Review of Hell or High Water (2016) by Patrick L — 29 Jan 2017

"It maybe straight-forward and familiar but with strong performances, fierce direction and a clever script, "Hell or High Water" is one of the best movies of the year".

Movie Review: Hell or High Water.

Date Viewed: September 9 2016.

Directed By David Mackenzie (Young Adam,.

Asylum, Hallam Foe, Perfect Sense, Spread and Starred Up).

Written By Taylor Sheridan.

Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Gil Birmingham, Katy Mixon, Dale Dickey, Kevin Rankin, Melanie Papalia, John Paul Howard and Christopher W. Garcia.

From a narrative perspective, this Western heist movie might've been predictable but "Hell or High Water" doesn't fall for the same traps. It is a well-crafted thriller with great performances from Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges. After a lackluster summer filled comic book flicks, sequels and reboots, we finally have a movie that's quiet and full of humanity.

It's about two brothers who have very different backgrounds, one is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life for himself and his children and the other brother is an ex-con who has a loose trigger finger. The two brothers are trying to save their family farm from foreclosure so they set off to rob multiple banks. It maybe a straight-forward heist movie but "Hell or High Water" benefits from David Mackenzie's fierce direction and Taylor Sheridan's clever script. "Hell or High Water" is so terrific, I think it may have a spot on my Best of the Year list.

After their mother's passing, she left the family ranch in substantial debt and if the brothers, Toby Howard (Pine) and Tanner Howard (Foster) can't make ends meet in a few days, their farm will be in foreclosure. This situation forces the brothers to commit several robberies all across their native state of Texas. The brothers don't go after different banks, they only focus on one, they rob branch after branch of the Texas Midlands Bank because it is the bank that's planning on foreclosing on their family ranch.

Toby plans on paying off the mortgage and building a comfortable with his estranged family after all the bank heists he and his brother pulled off. Tanner spent time in prison for killing his father because he was abusive. Tanner also has a wild nature that leads him into doing unnecessary risks but luckily it has landed him and his brother in any trouble, so far. On their trail is a gruff and relentless Texas Ranger named Marcus Hamilton (Bridges). Hamilton and his partner, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are tasked with catching the robbers and here's another old movie chestnut, Hamilton is close to retiring from the force.

The two brothers and the old sheriff have two very different motives, For Toby and Tanner, they want vengeance because it is the economic downturn and what other option is there besides being poor and completely broke. Sheriff Hamilton's motive is justice because he just wants to enjoy one more thrilling hot pursuit before retirement. The story maybe familiar but the characters are deeply well-developed.

Writer Taylor Sheridan if you recall wrote last year's "Sicario", a drama-thriller about the Mexican drug war. Sheridan has come up with another compelling piece of work and I'm sure he will be remembered during Oscar season. I hope the performances won't be ignored as well because Jeff Bridges is great in everything (except for the "Seventh Son") and Chris Pine gives his best performance to date. The editing is well-paced and the gorgeous cinematography by Giles Nuttgens matches the beauty of the writing and the characters.

It may contain a lot of violence but "Hell or High Water" is a sure-fire gem.