This is good news. Despite the problems that Batman Begins and The Dark Knight has, casting isn't one of them. Nolan has a good record of choosing amazing actors and both Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy have proven themselves as such.
The only downside to Tom Hardy being cast is that it puts Fury Road in question. Tom Hardy was pretty much guaranteed to play Max Rockatansky in the next Mad Max film. Fury Road has been in development hell for years now and, a few months back, George Miller said it would happen very soon. With the lead now gone to another film, it makes seeing Fury Road anytime soon highly unlikely. You say "But they could just get another actor for max and start shooting." True, but what has history taught us about projects like this that keep getting delayed? Either someone finally says "Fuck it" and it never gets made, or it gets made years later with shitty results. Look at Spider-Man: Turn Off the dark. Recently it was delayed YET again. What is this, like the sixth delay? Yes, I have no doubt that it will eventually open, and it will open to big numbers due to the hype surrounding it, but then it will fail miserably once those first few audiences leave disgusted.
The Movie Den Featuring: Master Badger and Darwin the Dachshund
MB: Greetings and welcome to our first installment of The Movie Den. I'm Master Badger, and joining me in the review is my lifelong nemesis, Darwin the Dachshund.
Darwin: Thank you Master B. This week we'll be discussing True Grit.
MB: A fine film! perhaps the greatest I've seen of 2010.
Darwin: Most definitely not. In fact, I have a mind to rip your filthy badger throat out right now for such an asinine comment.
MB: How can you speak ill about such an amazing film? The Coen brothers have consistently produced some of the best films of our generation, and this one is no different. First, the acting is spectacular. Bridges puts on a fine performance, which is, dare I say, better than John Wayne's portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 version. Hailee Steinfeld is the standout star though. Expect her to be on many people's list of greatest performances this year. Even supporting characters were great, like Ned Pepper, played by Barry Pepper. Only after reading more information on the film did I even realize that it was Barry Pepper. Matt Damon proves yet again that he's one of the best.
Darwin: I'll agree with you that the acting was great. It's the rest of the film I have a problem with.
MB: Do explain. Was it the script?
Darwin: The script was fine, but so was the 1969 version. There really wasn't a whole lot of difference between the two.
MB: What is it then?
Darwin: First of all, the story is bookended by a middle-aged Mattie Ross telling the tale. Bookending a movie like this is ignorant for 2 reasons: First, it's cliched. Secondly, you KNOW the character will survive the film. This makes the scene where Mattie is bitten by a rattlesnake and the rush to get her to help pointless because there is NO sense of danger.
Once the ending hits, another problem arises, and it's a theme throughout Coen films. The Pointlessly Sad Ending. The middle-aged Mattie Ross goes to meet Cogburn, whom she hasn't seen since the snake-bite incident, only to find he died 3 days before. The film has a lot more humor in it than the original, so one would assume the Coens are going for a more light-hearted tone. The audience feels pretty good up until the ending, where the Coens have to ruin it by making it sad. There goes the light-hearted tone right out the goddamn window.
MB: Watch your language. Children may be reading this.
Darwin: If they are, they deserve to be dragged off into the forest and consumed by wolves.
MB: You're so angry and quick to point out problems. As for the ending, it was there to show the consequences of Mattie's actions and to illustrate that loss in unavoidable.
Darwin: The whole audience knows about loss when the film opens up talking about the death of Mattie's father. The ending is pointless and needlessly upsetting to the audience.
MB: I don't agree with your opinion but, then again, I don't agree with your genetic inclination to enter my subterranean home and slaughter me.
Darwin: Now who's quick to point out problems?
MB: I'm getting the signal that we're almost out of time. My closing remarks are this: You will be hard pressed to find a better film out in theaters right now. On my 10 hat scale, I give this film 8 hats off.
Darwin: And my closing remarks are: Bullshit. I'd say 8 is a good number if it wasn't for the bookending and the tacked-on ending that doesn't fit with the rest of the film. While worth watching, I wouldn't say it's the best of the year. I'll graciously give it 6 out of 10.
Final Result: Master Badger - 8 Darwin - 6 Average - 7
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