Whereas Hailee Steinfeld’s excellent function debut in True Grit earned her an Academy Award nomination, she additionally appeared in two underappreciated Westerns that deserve extra consideration. At 13 years previous, Steinfeld was chosen to play Mattie Ross within the Coen Brothers’ remake of the John Wayne traditional Western. Alongside veteran actors like Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon as LaBoeuf, this trio of stars made a contemporary traditional that surpassed the attraction of the unique in some ways. As one of many youngest Oscar nominees of all time, Steinfeld’s efficiency in True Grit was a sight to behold.
As a star who gave maybe her definitive efficiency straight out of the gate, a lot of Steinfeld’s later success has been overshadowed by the tenacity of her position in True Grit. Nonetheless, Steinfeld has constantly given nice performances in acclaimed movies like Pitch Excellent, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Sinners. Additionally nestled in amongst Steinfeld’s spectacular filmography have been two Westerns that echoed a lot of the identical attraction and energy of her debut Coen Brothers position and which have been woefully underseen even by Western lovers.
Hailee Steinfeld Has A Small Position In 2014’s The Homesman
A Historic Western Directed By Tommy Lee Jones
4 years after Hailee Steinfeld left her mark on cinema historical past with a career-defining efficiency in True Grit, she returned to the Western style as the younger resort maid Tabitha Hutchinson in The Homesman. Whereas Steinfeld’s position was temporary, it was a testomony to her immense expertise that she shared the display with stars like Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, and Meryl Streep on this story of a drifter serving to a pious and stern lady transport three girls pushed mad throughout the nation.
Steinfeld’s look in The Homesman was a quick however impactful scene the place she acquired a shocking proposal from Jones’s George Briggs. Though Steinfeld solely had a couple of minutes of display time in The Homesman, she instantly tapped again into the Western stylings of True Grit, and it virtually felt like Mattie Ross had wandered into one other film. The Homesman was a thought-provoking and highly effective take a look at disenfranchised girls within the Wild West that succeeded as a result of a powerful efficiency from Swank and stands as a formidable addition to Jones’s typically underrated work as a director.
2014’s The Retaining Room Is A Hailee Steinfeld Hidden Gem
An Underseen Western With A Feminist Spin
Hailee Steinfeld was busy in 2014, as this 12 months included performances within the thriller 3 Days to Kill, a voice within the anime When Marnie Was There, her temporary look in The Homesman, and a standout position in The Retaining Room. This off-kilter Western instructed the story of three Southern girls left to fend for themselves within the dying days of the American Civil Struggle. With Steinfeld as Louise and Brit Marling as Augusta, two white sisters, in addition to Muna Otaru because the African-American slave Mad, The Retaining Room was a darkish story of survival and hardship.
With a spare setting and three dedicated lead performances, The Retaining Room shone a harsh gentle on social prejudices and was a trendy, slow-burning film whose depth constructed all through. Steinfeld’s position specifically highlighted the merciless and unforgiving nature of the Civil Struggle, as she was left sick from a raccoon chew and confronted sexual assault by the hands of the soldier Henry (Kyle Soller.)
With three spectacular Western roles below her belt, it is a disgrace that it’s now been greater than a decade since Steinfeld has returned to the style.
The Retaining Room was an underseen Western that was characterised by a grim and reasonable tone. With a standout efficiency from Steinfeld and nice work from the whole forged, whereas this was a a lot totally different efficiency from her iconic position in True Grit, it was one more extraordinary showcase of her suitability inside the Western style. With three spectacular Western roles below her belt, it is a disgrace that it’s now been greater than a decade since Steinfeld has returned to the style. Though, for higher or worse, each Western position she performs will inevitably be in comparison with Mattie Ross.
True Grit
9/10
- Launch Date
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December 22, 2010
- Runtime
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110 minutes
- Director
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Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Writers
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Joel Coen, Ethan Coen