Josh Brolin: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
2. Tom Chaney - True Grit (2010)
This adaptation of the novel True Grit from the Coen Brothers was something of a cinematic highlight in 2010. For the uninitiated, it follows a young girl called Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) as she seeks to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the outlaw Tom Chaney (Brolin). Naturally, she cannot do this alone, so she enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), an alcoholic Deputy U.S. Marshall with a violent reputation, and Texas Ranger name LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) - who is also hunting Chaney for the murder of a Texas state senator, to track him down. Despite having a knack for playing instantly likeable characters, Brolin is equally renowned for his villainous roles. His performance as Chaney is particularly great; he's a despicable character who wouldn't think twice about murdering anyone in his way, and Brolin makes that utterly believable. The performance casts him with an animal cunning, and while he may outwardly seem slow or dim-witted, this serves as something of a front to a very dangerous man, which fits the film's need for a compelling and grotesquely charming villain, given the exceptional cast of characters.
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This adaptation of the novel True Grit from the Coen Brothers was something of a cinematic highlight in 2010. For the uninitiated, it follows a young girl called Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) as she seeks to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the outlaw Tom Chaney (Brolin). Naturally, she cannot do this alone, so she enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), an alcoholic Deputy U.S. Marshall with a violent reputation, and Texas Ranger name LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) - who is also hunting Chaney for the murder of a Texas state senator, to track him down. Despite having a knack for playing instantly likeable characters, Brolin is equally renowned for his villainous roles. His performance as Chaney is particularly great; he's a despicable character who wouldn't think twice about murdering anyone in his way, and Brolin makes that utterly believable. The performance casts him with an animal cunning, and while he may outwardly seem slow or dim-witted, this serves as something of a front to a very dangerous man, which fits the film's need for a compelling and grotesquely charming villain, given the exceptional cast of characters.