Directors : Ethan & Joel Coen
Writer : Ethan & Joel Coen (screenplay), Charles Portis (novel)
With: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld
There is nothing in the world of cinema that excites me more than a good old fashioned western. Sadly, they’ve made only a handful of those in the last two decades. So I was waiting for this movie with more anticipation than a kid on Christmas Eve, though few children are as fond of Santa as I am of Ethan and Joel Coen – who I can safely say are among the best filmmakers of our time. “No Country for Old Men” was by far my favorite film of 2007 and apparently that “modern western” vibe to it was only training for the real thing, as the Coen brothers delivered not only a top five (at least) movie of this year, but also a true western – the best in I don’t even want to count how many years.
For those who’ve seen the original True Grit from 1969 and have been dreading the remake, you can rest assured. This is one rare and fine example how you can take an amazing, wonderful film and remake it into an even better one. You heard me, as hard to believe as it may be.
