O, Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Comedy, Adventure

Runtime: 106 minutes

This wonderful adaptation of the Classical story of The Odyssey is set in the Southern United States in the 1930s.  Ulysses Everett McGill (Clooney) escapes from a chain gang while still chained to two of his fellow convicts Pete (Turturro) and Delmar (Nelson).  The three of them go off in search of a treasure that Everett buried before his arrest.  On the way, they encounter many trials, including a trigger-happy bank robber; three seductive Sirens; and Big Dan Teague, a one-eyed Bible salesman (John Goodman).  And Everett, finally reunited with his “faithful” wife Penny (Holly Hunter), learns that she not only told their children that he was dead (hit by a train!), but is actually engaged to someone else!

What makes this film so great is that besides being an amazing adaptation of a classic story, it combines a stellar cast with perfect cinematography and breath-taking scenery.  I was totally enthralled by many of the scenes; it was absolutely beautiful!

I also love how seamlessly this film blended the original story of Odysseus’s homecoming with a plot and cast of characters that were totally new.  While Everett might have been based on Odysseus, George Clooney breathed new life into the character, making him far more accessible to modern audiences.  The additions of Pete and Delmar were also very welcome.  Delmar in particular was incredibly endearing.  His simple-minded charm made me absolutely love him.  When Pete disappears after their encounter with the Sirens, Delmar’s reaction was by far one of my favorite parts of the movie!

If you are a fan of Classic (Greco-Roman) mythology, have read The Odyssey, or are looking for a movie with good music (GO, SOGGY BOTTOM BOYS!!!!), then I strongly recommend this film.  Even if you don’t know the whole story of Odysseus’s journey home, this is still a fun film to view and share.  I watched it twice before writing this review (within a two week period) and I have to say that the second time around was almost funnier than the first!  And for about a week afterwards, I was still humming “Man of Constant Sorrow”! (Again: GO, SOGGY BOTTOM BOYS!!!!)

True Grit (2010)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Ethan and Joel Coen

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Western, Adventure, Drama

Runtime: 110 minutes

Original Version: True Grit (1969)

When fourteen year old Mattie Ross's (Steinfeld) father is killed in a drunken rage by gunman Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), she makes it her life's mission to see him hang for his crimes.  However, after the murder, Chaney ran away and joined ranks with a band of outlaws.  To track him down, Mattie enlists the assistance of Marshal Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Bridges), the meanest, drunkest, most ornery marshal around, old and fat and one-eyed.  It's only reluctantly that she is able to get him to come with her, and once he does, they are both aided and hindered by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon), who also wants to arrest Chaney, but plans on retrieving him for a bounty in Texas, where he killed a senator; whereas Mattie wants him to know that he killed her father and that is why he is being hanged.

They often say that the remakes aren't as good as the original, and I'm sure that for most die-hard John Wayne fans, the same holds true for True Grit.  However, since I haven't seen the original, I'll be able to give a less biased opinion.

I thought that True Grit was absolutely wonderful!  Even though it was a drama, and said to be darker than the original, I thought that it was hilarious at many points and very touching at others.  Jeff Bridges was wonderful as the rough, drunken marshal.  His Rooster Cogburn was very funny, especially when drunk.  His sassy attitude and smart mouth made him a character that you liked in spite of yourself.

Matt Damon was wonderful as LaBoeuf the Texas Ranger, and Josh Brolin was a very convincing villain.  However, I have to say that it as Hailee Steinfeld who stole the show.  Her portrayal of little Mattie Ross was not only incredibly convincing, but amusing, too.  She's so serious for someone so young, and absolutely adorable at the same time.  One of the best scenes is where she attempts to bargain a sale of some of her late father's horses back to the man who sold them to him in the first place. 

I think the best part though, would have to be the cinematography.  The scenery was beautiful and made you feel like you were right there in the "Wild West" of Arkansas. 

However, there are a few things that you might want to be aware of.  For those of you who have seen the original True Grit, this film is a lot edgier.  Furthermore, there is one scene in particular which I thought was a little too intense for a PG-13 movie.  I won't provide a spoiler about what happens, but I'll give you a heads up that it takes place when Rooster and Mattie are in the cabin.

All in all, this is a film that I truly enjoyed.  If you like Westerns, then this is a must. Personally, I'm not a fan of Westerns for the most part, but I loved this movie.  Also, to give you the opinion of my dad (a huge John Wayne fan), this was very good for a remake, and better than he expected it to be.  Rating: 8.5