final verdict for: "True Grit" (2010): What can I say? I wanted to see this movie ever since I saw the trailer prior to "Somewhere" and I found it better then the main feature I was about to see. I wasn't turned down.
What we get is a story of revenge, but where the hard men are not the ones seeking revenge initially but a 14-year old instead. A very nice twist to the wild-west genre in itself. The story's pace is well balanced the humour is excellent, but not overdrawn and surprisingly does not cling to quoting other movies of the genre. The music is supposed to trigger the wild-west movie feel and it does.
Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon play their roles very well and in a matter that let's the thoughtful viewer forgive them to be archetypes of the genre (which is, however a joke and homage in itself). Hailee Steinfeld was surprisingly convincing in her role, which unfortunately can not be said about her 40 year old counterfeit (Elizabeth Marvel), who we meet towards the end of the movie. This last sequence and especially the very last two or three sentences which regarded LaBoeuf unfortunately ruined a good deal of the feel the movie had for me. The song that plays when the credit's roll comes as a shrill surprise at first but turns out to be a nice tune.
Overall this was a very well made modern wild-west movie that mostly refrains from the pathos of other genre cousins (mainly "The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (2007) ) and doesn't take itself too serious. I really enjoyed watching it and to say it with the words of a friend: "It wasn't a movie that kept me checking the time on my watch in anticipation for the end."
A bullet-proof 7 out of 10!
final verdict for "The Apartment" (1960): This movie has everything "Two for the Seasaw" didn't have but is missing Robert Mitchum. I Guess Robert Wise tried to remake "The Apartment" in his movie. Should have known that putting a slumpy ending in is not going to make a movie better.
Over-all this movie has better camerawork and better editing. The music and characters are basically equally as good. Shirley MacLaine acts her brilliant bratty role that we all know and love. Fred MacMurray and Jack Lemmon play their roles very convincingly, and although having antagonists of sorts is good it had to be noted that neither of them has the capabilities of a Robert Mitchum.
Overall this is still the far better flick, Mr Wilder did good. This movie deserves the score I denied "Two for the Seasaw": 8 out of 10!
