Not So Gritty After All

Fort Smith, we have a problem.

We finally saw "True Grit" last week, and since the movie is certain to receive a few Oscar nominations tomorrow morning, it's time to give the movie its due. We first wrote about the movie one year ago, and like many, we were highly anticipating the Coen Brothers' remake of the classic film.

(Click on "Movies - True Grit" in the Labels List to read all of our posts about the movie.)
We love the work of the Coen Brothers; their Best Picture-winning "No Country for Old Men" is one of our favorite movies of all time. We knew it was a classic the minute we saw it, and it elevated the Coen Brothers in our minds to the status of "almost can do no wrong". Almost.

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(john wayne as rooster cogburn in "true grit")

.We're also very familiar with the original "True Grit" which won John Wayne his only Oscar, and which starred co-starred Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper and Strother Martin. And although we've always acknowledged problems with the original film, it was nevertheless very entertaining and has, over time, entered the pantheon of most beloved American movies. Even people who aren't crazy about the original movie will admit that it's respectably made and very entertaining.

And so you know what's coming. We can't help ourselves; we have to compare the new "True Grit" with the original. We know that's not the way to do a proper movie review, but then, we're not proper movie reviewers. Besides, if you're going to remake one of the most popular movies of all time, you're going to have to expect comparisons. Could you imagine if someone remade "Gone With The Wind" or "Star Wars" that most people wouldn't compare the remakes to the originals? Of course they would.

On its own, the new "True Grit" is good, there's no denying that fact. But we're sorry, Coen's, it's not all that you promised. Just before seeing the "new Grit", we heard an interview with the Coen's on National Public Radio, and they almost bragged that their version was superior to the original. They also made a big point of saying that their version was based on the original Charles Portis novel, not the original movie. That's strange, because the new Grit movie is an almost shot-for-shot copy of the original. There are a couple of new scenes in the new Grit, and a completely different ending, but if you looked at storyboards of the two movies side by side, they'd be almost identical. So let the comparisons begin!

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(john wayne and kim darby)

.John Wayne as the eye-patched Rooster Cogburn was a little white-washed, he certainly wasn't the drunken, dirty character from the novel, but he was good, nonetheless. He was John Wayne for gods sakes, and in 1969, that still carried a lot of weight. But Jeff Bridges almost went too far the other way, trying almost too hard to create a character which would shock somewhat in its dirty grunginess. And in the process he created a huge elephant in the room which we're very surprised no movie critic has mentioned: Bridges is doing Billy Bob Thornton from "Slingblade". We won't describe the "Slingblade" comparison any further, just see the movie, and let us know if you don't think the same thing. And sadly, Bridges just doesn't have the same gravity as John Wayne. The Coen's claimed that their "Grit" was about Rooster and not Mattie, but honestly, it didn't seem that way; Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie stole every scene she was in with Bridges.

Which brings us to Mattie. Hailee Steinfeld was very good; as we said, she stole the movie. But we're not sure she's that much better than Kim Darby in the original. In fact, Darby was a little more believable as someone who is obsessed with avenging her father's death. Steinfeld seems determined, but Darby seemed obsessed. There's a big difference.

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(jeff bridges and matt damon)

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The biggest improvement in the new Grit is, of course, the character of LaBoeuf. Matt Damon is an actor; Glen Campbell was not. Glen Campbell was cast because he was riding the wave of popularity as a pop singer at the time, but clearly he had no business being a movie actor. And out of respect for Campbell as a musician, we'll leave it at that. No we won't, he was horrific. But Damon is fantastic, and portrayed to perfection a character who is proud, thin-skinned and reckless, all the traits that Arkansan Charles Portis intended as a way to poke fun at a Texan.

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(strother martin in "true grit")

.Barry Pepper is good as Ned Pepper, but he's not as menacing as Robert Duvall was. In fact, Barry Pepper took quickly falls for Mattie and almost becomes a sympathetic character instead of someone so mean that you cheer when Rooster tries to blow his head off. And poor Dakin Matthews, who has to step into the role of Col. Stonehill, originally played by the legendary Strother Martin. Matthews is very good, but please, he's no Strother Martin. No one is, or ever will be, Strother Martin. Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney commits the same sin as Jeff Bridges, he tried too hard to create a "character" and almost comes off as laughable in the process.

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(hailee steinfeld and barry pepper)

.The cinematography in the new Grit is far superior to that in the original movie, and we're guessing that it will not only receive an Oscar nomination, but might actually win. But we were a little unnerved by how shiny and clean the town of Ft. Smith, Arkansas looked. Obviously, the Coen's were very proud of their town set, they highlighted it in one scene as if it was a character in the movie, but it looked like a movie set and not a real, lived-in 19th Century frontier town.

The biggest disappointment in the new Grit, though, above all else, was the music and score. The music in the original Grit was done by the legendary Elmer Bernstein, and even though some might feel his music was too "movie-like" and polished, it nevertheless helped to create real tension in several key scenes in the movie. The music in the new Grit was barely noticeable, and did nothing to add to the mood and feel of the story. The Coen's are famous for having a fantastic ear for music; their soundtrack for "O Brother Where Art Thou?" was so good that it beat out its pop, rock and rap competition to claim the Best Album Grammy in 2002. So it was particularly disappointing to watch the new Grit, waiting for music which would elevate the movie and key scenes, and it never came.

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(john wayne, kim darby and glen campbell)

.We'd still recommend the new "True Grit"; it's very good, and whether or not you've seen the original, it's very entertaining and overall, well-made. It will probably get an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, and it deserves one, but now, after having seen it, if we were the Coen's, we wouldn't be so quick to belittle the original.

More Oscar Grub

Last week we wrote a piece about the 2011 Oscar Race, and since then, more articles have been written about which movies and which actors are generating the most Oscar buzz.
The movies which we had previously heard had the inside track were The Social Network, The King's Speech, Hereafter, The Fighter and True Grit. Add to that list The Kids Are All Right, Inception, Toy Story 3, 127 Hours and Rabbit Hole.

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(colin firth and helena bonham carter in "the king's speech")

.New Summary: The Social Network was an early leader, but now has all but been swept aside by the critics' lovefest for The King's Speech. But wait, True Grit and The Fighter won't even be released until after Thanksgiving and are expecting to be major contenders.

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(james franco in

"127 hours")

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Earlier we mentioned the actors which were getting the most attention by the naked, golden man were Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton for "Stone", James Franco for "127 Hours", Sean Penn for "Fair Game", Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth for "The King's Speech, Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg for "The Fighter", Johnny Depp for "The Tourist", Stephen Dorff for "Somewhere", Jeff Bridges for "True Grit", Ryan Gosling for "Blue Valentine".

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(jeff bridges in "true grit")

.New Summary: Add to that list Mark Ruffalo for "The Kids Are All Right" and Javier Bardem for "Biutiful", but it might not matter, Colin Firth is blowing away the competition. At this point, they've practically already engraved Firth's name on the statuette, especially considering that many think he should have won last year. But don't count out James Franco. "127 Hours" opened strongly at the box office and despite the gory nature of the film, many critics are predicting that Franco could challenge Firth. But, we said it before, and we'll say it again, the horse which might take the lead on the final turn is Jeff Bridges for "True Grit". At this point, the Best Actor race is a three man contest.

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(annette bening in

"the kids are all right")

.As for the women, our previous list included Milla Jovovich for "Stone", Gemma Arterton for "Tamara Drew", Minnie Driver for "Conviction", Naomi Watts for "Fair Game", Natalie Portman for "Black Swan", Angelina Jolie for "The Tourist", Elle Fanning for "Somewhere", Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit", Lesley Manville for "Another Year", Michelle Williams for "Blue Valentine".

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(lesley manville in "another year")

.New Summary: Definitely add to that list Annette Bening for "The Kids Are All Right". After losing Oscar races before, two to Hilary Swank alone, this might finally be her year. Lesley Manville is a film festival favorite, especially at Cannes, but she'll have to get more mainstream attention to seriously challenge. Manville might be the classic example of an actor for which just getting a nomination is considered the reward, while no one expects her to actually walk away with the trophy. One on our previous list which can maybe be crossed off is Minnie Driver; "Conviction" is not exactly wowing the critics. A possible, strong dark horse is Natalie Portman for "Black Swan".

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(natalie portman in "black swan")

.We haven't yet split the actors into "Lead" and "Supporting" categories because, at this point, some of the actors on the buzz list could fall into either category, and into which race they'll eventually enter won't be fully determined until later in the season.

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To read our previous post on the 2011 Oscar race, click on "2011 Oscars" in the Labels list.

Oscar Grub

The race to pick the next Oscar winners starts earlier every year, but why not, the football world picks pre-season favorites, mid-season favorites, post-season favorites and winners for every season in between. So why shouldn't those of us who love movies not indulge our obsessions year round as well? With that said, here are some of the pre-season actors and films which are already getting major Oscar buzz. If you've seen any of them, let us know what you think!
.(mark wahlberg in "the fighter")
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.MOVIES WITH BUZZ: The Social Network, Waiting for Superman, Inside Job, The King's Speech, Hereafter, The Fighter and True Grit.

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PREDICTION: Expect "True Grit" to crush.

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(stephen dorff and

elle fanning in "somewhere")

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ACTORS WITH BUZZ: Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton for "Stone"; James Franco for "127 Hours"; Sean Penn for "Fair Game"; Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth for "The King's Speech; Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg for "The Fighter; Johnny Depp for "The Tourist"; Stephen Dorff for "Somewhere"; Jeff Bridges for "True Grit" and Ryan Gosling for "Blue Valentine".

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PREDICTION: This year's group of male Oscar hopefuls are dominated by several actors who have turned in consistently good work for several years but have never been recognized by Oscar. So we're guessing this year's winner will be one of those guys who the Oscar voters decide that it's finally his "turn"; Wahlberg, Firth, Dorff, Bale, Gosling, Norton and Franco have all never won an Oscar. Unless, of course, Jeff Bridges turns the whole thing on its ear and wins for the second year in a row for "True Grit". Don't be surprised if that happens.

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ACTRESSES WITH BUZZ: Milla Jovovich for "Stone"; Gemma Arterton for "Tamara Drew"; Minnie Driver for "Conviction"; Naomi Watts for "Fair Game"; Natalie Portman for "Black Swan"; Angelina Jolie for "The Tourist"; Elle Fanning for "Somewhere"; Hailee Steinfeld for "True Grit", Lesley Manville for "Another Year" and Michelle Williams for "Blue Valentine".

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(naomi watts and sean penn in "fair game")

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(milla jovovich and robert deniro at a press conference for "stone")

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PREDICTION: Jovovich has been a consistently good actor for many years but with never a break-through role; this could be it. Naomi Watts will get the liberal Hollywood sympathy vote because she's playing someone who was wronged by one of the greatest real-life villians of all time, Dick Cheney. We've also got not one, but two, potential Tatum O'Neal-type child winners, Fanning and Steinfeld. This one's a real toss-up, we'll have to wait awhile longer to see who starts to get the most serious buzz.

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Have you seen any of these films? Let us know what you think.

The Coen's Need to Clear More Space on Their Trophy Shelf

The Coen Brothers, who won the Best Picture Oscar for their already classic film, "No Country For Old Men", have just released the trailer for their remake of another classic film, the 1969 John Wayne Oscar-winner, "True Grit". The new "True Grit", starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, will open in December 2010, and is already being mentioned as a strong contender for a wagon-load of Oscars. We've been posting about the film since it was first announced as a project several months ago; to see all our posts about the movie, go to the Labels List on the right of this page and click on "Movies - 'True Grit'".

And Make Way for More Grammys As Well

The all star cast for the new "True Grit" includes Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.
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..And in case you're instantly entranced by the music in the film's trailer, as we were, the song is an old hymn, "Where No One Stand Alone" sung by the Peasall Sisters. If the Peasall name sounds familiar, the girls also sang on the soundtrack for an earlier Coen Brothers' movie, "O Brother Where Art Thou?". .
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.The soundtrack for "O Brother Where Art Thou?" won the 2002 Grammy for Best Album of the Year, causing an infamous outcry from a muscially ignorant P. Diddy who couldn't believe that a "country album" could beat a hip hop album for the Album of the Year Grammy. Oh, Diddy, Diddy, Diddy... maybe one day you'll actually know something about really great music. But we doubt it.

Hollywood Watch: "True Grit"

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(bridges in eye patch and steinfeld in black dress)
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We've written a couple of times in the past few months about the remake of the iconic film, "True Grit", which wrapped up filming in Austin, Texas a couple of weeks ago. The Coen Brothers project stars Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn, Matt Damon as LaBeouf and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie. Here are snapshots from the set in Austin.

Hollywood Watch, Part XV

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And speaking of Hollywood remakes, we've written a couple of times about the highly anticipated Coen Brothers remake of "True Grit", starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin.
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(click on "Movies - 'True Grit'" in the Labels List)
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The movie is currently being shot in Granger, Texas, (the stand-in for Ft. Smith, Arkansas), and these photos from the set popped up on the internet yesterday.
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We're guessing the girl in the black dress is Hallie Steinfeld, who's playing Mattie Ross, and of course, in the next photo is Oscar winner, Jeff Bridges, who plays the iconic role of Rooster Cogburn, the role which won John Wayne his only Oscar.
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And in the final photo is what appears to be the set for what is supposed to be Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
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Every movie fan in the world is holding his/her breath, wondering if the much beloved, classic film will be tarnished by the making of a another poorly produced, typical Hollywood remake. But with the incredibly talented storytellers, the Coen Brothers, at the helm, almost everyone is hopeful, and even excited.

2010 Oscars

The Oscars are over, thank god. That show will go down in television history as one of the worst Oscar shows ever. They have got to get a real producer. Holy shit!




Anyway, the big awards were no surprise, Sandra Bullock won Best Actress, Jeff Bridges won Best Actor,
Kathryn Bigelow won for Best Director and "The Hurt Locker" won for Best Picture.






Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman in Oscar history to win for Best Director, was fittingly given her Oscar by another woman who is one of the few to have ever been nominated as Best Director, Barbra Streisand.

Yawn. We're going to bed. We'll add gobs of pics tomorrow. Goodnight, Oscar!

Hollywood Watch - Part 3

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In the previous two posts, we mentioned a new film which hopes to become a classic, a remake of an already classic film, and in this post, we are excited to write about the upcoming remake of one of the most legendary movies of all time, "True Grit".

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(john wayne, kim darby,

glen campbell)

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"True Grit", 1969, based on the Charles Portis novel, starred John Wayne as the iconic character Rooster Cogburn, and won Wayne his only Oscar for Best Actor. He initially rebelled against wearing the famous eye patch, but director Henry Hathaway insisted, and when accepting his Oscar, Wayne whimsically mentioned that if he'd known putting on an eye patch would win an Oscar, he would have worn one a lot earlier in his career. The film also featured singer Glen Campbell in his first starring role as Texas Ranger "La Boeuf", Kim Darby as the young "Mattie Ross", and Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper in minor roles, "Lucky Ned Pepper" and "Moon", respectively. Also featured were well known character actors Jeff Corey as "Tom Chaney" and known other than Strother Martin in a small but amusing role as "Colonel Stonehill", the smooth-talking businessman who is outsmarted in business by the 14 year-old Mattie.

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(glen campbell as "la boeuf")

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Hollywood doesn't exactly have a stellar track record with movie remakes, so when we first heard "True Grit" was being remade, we were horrified. But then we heard that it's being done by The Coen Brothers, ("Raising Arizona", "Fargo", "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "No Country for Old Men"), we were not only relieved, but we're actually excited to see what Joel and Ethan Coen will do with the project.

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(above: robert duvall as "lucky ned pepper")

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Some of the cast is set: Jeff Bridges will play Rooster Cogburn, Matt Damon is La Boeuf, and Josh Brolin is cast, but no mention has been made of his role. We're guessing he'll play Ned Pepper. So who will play Moon, Tom Chaney, and most importantly, what young actress will win the role of a lifetime as Mattie Ross? The word is that the Coen Brothers want a complete unknown to play Mattie, and that they're currently holding casting sessions across the United States looking for someone to cast in the important role.

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The role of Mattie Ross made an overnight star of Kim Darby, and just as we mentioned in the previous post that every young actress in her right mind will vy for the role of Veda Pierce in the HBO remake of "Mildred Pierce", we're guessing the casting sessions currently taking place across the country to find the new Mattie are probably packed to the rafters as well.

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(kim darby as "mattie ross")

2010 Oscar Nominations

The 2010 Oscar Nominations were announced this morning, and if you've been following the other awards shows this year, there were no surprises. The winners are pretty much a foregone conclusion as well. The nominees are:

Best Supporting Actress-

Penelope Cruz, "Nine"

Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"

Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"

Mo'Nique, "Precious"

Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air".

Mo'Nique will win.

Best Supporting Actor-

Christoph Waltz, "Inglorious Basterds"

Matt Damon, "Invictus"

Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"

Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"

Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"

Christoph Waltz will win.

Best Actress-

Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"

Meryl Streep, "Julie and Julia"

Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"

Carey Mulligan, "An Education"

Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"

Sandra Bullock will win.

Best Actor-

Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"

Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"

George Clooney, "Up in the Air"

Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

Colin Firth, "A Single Man"

Jeff Bridges will win.

Best Director-

James Cameron, "Avatar"

Katheryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"

Quentin Tarantino, "Inglorious Basterds"

Lee Daniels, "Precious"

Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"

James Cameron or Katheryn Bigelow will win.*

Best Picture-

"Avatar", "The Blind Side", "District 9", "An Education', "The Hurt Locker", Inglorious Basterds", "Precious", "A Serious Man", "Up", "Up in the Air"

"Avatar" or "The Hurt Locker" will win.

 

NOTES:
The acting categories are a lock, there won't be any surprises there; the only real race is in the Director and Best Picture categories. In both categories, it's a toss-up between "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker".

*Katheryn Bigelow recently won the Directors Guild Award, which is almost always a precursor to an Oscar win, so we're betting on her. And besides, the Oscar members are human after all, and trust us, no one wants to witness another awkward, embarassing "I'm the king of the world!" moment from James Cameron.

Coincidentally, Cameron and Bigelow were once husband and wife.

Oddly enough, Sandra Bullock was also just nominated for a Razzie for Worst Actress of the Year for "All About Steve", making it possible that for the first time, the same person could win awards for Best and Worst Actor in the same year.

This is Morgan Freeman's fifth Oscar nomination, (he won in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby"), it's Helen Mirren's fourth nom, (she won in 2007 for "The Queen"), it's Jeff Bridges' fifth time out, (he's never won), but they all pale in comparison to the nomination queen, Meryl Streep. This year marks Meryl's 16th nomination! She's won twice, in 1980 for "Kramer vs. Kramer" and in 1983 for "Sophie's Choice".

Jeff Bridges' nominations span the longest period of time, Jeff was first nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1972 for "The Last Picture Show". He was 22 when he was first nominated, and now he's 60. Now that's a career... and a testament to the power of hanging in there and never giving up!

And speaking of hanging in there, 80 year-old Christopher Plummer made his first movie in 1958. And this is his first-ever Oscar nomination. Good for you, Christopher Plummer!

I Want it Naked, Hard and Golden

On Feb. 2, Anne Hathaway will announce the nominations for the 2010 Academy Awards, and the 2010 Oscar race will hit the closing stretch. Which means it's time for us to make our official predictions.

It's getting easier and easier to do this. Many years ago, there weren't nearly as many awards shows televised, and our 24 hour news society wasn't as celebrity-obsessed as it is now, so come Oscar night, there were many surprises when the envelopes were opened. Not now. By the time the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the Producers Guild and the Directors Guild Awards have been handed out, it's almost a lock to know who will win the naked, golden man. Remember that the SAG, Producers Guild and Directors Guild voting members are the same people who vote for the Oscars, so, duh, they give their hands away with those earlier awards shows. So with that said...

Best Supporting Actress:
The "Up in the Air" women will be nominated, and probably Diane Kruger from "Inglorious Basterds", and maybe another long shot, (someone from "Nine"?), but this one's a lock for Mo'Nique in "Precious". You can take this one to the bank. It's done. They've already inscribed her name on the trophy.

(mo'nique in "precious")

Best Supporting Actor:
Somebody from "The Hurt Locker" will get a nomination, and maybe Robert Duvall from "Crazy Heart" for sentimental appeal, and almost certainly Stanley Tucci from "The Lovely Bones", but this one also looks like a sure thing for Christoph Waltz from "Inglorious Basterds". As with Mo'Nique, he's won every award leading up to the Oscars.

(christoph waltz in "inglorious basterds")
 

(sandra bullock in "the blind side")

Best Actress:
The nominations will include Meryl Streep for "Julie and Julia" and Gabourey Sidibe for "Precious", but we hate to say it, this looks like the year for Sandra Bullock from "The Blind Side". It's another "Julia Roberts' Oscar year", which means Sandra will win, not for the strength of her performance, but because Hollywood and the public has had a long-standing love affair with her, but she's alway made light-weight, fluff movies which never garnered critical praise. But this year she put on an accent, changed the color of her hair and acted in some scenes in which her character glared hard at others and acted like a "forceful woman", and the Oscar voters will eat it up. These are the type of award annointments which erode what little credibility the Oscars have left; sentimentality and popular appeal rule the day, instead of critically meaty acting performances. Meryl Streep might surprise, but we doubt it.

Best Actor:As with the Best Actress category, this one's not a lock, but it's looking pretty good for Jeff Bridges from "Crazy Heart". Bridges is another Hollywood favorite who's long paid his dues with little to no glittering hardware to show for it, but in his case, as opposed to Sandra's, by all accounts, Bridges seems to have actually turned in a gritty, meaningful, deserving performance. Plus, as Oscar loves the Julia Roberts/Sandra Bullock roles where nice girls put on push-up bras and kick some ass, Oscar loves it even more when actors grovel in their own emotional vomit as washed-up down-and-outers. Robert Duvall won his Oscar for playing a country singer character very similar to Bridges'. George Clooney will get a nomination for "Up in the Air", but it's most likely Jeff Bridges' year.

(jeff bridges and robert duvall in "crazy heart")

 

Best Picture:
This one, of the major categories, is about the only toss-up. Almost certainly the major contenders will be "District 9", "Up in the Air", "Precious", "Inglorious Basterds", "The Hurt Locker" and "Avatar", but we're not sure who'll take it. We're guessing it might be "Avatar", which would be painful for us considering that we dislike science fiction films, and we certainly hate the egomaniac that is director James Cameron. But Hollywood seems almost afraid not to reward the big, epic, huge money-making crowd pleasers, i.e. "Titanic", "Lord of the Rings", etc. Don't hold your breath, though, "The Hurt Locker" could pull off the upset.