Zweig and Wes

    Wes Anderson's film was just simply a solid piece of art, without a doubt.  Personally speaking I think Stefan Zweig has a more subtle and detail oriented writing style, he would put tons of words constructing the back story and the environment of a scene, whereas in Wes Anderson's film all I remember seeing was just huge chunks of colors and the flashy cinematography and extremely stylized editing. Both sides of works are excellent, just different execution.    
    Wes Anderson loves simplifying visual messages and mush it into his tinted class-like color filters. I love love love the way he organizes and stages miscellaneous props and characters, and pan shots everything. In the Grand Budapest Hotel for example, Wes smartly visually differentiate main characters to the background by making them wear saturated clothes, and although the villains do wear black, often times there're still a hint of red here and there. He is also an expert on communicating through the negative shapes. He's just so good at telling a story with a striking visual language and quirkiness which often times viewers get lost in his ocean of kaleidoscope and forget to look back at whom he's inspired by.

True Grit

When comparing two versions of films (1969 and 2010), it is interesting to note the difference yet interrelations between the two. By studying both versions that follow the same source material that come out so stylistically different yet somehow similar (except little parts like Rooster's eye patch relocation)

John Wayne is definitely, at least in my personal opinion, remains to be Rooster in my mind more so compared to Jeff Bridges, though the latter has a more realistic characteristic presented from his acting and actor's natural charisma, although I do have a harder time keeping up with his fancy heavy accent and his repetitive digression. 

Mattie Ross; the vengeful little 14 year-old who stand out among all the male characters in the old West, is a formidable character and both Hailee and Kim did a great job playing as her in both films.The character is, not usually from her age, bold, angry and straight-forward. She does not varnish her opinion and does not care or fear of ones who are bigger and stronger than her. Across the story her character has a strong presence of justice and would not tolerate anything against her will of revenge. "I'll use the force of law", was spoken by her multiple times in the story. This character is almost invincible because she has no fear; of anything in that treacherous time; almost like a superhero. Whether she's the true grit or not, her character does represents more on the ideal side. From time to time, Mattie makes me wonder: How does a 14 year-old knows her shit so well??? I mean she can bargain; knows the laws at least the basics of it; essential surviving skills and go across a river on a horse back without fear... She's for sure an over-achiever.

LaBoeuf the Texas Ranger definitely has pride and takes himself very seriously. Mattie had to be careful not to piss either side of the party off while making her point clear on their trip. LaBoeuf's stubbornness and pride got himself into disadvantages but he also is more of a sensible man.
It was touching toward the end when all three of them finally won each other's trust, When Rooster slowly turned from a selfish cold-hearted, ruthless man to someone who's willing to carry Mattie all the way to the doctor after the snake bite and stabbed the horse for her as an animal lover. LaBoeuf relentlessly saved Rooster's life by shooting Lucky Nat when he could easily abandon him and just go for Tom Chaney.