True Grit

True Grit

It is one of the year’s best films, hands down. Leave it the Coen brothers to keep both the “true” and the “grit” in their rendition of this superb remake. Just because the art of filmmaking has evolved dramatically over the past 41 years since the original “True Grit” doesn’t mean the new version will outdo the old. More often than not, it usually doesn’t. However, in the opinion of this reviewer, the new “True Grit” is better than the first—and on so many levels.

Jeff depicts Cogburn as the cantankerous, fearless U.S. Marshall with his own inimitable style, a bit darker and more human than Wayne’s portrayal, and for the second year in a row, he’s almost certain to be a contender for the Best Actor Oscar®. (He won it last year for “Crazy Heart.”) Supporting him was the also tight performance of Matt Damon, whose movies have now banked more than 2 billion dollars in Hollywood. After coming off of “Invictus,” with his stellar performance last year, he has taken another character, made famous in the original by Glen Campbell, LaBoeuf (pronounced “LaBeef” in the film) and made it his own.

Positive- Tried and true story, great screenplay and absolutely fantastic acting from everyone involved—what's not to like? Bridges, Damon and Brolin all did excellent jobs, but Steinfeld stole the show. She just nailed the part of Mattie.

Neutral- The original John Wayne film is a great classic, this new film, while enjoyable to watch, missed many of the finer points in the original film. There were too many changes from the original, especially the end that would disappoint those who found the original a great classic.

Negative- Reluctantly, I cannot recommend this movie. While it actually opened with a verse from Proverbs on the screen, and included hymns as a backdrop throughout the movie, it just didn't capture my interest much. I saw, and enjoyed, the original with John Wayne many years ago, but this version didn't match up.

My Score- 7.5/10

Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone

To start at the beginning: Seventeen-year-old Ree Dolly lives in a rundown house with her two younger siblings and a mother who is slipping into an ever-worsening form of dementia. Ree's the one who looks after the house: cooking the meals, getting the kids off to school, etc. One day, the sheriff shows up on the doorstep and informs Ree that her father missed his court date. The worse problem: He put the family's house up as bail. So if he doesn't turn up for his next court date, the house becomes the property of the state.

So Ree sets out to find her father. She talks to lots of people—backwoods people, I suppose. Most of them seem to be getting by, but only because they have their thumbs in a few illegal pies. They could help Ree, but leading her to her father could also land them in some pretty big trouble, too.

If you can get past the language, which is very tame by many movie standards, “Winter's Bone” is a very good movie. Its opening scenes depict a very bleak world… somewhere in the Midwest in either late fall or early spring. The leaves are off the trees, the scenery is lifeless, the world is washed of color. No one smiles in this movie, because no one, except for the young kids, has much reason to smile. The kids are happy, because they're too young to fall into that trap that happiness = a whole lot of material possessions. We come to realize that these two kids are really what Ree is fighting for.

Negative - This film is dark, depressing, and dismal. I wish I could remove it from my heart and mind, especially the sick scene where the main character assisted in removing her father's hands from his dead body via a chain saw.

My Score- 6.5/10

Toy Story 3

“Toy Story” was a revelation in filmmaking brought to you by Pixar animation. In the last fifteen years Pixar has continued to deliver incredible animated features for kids of all ages, even kids in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. From “Finding Nemo” to “The Incredibles” as well as last year’s “Up”, Pixar never ceases to produce winning films. While some of those movies may be more entertaining and complex, none of them are as endearing as “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2”. The folks at Pixar have brought us back to the world of Woody and Buzz Lightyear for one more adventurous romp that is a hilarious, touching, and altogether fitting conclusion to the “Toy Story” universe.

“Toy Story 3” is a superbly made film. The voiceover acting is outstanding, returning the likes of Tim Allen and Tom Hanks in the lead roles. Michael Keaton voices Barbie’s dream guy Ken in the film and is hilarious from start to finish. The messages in the film about loyalty, honesty, and friendship are timeless and presented in such a pristine manner.

As “Toy Story 3” neared its end, I began to realize how attached I was to these characters. It was like they were my toys, and it was the last time I was going to get to see them. Even in an animated movie the filmmakers deftly remind us that we’re growing up, too. They do so with an ending that packs quite an emotional punch to anyone who has followed these films over the last 15 years. I see a lot of movies, none of which bring me to tears, but there’s just something about the end of this one that’s really nostalgic, and the handling of it cements the “Toy Story” franchise as one of the greatest trilogies of all time.

Positive - Fabulous movie! I loved it! It fully lives up to its predecessors, continuing the story of some of our favorite and best-loved toys from the first two: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Bullseye, Mr.& Mrs. Potato Head, Slinky, Hamm, Rex, and the three aliens. It's funny and heartfelt, a fitting good-bye to toys that have become friends over the years.

My Score- 8/10

The King's Speech

The King’s Speech” is the story of an unlikely friendship. The setting is England in the 1930s. The film’s final scene takes place on Christmas Day, 1939 when King George VI delivers a holiday greeting to his subjects over the airwaves (that tradition began with his father, George V and continues today with his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II). There was little reason to be festive at the close of 1939. Germany had just invaded Poland, and England was about to enter World War II. Before that fateful year, the English seemed adrift and without a leader who could guide them through the coming storm. The Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler, the so-called “peace in our time” document. King George V had died, and his son, David, the future King Edward VIII, was next in line to succeed him.

Tom Hooper directs his movie in a concise and constrained way. He has a delicate, even polite, touch. It’s certainly a British film, but it’s not done in the stodgy Masterpiece Theater style of a lot of English period pieces, and it doesn’t attempt to be the kind of sweeping epic that David Lean used to make. It takes us back in time, and yet it has an immediacy that makes us feel as though what we’re watching could be happening today.

The acting is splendid. Colin Firth shines as the accidental monarch who wants to stay in the background but understands that time and country and fate have chosen him, and he must accept their proposal with the grace of a true king. Firth gets you to respect the king’s courage, but he also makes you feel the monarch’s sweat and tears. Geoffrey Rush, as the king’s teacher, complements and equals Firth, but never does one actor outshine the other. The performances are perfectly matched; nobody runs off with the movie or so much as pinches a scene. Rush has some memorable moments of his own when he auditions for the lead in a two bit production of Richard III. His portrayal is awful in the audition, but Rush reveals Logue’s love for performing and his deep-seated need for acceptance and approval in a way that is not embarrassing or cloying. His rejection is not the end of his world. It’s merely a part of it.

Positive - “The King's Speech” is easily one of the best films of the year, and it is due in no small part to Colin Firth's Oscar caliber performance. Firth sells his performance from the first seconds even before he says a single word.

My Score- 9.5/10

P.S. Colin Firth is definitely going to win Oscar for his performance.