Directed by : David Mackenzie
Written by : Taylor Sheridan
Starring : Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Gil Birmingham
Release Date : August 11, 2016
I have to admit that the reason I went to see "Hell or High Water" isn't because it looked like a modern western set in the state of Texas where just about anybody has a gun, or that it seemed to have some unflattering message about how banks seem to control the world, or that this might be a fun heist story involving bank robbing brothers and the Texas Rangers lawmen set out to stop them. I went into this movie specifically because of the people involved in it, which gave me the expectation that this is going to be a good film. It is a good! But my description of the movie are all true as well.
Written by Taylor Sheridan and Directed by David Mackenzie, this isn't a full on action thriller of a movie. It's primarily a drama, with some scenes of action when it's needed. Yes there are dialogue scenes where the characters have discussions involving some heavy life topics, but it's not all serious. There are many lighthearted moments littered throughout the movie, like the brothers arguing about their methods during the bank robberies, or the Texas Rangers teasing each other like old married couples, and even the other supporting characters gets to toss in a joke or two. It's moments like those that helps this movie feel relatable, to balance out the big ideas it does have to say about the world we live in.
The draw of this movie is to see whether the bank robbers get away with it, or to see if the Texas Rangers stop their crime spree. Who are we suppose to root for anyway? The out of control but entertaining Ben Foster character and his kind-hearted sympathetic brother played by Chris Pine, who are robbing banks with justifiable intentions? Or do we root for the old and wise Ranger played by Jeff Bridges who loves to tease his fellow Ranger played by Gil Birmingham; who happens to be half Native American and half Mexican, who are just trying to uphold the law? Both sides of the story are excellent, and you'd want to see them through to the end. All of these actors are great in this, and the chemistry they have with each other are very enjoyable to watch.
It has to be said that "Hell Or High Water" isn't exactly some kind of ground breaking modern western, that has a complex plot that needs to be dissected for further educational studies. You can analyze this film if you want to, but it seems unnecessary. Watch it for the characters and all the little memorable moments that they bring to the screen. If you don't get too distracted by the big ideas, and just go with that, then you should enjoy watching this movie.
lovedit ENJOYED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible
