True Grit

By now, we know what the Coen brothers do well: deadpan wit, white-knuckled suspense, and cruel twists of fate. But never have they blended their talents as seamlessly as in "True Grit".

Working off a novel by Charles Portis, which supplies much of the dialogue, the Coens spin a wonderfully moving little yarn. Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) inherits her family's estate at 14 after her father is killed. Far from being in over her head, she quickly uses her business acumen to generate some capital and hire Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to avenge the death. Alternately boozy and razor-sharp, Cogburn searches for the killer on Native American lands. He soon meets LaBouef (Matt Damon), a Texas ranger also on the killer's trail. LaBouef is a character rarely if ever encountered: he has a good heart and dogged determination, yet he's frequently incompetent and arrogant as only a Texan can be. The fate of these three motley travellers isn't hard to guess, but the story is so well told that we still get swept up in it.

The acting is uniformly terrific, the score appropriately sentimental. Other than that, there's not a lot of technical brauvara here. The Coens know it's not necessary: they've got a great story, lively dialogue and fantastic characters. They do just enough to make it all sing beautifully. "True Grit" is the best American picture of the year.