I normally find the Coen Brothers a bit precious for my taste though I enjoy a great deal of their work. I usually hate remakes or can’t help but recall and chronically compare the original to the remake. Instead I found myself enjoying True Grit (2010) and infrequently critiquing it on its own merits. The excellence and stillness, infrequently seen since Blood Simple, of a warm tableau marks the beginning of the film and is not a signifier of warmth, but death whereas the rest of the film gets starker and colder, signifying life, survival and loss. An outstanding cast although there were moments when Matt Damon lets his real persona show or the Coens couldn’t decide which way to go with his character. Each character, regardless of how small or large their role, has an individual portrait and gravitas. There were moments when I thought that the editor should have been more merciless: courtroom scene wasn’t necessary &/or too long or the campfire debates that went on a quibble too long. The music and lack thereof was brilliant, mournful & a perfect tender counterpoint to the merciless reality depicted on screen. Though I hate animals dying, I will give dispensation for this film because it was the moment when the main character could finally mourn her losses and stop being efficient.