HELL OR HIGH WATER  4.0***

    This movie is a delightful, suspenseful modern day Western. The story is set in West Texas (although not a scene was filmed in Texas… instead New Mexico ) where most everyone carries a gun like they did in the wild west. We have 2 down and out brothers who start robbing small branch banks.. in fact 3 in the first day. Hitting them hard and quick wearing ski-like masks and then dashing away in/on their trusty stead… well it’s a fast car or truck, so they can retreat to their ranch.. run down and dusty. Of course the law is alerted and a pair of Texas Rangers set off to corral the bad guys . The next day the robber brothers hit a 4^th bank, larger than the others and unfortunately for them crowded with customers, most of whom are packing a gun. There is a shoot-out in the bank  and the robbers flee in their truck which is partially shot-up by the locals who quickly form up a posse which chases the robbers on their trusty steeds.. mostly trucks or SUVs. There is a classic  shot-out back in a canyon between one of the robbers and the Posse and Texas Rangers. Then there is a concluding classic showdown between the remaining robber and the crusty old Texas Ranger …neither draws his gun. It’s a duel of words .. and at the end,  it’s the Ranger who rides off in the sunset in his big ole sedan.

“Hell or High Water” takes the Western genre into modern day gracefully and gives us easily one of the top 5 films of the year to date.

I always try and find the time to go see the next western because Hollywood rarely spends the time or money towards making them, so when they do they are usually pretty decent. Hell or High Water is more than decent, it's magnificent. The screenplay comes from the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan. All of the characters are well realized and established from the get-go and the story plays out crisp and delightful.

Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Gil Birmingham all give well-crafted performances and largely against type as well. Bridges and Birmingham play a funny buddy cop duo (here Texas Rangers) who have been through more than one rodeo together with a love-hate relationship. Their banter back and forth makes for some of the best comedy moments of the film, but it's not just there for kicks and giggles, every line adds weight to the characters so that you care when the final showdown begins.

That duo is nicely complemented by the duo of Pine and Foster, who play brothers who rob banks in order to save their family's ranch. Just as Bridges plays the quick witted, Foster plays the unhinged and unpredictable brother, Tanner, against Pine's more subtle and reserved turn as Toby. The screenplay itself never asks the actors to do anything too crazy or stunning, which is what makes the performances all the more special. The ability for these four men to do so much with their eyes and unspoken actions makes it some of the best work they have all done.

I also loved how patient and subtle the film itself was. It doesn't push bloody gun battles or massive twists in your face, it relies on great acting and a good directing job by David Mackenzie. I was immensely impressed by this film and I can't recommend it enough. As good as it is and it is excellent, few people have heard of it because it had almost NO ad campaign or previews. Just more or less thrown out there for the lucky ones to find and see.  I think we’ll hear more about this film come award season.

So giddy-up cowboys and cowgirls and get on down to the movie house and have yourself some fun.

Rated “R” for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality. (I’d say this is a ‘soft’ R)

Clark