#32 - True Grit

The Coen brothers' 2010 remake of a 1969 John Wayne film, True Grit takes us to the wild west, where a farmer named Frank Ross has been shot dead and swindled by his hired hand, Tom Chaney.  Enlisting the help of US Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), Frank's spirited 14-year-old daughter Mattie (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) rides into Indian country in pursuit of Chaney and justice for her father.  

First and foremost, Mattie is the type of heroine I want to see more often, one who I think has appeal for viewers of both genders.  She's brave and smart with a brazenness that for once doesn't manifest as a hair-trigger temper, willing and able to fend for herself.  Indeed, Mattie is that rare protagonist who is never thrust into the world of the plot but instead drives the action with her own choices and deeds.

Unfortunately, the action in question is slow to take off, with the first half of the movie consisting largely of dull dialogue.  It's a bit of a let-down from the promise of a Western adventure.  Though the climax is as gripping as anyone could hope for, you'll have to count on not being asleep by the time you get there.  The tedium is occasionally broken by humor, which especially comes out when Bridges and Damon interact.  I wouldn't have minded more banter between the two of them.  Or more than just the few glimpses we got of the beauty of the pre-industrial West, which would have helped flesh out the world and the mood of the film overall.

I'm not sure how I feel about the movie's non-resolution of an ending, it's a somewhat refreshing break from the idea that all endings have to be either perfect and neat or apocalyptically tragic but it somehow didn't seem to fit in with the tone of the movie.  Interestingly enough certain aspects of the ending were changed from the original film.  Notably I'm not sure the conceit of having a 40-year-old Mattie recollecting her exploits really works or adds anything, even though it is true to the novel.  

#31 - Tron Legacy

After his defeat of the Master Computer in 1982's Tron, genius game programmer Kevin Flynn goes missing, leaving behind his son Sam as his reluctant heir.  Rather than taking the helm of the ENCOM company, Sam spends his days hanging out in his garage-turned-loft and getting speeding tickets on his Ducati.  All of this changes however when Kevin's old partner Alan receives a page originating in Kevin's office, and Sam follows his father into the digital world of TRON.

I had three reasons for wanting to see Tron Legacy.

1. I felt something of a duty as a fan of the original Tron.
2. I wanted to see 'the grid' rendered with modern CG techniques.
3. Daft Punk soundtrack!

On these particular counts, Tron Legacy did not disappoint.  The visuals are expansive and exquisite; the is CG sharp and sleek and at times indistinguishable from actual actors and set pieces.  Tron Legacy, like its forerunner, is a sort of runway show, a gratifyingly over-the-top display of the possibilities of modern digital artistry.  The soundtrack is fittingly sweeping and its electronic groove matches perfectly with the movie's computer game setting.  And as a sequel to Tron, it is fittingly camp and glorifying of renegade geekery (with the 21st century reference point of the open vs. closed source debate to carry it home).

Tron Legacy's script is a haphazard collection of vague leads and storylines that attempt to collude in a rushed finale.  It frequently pushes aside characterization and coherency for the sake of visual showcase, but also, and less reasonably, for conversations and fights that drag on too long and could have used some tightening.  This might have also helped to reduce the movie's somewhat excessive runtime.  However, at least Tron Legacy seems to revel in its incoherency, foregoing movie cliches for psychedelia and bizarreness.  Which again provides ample opportunity for gorgeous visuals, and that is certainly what Tron Legacy has going for it.