True Grit (A)

Hailee Steinfeld faces off against Jeff Bridges

With messages you don't usually see in modern films, True Grit manages to ride above a typical revenge flick to become a new classic western.
The introduction has a middle-aged woman telling a story from when she was fourteen and her loving father had been unjustly murdered by a hired hand named Tom Chaney. The film then cuts to the lady as a fourteen-year-old in a very tough wild west Arkansas where no one seems to care or sympathize at her loss. The girl, named Mattie Ross, is intent on both securing her father's assets and hiring a bounty hunter to capture the killer and bring him back for trial. For the second half of her to-do list she goes to Rooster Cogburn who, despite his heavy drinking, is rumored to be the best hunter around. Chaney has a head start, though, and Mattie is clashing with another bounty hunter--La Boeuff--who had pursued Tom without success from Texas, so the mission seems risky at best.
It is somewhat uncomfortable seeing that the entire basis of the movie is a girl getting retribution; that said, we are told Chaney leaves a trail of bodies all over the nation. Even so, Mattie doesn't seem to concerned with stopping future crimes--she is motivated by vengeance and vengeance alone. This already awkward scenario is further amplified by the use of hymns throughout the film. These might serve as a mockery of religion in a dark world, but could be accepted as merely to show that no one but God cares for anyone (such as Mattie) or anything (such as justice). Both objections are valid and could provide a good reason to skip the film; it must be pointed out though that justice and spiritual allusions are not in and of themselves the worst things to grace cinema (as anyone who sees Little Fockers instead of this will be sure to notice).
A more obvious problem with the film is the character of Mattie. Though acted well and fascinating to watch, she is unrealistically smart; secure; and emotionally-balanced. I doubt many if any fourteen-year-olds would calmly negotiate when having their recently deceased father's goods being unjustly taken away, or keep their cool after waking up to a government official in their room insulting and threatening to both sexually and physically abuse them, or show no emotions when shot at, or take any of the trials Mattie faces as well as she does.
These faults shown, it must be said True Grit manages to rise above "cynical revenge-flick" and become an exceptional movie. Good contributing factors are that it is well-made, and also is good fun, and also has some excellent acting. That last point should be reiterated: Jeff Bridges as Cogburn and Matt Damon as La Boeuff are both exceptional (Josh Brolin as Chaney is barely shown), but Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie is so amazingly in depth and able to convey so many emotions the character is practically believable and we can ignore the doubt to enjoy the story. Probably the biggest atrocity of the year is the choice to have Steinfeld be submitted for awards as a supporting actress when she is undoubtedly not the just the star of the movie but one of the acting champions of the year.
The best part of the film is a bit more original, though. With such an undoubtedly cool character as Cogburn it would have been very tempting for the movie to follow the trends and revel in a general contempt for the law and organized government. Fortunatly, the writer/directors are Joel and Ethan Coen (O Brother, Where Art Though) who hate being predictable almost as much as they hate the G-rating, and choose to faithfully adapt Charles Portis's novel with a balanced portrayal of authority. Sure, the more legal heroes have natural corruption, but we see just a bit more beneath all that. It is hard to explain more without spoilers, but hopefully just knowing the movie manages not to be such an Avatar will make one want to see it.
While not a negative point, it seems imperative that a warning should be given: The PG-13 rating is a stretch here. The language squeaks under the MPAA barrier and sexual content is (shockingly!) absent, but the violence is graphic. Younger viewers (and squeamish older ones) will doubtless be disturbed by the splattering flesh, severed fingers, and other bloody images as well as painfully harsh treatment to a child. Most of us can simply enjoy the excitement of it all, but it seems necessary that everyone knows what they are getting into.
The violence is not a substitute for plot, though. It is simply there to build setting, and the picture has perfect pacing and an excellent story, making it both riveting and entertaining.
While it seems shocking that I am giving a movie with so many negative elements an A, I have to say the True Grit is an unusually good film as well as an enjoyable one and is definitely worth a look.

Little Fockers (C+)

Do you choke up with giggles when you remember that most men have penises? Do you guffaw with laughter when someone passes gas? Do you pay eight bucks to hear a couple play-on-words involving "f---" and see Jessica Alba in her underwear? If the answer to any of these is no, then don't see Little Fockers.
The sheer amount of talent in this third installment of the Meet the Parents series is intriguing, mostly in the sense of intriguing that occurs when we laugh in schadenfreude and say "What were they thinking?." Of course, it is also a bit infuriating considering 10% of Americans are unemployed and somebody (actually two somebodies) got payed more than you will make in a life-time for dictating a two-year-old's 90 minute potty-joke and then calling it a screenplay. Ben Stiller returns as Gaylord (don't think they are gonna miss a chance to make a joke on that name) Focker, or Greg as he is known to most everyone including his wife (Teri Polo), his father (Dustin Hoffman), his mother (Barbara Streissand), his old friend (Owen Wilson), and his mother-in-law (Blythe Danner). His father-in-law Jack Byrnes (Robert Da Niro), on the other hand, thinks his name-change is just another trick and spends his life (and his weakening heart) seeing if his suspicions that Greg is a cheating flake are true. Byrnes's suspicions seem to be coming true as Focker's coworker (Jessica Alba) becomes a bit too flirtatious. Written by Larry Stuckey and John Hamburg (the first two Focker-flicks), the movie is directed by Paul Weitz (American Pie, Cirque Du Freake).
There is a positive element in Fockers 3: the touching relationships between each couple. This is far to menial in a film that lacks any touches of true comedy and thus substitutes with Alba's breasts.
While it is still making tons of money, anyone who wants to save time and money should skip this utterly humorless and artistically empty threequel.

The Warrior's Way (A-)

Fantastic art direction and awe-inspiring visuals make this truly an action adventure.
Yang (Korean star Jang Dong-gun) had been trained as an assassin since a young age, and was really good at it. Really good. He looks at a perfectly tranquil pond and is able to spot the nearest killer lurking in its depths and slash him in half. He is unfazed when the entire pond comes alive with a score warriors. And he calmly cuts them down in less than thirty seconds. In fact, Yang is so good he practically single-handedly takes down an entire tribe of trained murderers--except for one. Upon seeing an adorable little infant (Analin Rudd), he finds himself unable to do his usual tricks, and instead decides to adopt it (seeing as his sword just snipped her parent's lives short a few years). This action is inexcusable with his tribe and master, and him and the child are now the most wanted men in Asia. So Yang leaves Asia. Enter The Wild West.
The touching-yet-melancholy ending might turn off some, but one should probably realize that the film is more about Lynne (Kate Bosworth of 21), the vengeful cowgirl (in the sense of having guns and liking sand, not in tending cattle) who's life is touched by the child and her foster-parent. Is there romance? Duh. But there is quite a bit more. First off, you have that mysterious town drunk (Geoffrey Rush of Shine and Quill), and that pesky swordsman chasing Yang (Ti Lung), and the vicious gang-leader (Danny Huston) who murdered Lynne's family ten years ago when she burned half his face off during an attempted rape.
Other than perhaps Legend of the Guardians, this film is the most beautiful picture this year. The scenery, the costumes, all the surreal imagery...It is truly incredible. Desserts are usually ugly and unpleasant to the eye, but in this film it seems like a combination of Middle Earth and Neverland. The art direction (from Phillip Ivey and Writer/Director Sngmoo Lee) is award-worthy and a reason to see the film in and of itself.
Of course there is a far bigger reason to see it: the action! Aside from the inherent FREAKINGSWEET!ness of cowboys versus ninjas (if that is what the Asiatic assassins are), the film finds every possible way to kill a person and then a few ways that I think would be rather difficult. This is all beautifully choreographed as if it is a ballet (with blood), a nice contrast from the blunt barrage of beatings generally offered in movies.
As for the story, it is nothing incredible, but it has a good message and can be quite touching--if you keep in mind the previous warning. Of course, the movie is more show than substance, but it has real themes and it is a show like you have never seen before.
An additional plus is Huston's performance and character, which rivals the Joker in being a truly horrifying person who twists your heart around every moment he is on the screen. He lacks Joker's depth, but if you are just looking to squirm and really, really want to see someone's face get smashed in, the character serves this purpose perfectly.
Beautiful and beautifully violent, The Warrior's Way is the right way to make a movie.