Escape to the Movies: True Grit

[Gunnyboy]

No liberties taken in the original? Last I remembered, the little girl kept her arm in the movie. Not so in the book. How about this one? Do they go for the "she's okay!" happy ending this time, or do the "she had her arm amputated and died old and alone" thing that they did in the book?

She loses the arm, and never marries.

And the next person that calls this flick the "Citizen Kane of our Generation"

You know the funny thing is Fincher said "Citizen Kane of John Hughes films" and people decided to leave off the last bit of that quote.

Stereotyping is easy to do but to do it publicly and mean it shows a fair amount of ignorance on ones part.

You know the twins annoyed me, but not because they were stereotypes - I just didn't find them funny. However how were they different from the vast majority of black comedies featuring black actors? They weren't, yet Bay puts them in and it's somehow racist. The weird thing is, it's mostly white people who complain about them. (For the record, I'm not white.)

 

[jackiebrown22222]

The King's Speech overrated? Wow, there is no way that film is overrated. It deserves all the praise it's getting, and no leading male performance has matched Colin Firth in it this year.

The thing about True Grit that had me a little nervous was who wrote it, more specifically, the Coen Brothers didn't write it. Most of their best works, especially The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona, were written, directed, and so on all by them. When they took their hand out of one of the main elements of the film's making, I was a little apprehensive. Glad to hear you think it is good, I'll give it a look.

(Then again, the Coen Brothers wrote, directed, and did everything else for The Ladykillers and that film sucked. A lot. A whole lot.)

No, they did write it... where did you hear otherwise?

 

[Vrach]

Inception? Where is Inception on the best movies list? Bob?

Why did I see this one coming haha? I'd say just drop it, not everyone can have the same opinion.

It's not a matter of opinion really, Bob said in his review it's one of the best movies of the decade I think (even if not, he really, really liked it), so I'd say it's more that he forgot about it.

And speaking of old geezers who forgot about certain movies last week Bob... /poke

 

[solidstatemind]

Way to go Bob-- that's the kind of information I'm looking for when I read a review.

And it better be a MORGAN'S and coke, else you are just play-acting. (heh)

 

[duchaked]

seriously...SERIOUSLY>!>!>!>!?!!?!??!!?!?

c'mon, SNOW

you had ONE job...snow on Christmas...in North Carolina

and when you finally get a chance to even debut in December...bam you're ONE DAY LATE

hmph

haha jk it's all right, hope to see an Escapist video of Russ Pitts playing in the snow hahaah

 

[Nodrog]

Great movie. Unfortunately the previews made me aware of a new Micheal Bay Tranformers in the works. Hoho, can't wait 'till Bob get's a load of that.

 

[Nodrog]

Great movie. Unfortunately the previews made me aware of a new Micheal Bay Tranformers in the works. Hoho, can't wait 'till Bob get's a load of that.

 

[J-Alfred]

So... um... thanks for the review?

I dunno, I expected a little more from you for this, Bob. Not that this wasn't a good review, but you didn't quite go into the detail I wanted. I'm a little disapoin...

wait, scott pilgrim, kickass, and social network were your top three of the year?

all is forgiven.

P.S.: Rum and Coke is my drink too, Bob. Happy new year.

 

[comet5002]

I'm so glad he dropped the "bit" and didn't keep it through the entire review. It would have ruined it for me.

Still don't know if I wanna see this or not...

 

[Tim Chuma]

Just got back from seeing The Good, The Bad & The Ugly extended edition at the local cinema. I do still want to go see this film though.

Any chance of a review of Enter the Void? I don't know if many people have seen it.

 

[AvsJoe]

Did ya know Michael Bay is Leonard Nemoy's cousin?

Zuh? No, I had no idea.

I'm seeing True Grit on Tuesday with my dad. I can't fuckin' wait. It has been a while since I saw a good western and though I hate the genre, a good western is usually a damn good movie.

King's Speech is overrated, huh? Won't stop me from seeing it but thanks for the warning.

Douchebag cinema or not, I will forever love Bad Boys and The Island. The Island cracks my top 61 and Bad Boys would have too were it not for some of its terrible comedic scenes.

 

[jackanderson]

Good review, Bob! Sadly, True Grit isn't coming out in the UK until February so I can't see it yet. Nevertheless, I like a good western so I'm looking forward to it.

Now about your end of year lists...

Your best films actually mirror mine quite well. Here's my list.

10) Tron: Legacy
9) Restrepo: Outpost Afghanistan
8) MacGruber (shut up! If I'd seen Four Lions it might've gone here)
7) Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1
6) Iron Man 2
5) Exam
4) Kick-Ass
3) The Social Network
2) Inception
1) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
0) Toy Story 3 (it transcends such trivial lists!)

Ignoring The Expendables being in your worst films; how can you not include The Lovely Bones? It's quite possibly the worst thing (ok, 4th worst thing. Those "... Movie" films that I was forced to sit through beat it) I've ever watched! No list is complete without it!

And Amanda Seyfried as Hottest Thing On 2 Legs?! Not whilst Yvonne Strahovski is still breathing! (Unless I need someone a bit closer to my age, in which case Alison Pill)

Great year for Escape To The Movies, Bob! Happy New Year!

 

[Sodoff]

But I actually liked Pearl Harbor and Bad Boys (the first one) I thought they were harmless popcorn movies.

And I'm not a doucebag, am I?

 

[ProtoChimp]

One thing that is cool about Michael Bay is that he's not afraid to poke fun at himself, because I'm sure I remember an advert for something with Bay in it where he was taking the piss out of his own special effects obsession... of course he still hasn't made any attempt to ever improve his movie making skills but still. And props to Bob to at least admitting he was out of line, but yeah his movies are AWFUL.

 

[hendoben]

Well, whatever you do, don't put in too much effort reviewing one of the years finest works. That energy is best served geeking out over completely average fare such as Scott Pilgrim i suppose.

 

[Herald611]

This is a classic example of a movie that did not need to be made. The original was perfect, no matter how good this film is, it will only be a pale shadow of the original.

 

[Mr.Happy]

Loving how at the beginning Mannie Ross and the detective are white and the murderer is black... Bob you racist!!!

 

[MEEBO17]

I kinda want to see True Grit now, even though I don't like westerns. or mabye I'll save my money for Cowboys vs Aliens and have a laugh at that

 

[Aptspire]

Meanwhile, Quebec city has a friggin heat wave on New year
also, I will check out True Grit

 

[Optimystic]

Inception? Where is Inception on the best movies list? Bob?

This is exactly what I blazed in here ready to type up.

I mean, the ones he threw up there WERE good, but Inception didn't even get a mention. Black Swan at least got a shoutout.

This is a classic example of a movie that did not need to be made. The original was perfect, no matter how good this film is, it will only be a pale shadow of the original.

So how many people that saw this True Grit do you think saw the first one? And how many do you think even knew there was a first one?

I mean, I'd like Hollywood to slow down on the remakes myself, but I think 41 years is a long enough gap don't you?