tom Hooper of "Speech" won the Director's Guild award, which nearly always predicts the winner.

Nolan's snub is vexing, but personally I thought Debra Granik of "Winter's Bone" had the finest touch behind the camera last year, and she also wasn't nominated.

Prediction: Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
Pick: David Fincher, "The Social Network"
Snubs & flubs: Debra Granik, "Winter's Bone" for Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"

BEST ACTRESS

It's between Annette Bening for "The Kids Are All Right" and Natalie Portman for "Black Swan." Despite my distaste for "Swan," Portman's strong, haunting performance is the only thing that gave that film any life. And she won the Screen Actors Guild award, a strong push.

Personally, I deemed Bening even better in the little-seen "Mother and Child." But 20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence commanded the screen in "Winter's Bone," eclipsing them both.

Prediction: Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Pick: Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Snubs & flubs: No complaints -- a solid list in an underwhelming year for lead female roles.

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges, a nominee for "True Grit," was the winner last year because of the widespread feeling "it was his time." The same can be said this go-round for Colin Firth, who does give a magnificent, layered turn as the arrogant but self-doubting monarch in "The King's Speech."

For my money, James Franco gave the performance of the year -- he was emotionally vulnerable in a way few actors ever dare to expose themselves.

Tough to knock anybody off this list, though the absence of Ryan Gosling when his "Blue Valentine" partner Michelle Williams was nominated grates.

Prediction: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
Pick: James Franco, "127 Hours"
Snubs & flubs: Ryan Gosling, "Blue Valentine" for Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nice to see some industry love for Melissa Leo, a fine character actress who broke out with "Frozen River" a couple years ago. Helena Bonham Carter was competent in a role of few challenges, while Dianne Wiest had a knockout scene in "Rabbit Hole."

Many think Hailee Steinfeld deserved a leading actress nomination for "True Grit" ... I don't. She was terrific, but it's a movie about Rooster Cogburn.

Prediction: Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Pick: Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
Snubs & flubs: Dianne Wiest, "Rabbit Hole" for Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Geoffrey Rush of "The King's Speech" seemed to have this category sewed up, but Christian Bale won the SAG award for "The Fighter." And it's a role unlike anything he's done before in his career, playing a guy who's a total trainwreck.

But I thought John Hawkes, a surprise nominee for "Winter's Bone," was better.

"Get Low" was touted as the Robert Duvall show, but Bill Murray stole scenes prodigiously.

Prediction: Christian Bale, "The Fighter"
Pick: John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Snubs & flubs: Bill Murray, "Get Low" for Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Christopher Nolan's best chance to get a golden statue for "Inception" will be in the screenplay category, traditionally a place for consolation prizes. If "The King's Speech" steamrolls, though, he may get shut out. The Writers Guild went for Nolan, but I fear it's not enough.

"Another Year" is a minor Mike Leigh work,while "Blue Valentine" deserved its status as Sundance darling.

Prediction: David Seidler, "The King's Speech"
Pick: Christopher Nolan, "Inception"
Snubs & flubs: "Blue Valentine" for "Another Year"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

This is the one category "The Social Network" seems to have locked up. TV guy Aaron Sorkin wrote a masterful script blending truth, fiction and social commentary.

"Toy Story 3" got an unexpected script nod, but if you want to honor animated films, start with the best of 2010, "How to Train Your Dragon."

Prediction: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"
Pick: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"
Snubs & flubs: "How to Train Your Dragon" for "Toy Story 3"

BEST ANIMATED FILM

With other nods for Best Pic and screenplay, "Toy Story 3" is a mortal lock. "How to Train Your Dragon" was fresher and poignant.

The arbitrary decision to limit the nominees to three shut out the deserving "Tangled." I agree that neither "Megamind" or "Despicable Me" are worthy, but what's wrong with having four nominees?

Prediction: "Toy Story 3"
Pick: "How to Train Your Dragon"
Snubs & flubs: "Tangled"

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Prediction: "Waste Land"
Pick: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"
Snubs & flubs: "Freedom Riders" for "Gasland"

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Prediction: "Strangers No More"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Prediction: "Incendies"
Pick: "Biutiful"
Snubs & flubs: "Lebanon" for "Outside the Law"

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Prediction: "The King's Speech"
Pick: "True Grit"
Snubs & flubs: "Winter's Bone" for "The Social Network"

MAKEUP

Prediction: "Barney's Version"

ART DIRECTION

Prediction: "The King's Speech"
Pick: "Alice in Wonderland"

COSTUME DESIGN

Prediction: "The King's Speech"
Pick: "Alice in Wonderland"


ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Prediction: "Day & Night"
Pick: "Madagascar, a Journey Diary"

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Prediction: "Na Wewe"
Pick: "God of Love"

FILM EDITING

Prediction: "The King's Speech"
Pick: "127 Hours"
Snubs & flubs: "Inception" for "Black Swan"

SOUND MIXING

Prediction: "The King's Speech"
Pick: "Inception"

SOUND EDITING

Prediction: "Inception"
Pick: "Inception"

ORIGINAL SONG

Prediction: "We Belong Together" by Randy Newman, "Toy Story 3"
Pick: "If I Rise," A.R. Rahman, Dido and Rollo Armstrong, "127 Hours"

ORIGINAL SCORE

Prediction: "The King's Speech" by Alexandre Desplat
Pick: "How to Train Your Dragon" by John Powell

Review: "True Grit"

The Coen brothers' remake of John Wayne's signature role seemed like a bad idea. And yet, despite not departing significantly from the 1969 film in plot, they've managed to put an entirely new and highly engaging twist on "True Grit" in terms of tone and mood.

Wayne's outing as one-eyed drunkard/lawman Rooster Cogburn -- he won an Oscar for it, and Jeff Bridges probably will get nominated, too -- was a G-rated picture of high adventure and comedy. The Coen writing/directing duo, Joel and Ethan ("No Country for Old Men"), deliver an unsurprisingly darker version, both in the quantity of the violence and the timbre of the humor.

(Although, how this paean of bloody shootings, stabbings, hangings and severings got a PG-13 rating is another testament to the vagaries of the MPAA.)

Perhaps the Coens' "True Grit" is best thought of not as a remake of the Wayne film, but an entirely new interpretation of the novel by Charles Portis. It is told from the perspective of an older woman remembering the seminal experience of her life at the age of 14 -- her recollections no doubt colored by the passage of time and some intrusion of imagination.

Mattie Ross is surely the most obstinate, opinionated girl from Yell County, Arkansas. After her father is shot down by a no-account halfwit named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), she attends to all the affairs, including transport of the body and haggling with a local businessman over the disposition of his mules.

Mattie is played by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld in a film debut that immediately announces the arrival of a young but formidable talent. Her clear-eyed, head-on performance is so immediate and pure that we do more than adore Mattie; we respect the hell out of the little son of a gun.

Set on hiring a U.S. Marshal to hunt down Chaney, she chooses Cogburn because he is reputed to be the meanest. We first meet him being grilled in a courtroom by a defense lawyer who demands to know how many men he has shot in the line of duty. "Shot or killed?" Cogburn lazily retorts, though it doesn't feel like bluster.

Bridges goes completely sideways from The Duke in portraying Cogburn, whom he inhabits with a slouching, slurring, nonchalant competence. Rooster is overly fond of whiskey, and is the first to admit he has grown too old and fat for this line of work, yet there's no denying he gets the job done -- even if it means waylaying culprits rather than arresting them, and arranging facts to fit the outcome.

Mattie tags along through sheer stubbornness; she wants to see the job done, and if possible pull the trigger on Chaney herself. Joining them is La Bouef (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger who wears flamboyant buckskin and might seem boastful if he didn't have the goods to back it up.

La Bouef has been hunting Chaney on another warrant for months, and throws in with them, despite Cogburn's constant insults and the presence of a girl. There's also a thrilling, slightly creepy hint of attraction between the Ranger and Mattie, despite at least 20 years age difference.

The Coens' world feels rich and detailed; the characters do and say things not just to further the plot but make us believe they have an expansive history of which we're only seeing a tiny slice.

Cogburn talks while he rides, ruminating over ex-wives and the Green Frog, a tavern he used to own and run. He circles rope around his bedroll to keep snakes out, which sounds like nonsense -- until you Google it and find out it works. (Their soft underbellies don't like the feel.)

The language of the dialogue is comically formal and stiff, with hardly a contraction: "The ground is too hard. If these men wanted a decent burial, they should have got killed in the summer," Cogburn notes.

But the Coens, who love to play around with the conventions of film genres, aren't just goofing: They're setting the audience up.

There's a scene about an hour in of sudden, horrible violence, and we sense the filmmakers have been easing a noose around our necks with the tongue-in-cheek humor and stilted talk. That sharp bloodletting is them jerking our heads back, like the snap of a hangman plying his trade.

Remake, re-imagining, call it what you will -- "True Grit" is truly the Coens' best movie in a decade.

3.5 stars out of four

Fall/winter film preview

September and October used to be the dregs for movies, but 2010 actually offers a strong lineup for the early fall season, including "The Social Network" and Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" sequel.

November and December are shaping up nicely, too, with the usual spate of serious-minded Oscar hopefuls, not to mention the beginning of the end for "Harry Potter."

Here's a rundown of autumn's film offerings, with my highly subjective take on the buzz surrounding each movie: Tops, Taps or Tipping either way.

Release dates are subject to change.

The Town (Sept. 17) -- Ben Affleck's back in a big way in this gritty drama about a close-knit family of Boston bank robbers. Affleck also directed and co-wrote. Tops

Easy A (Sept. 17) -- Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter" gets an edgy update in this comedy starring Emma Stone as a high-school loser who becomes notorious when she pretends to be a promiscuous harlot. Tipping

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Sept. 24) -- Everything's cyclical, especially movies and financial markets. Michael Douglas reprises his Oscar-winning role as shark Gordon Gekko, with Shia LaBeouf as his eager new wingman. Tipping

You Again (Sept. 24) -- Kristen Bell plays a beautiful swan forced to revisit her ugly duckling days when confronted with her high school tormenter marrying her brother. Jamie Lee Curtis, as her mother, replicates the conflict with old foe Sigourney Weaver. Tipping

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (Sept. 24) -- After three ultra-violent flicks, director Zack Snyder ("Watchmen," "300") tackles a PG-rated animated adventure about owls. We'll see if audiences give a hoot. Taps

The Social Network (Oct. 1) -- There's tremendous hype surrounding this cinematic account of the birth of Facebook. Indie star Jesse Eisenberg goes mainstream playing CEO Mark Zuckerberg, depicted as back-stabbing schemer. Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Tops

Stone (Oct. 1) -- Here's a creepy love triangle: Robert De Niro plays a parole officer facing retirement, Edward Norton is the skeevy convict who is his last case, and Milla Jovovich plays the criminal's wife who acts as temptress. Tipping

Let Me In (Oct. 1) -- Between "Let the Right One In" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," the Swedes are providing a lot of fodder lately for Hollywood remakes. I'm dubious, but the casting of Chloe Moretz from "Kick-Ass" as a girl vampire lends hope. Tipping

Secretariat (Oct. 8) -- Diane Lane plays Penny Chenery, the dilettante housewife who owned the Triple Crown-winning Secretariat, in a drama more about the woman than the horse. Tipping

Nowhere Boy (Oct. 8) -- Another "Kick-Ass" star, Aaron Johnson, stars in this biopic of a young John Lennon before The Beatles made it big. Tipping

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Oct. 15) -- After the lackluster second installment in the Swedish trilogy about disturbed computer genius Lisbeth Salander, I'm inching toward the delete key. Taps

Red (Oct. 15) -- Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich play retired CIA agents on the run in this spy comedy. The preview with Mirren firing a massive machine gun is strangely compelling. Tipping

Conviction (Oct. 15) -- Another Oscar nomination for Hilary Swank? It's shaping up that way in this true-life story of a high-school dropout who became a lawyer to get her brother's murder conviction overturned. With Sam Rockwell. Tops

The Company Men (Oct. 22) -- Picking up the thematic threads of "Up in the Air," Ben Affleck stars as a hotshot executive who gets laid off, and struggles to pick up the pieces. With Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner. Tops

Hereafter (Oct. 22) -- There's been almost a total information blackout about Clint Eastwood's new movie, other than it stars Matt Damon and has something to do with the afterlife. Let's hope he doesn't go all M. Night Shymalan on us. Taps.

Monsters (Oct. 29) -- This could be the next low-budget sci-fi/thriller to break out, a la "District 9." It's about -- you guessed it -- critters from another planet. Taps

127 Hours (Nov. 5) -- James Franco plays Aron Ralston, a real-life mountain climber who amputated his own arm after being trapped. From "Slumdog Millionaire" writer/director Danny Boyle, so it's got a great pedigree, but the trailer deceptively avoids what the movie is actually about. Tipping

Megamind (Nov. 5) -- Is it me, or does this DreamWorks animated flick seem suspiciously similar to "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"? (Google it.) The evil scientist is the protagonist, and his Superman-ish nemesis plays the heavy. Tipping

Due Date (Nov. 5) -- "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips re-teams with star Zach Galifianakis for another raunchy road trip comedy, this time with Robert Downey Jr. as an expectant father. Tipping

Fair Game (Nov. 5) -- Seven year later, will people remember the Valerie Plame scandal, let alone want to buy a ticket to see a one-sided dramatization starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts? Taps

Morning Glory (Nov. 12) -- Harrison Ford trades in his bullwhip for a news anchor pompadour in this dramedy about an ambitious TV producer who hires a crotchety journalist to co-host a lightweight morning show. With Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams. Tops

Unstoppable (Nov. 12) -- Denzel Washington must really like trains, and director Tony Scott. After "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," he stars (with Chris Pine) in this thriller about a runaway train. Tipping

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part I (Nov. 19) -- And people thought "The Lord of the Rings" milked its finale. The final chapter of the epic journey of a boy wizard, in which Harry goes wand-to-wand with Voldemort, is being split in two. You'll have to wait until July 15 for the real end. Tipping

The Next Three Days (Nov. 19) -- Russell Crowe plays a regular schmo determined to break his wife (Elizabeth Banks) out of prison after she's falsely convicted of murder. With Liam Neeson. Tipping

Love and Other Drugs (Nov. 24) -- Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal are bed-hopping types who hook up, but then he wants to Get Serious in this romantic comedy/drama. Tipping

Burlesque (Nov. 24) -- Based on the preview, this musical starring Cher trips over every cliché of the small-town-girl-goes-to-the-big-city shtick. Taps

Tangled (Nov. 24) -- The Rapunzel fairy tale gets a modern updating in this Disney animation movie that emphasizes action/adventure over princesses. Tipping

Black Swan (Dec. 1) -- Director Darren Aronofsky channels Ingmar Bergman's "Persona" in this stylized drama about rival ballet stars. Starring Natalie Portman. Tipping

The Fighter (Dec. 10) -- Mark Wahlberg stars in this biopic about boxer Micky Ward, a never-say-quit type coached by his reformed brother (Christian Bale). Tipping

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Dec. 10) -- After the second film based on the C.S. Lewis fantasy books disappointed, the franchise switched studios and directors -- never a good omen. Taps

How Do You Know (Dec. 17) -- Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson play a romantic triangle in what would appear to be another dopey romantic comedy. Except for two things: Writer/director James L. Brooks ("As Good As It Gets") and co-star Jack Nicholson. Tops

TRON: Legacy (Dec. 17) -- A box office flop that became a Gen-X cultural touchstone, the CGI-pioneering film gets a sequel nearly 30 years later. Jeff Bridges reprises his role as a video game designer, inside which his son is trapped. Will anyone born after 1990 care? Tipping

Yogi Bear (Dec. 17) -- Here's a TV retread for those put off by the snooty intellectualism of "Alvin and the Chipmunks." Taps

Country Strong (Dec. 22) -- Hollywood loves movies about down-and-out country singers making a comeback. Gwyneth Paltrow stars, and sings, apparently pretty well. Tipping

Little Fockers (Dec. 22) -- Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro team up a third time as a father and son-in-law odd couple. Sounds naughty, looks crappy. Taps

Gulliver's Travels (Dec. 22) -- A super-sized Jack Black stars in a very divergent adaptation of Jonathan Swift. Taps

Somewhere (Dec. 22) -- After the stylized stumble of "Marie Antoinette," writer/director Sofia Coppola appears to be back in understated "Lost in Translation" mode with this drama about a movie star (Stephen Dorff) downshifting from the high life. The film took top prize at the Vince film festival. Tipping

True Grit (Dec. 25) -- John Wayne's signature role gets remade by the Coen brothers ("No Country for Old Men"). With Jeff Bridges taking over the eye patch of marshal/hired gun Rooster Cogburn. Revisionist Western? Smile when you say that, pilgrim-O. Tipping

The Debt (Dec. 29) -- Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington star in this drama about Israeli agents sent to hunt down a notorious Nazi, only to face recriminations 30 years later. Tops

Blue Valentine (Dec. 31) -- Not too much is known about this romantic drama, other than it stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, it jumps around in time, and it was a Sundance favorite. Tops