True Grit

First off, you won't be able to leave True Grit without speaking like Jeff Bridges the rest of the night. That's a guarantee.

Secondly, can I just say -- Jeff Bridges is a national treasure! Seriously. Tron aside, that man is awesome. He was so lovably tough, drunk, and curmudgeonly in this movie you just want to squeeze him and bring him home.

So the movie's set in the Wild West and it's about a girl seeking retribution for the death of her father. She's got Jeff Bridges as a US Marshall and Matt Damon as a (very proud) Texas Ranger helping her out. The girl in the movie is amazing, and I think it's her first movie. The character is a wise-beyond-her-years girl, but she doesn't come off as cloying or annoying. She's cool under pressure and smart, and before you know it she's charmed you into going along with her, forgetting how young she is.

The movie is a remake, but naturally I never saw the original (too old). I wonder how different it is, because this movie just has Coen Brothers written all over it. I've gotta figure they had a hand in punching up the dialogue. It's just like all of their other movies -- smart, funny as hell, punctuated by violence. It's just delightful.

What I can't figure out is how in the hell the movie got ignored by the Golden Globe Awards - no nominations? This doesn't bode well for Oscar season, and I thought for sure this one would be a contender. Eh, whatever, awards don't matter - it's a great movie you should check out.