Movie Review: “Hell or High Water” is one of the the year’s best films!

Movie Review: “Hell or High Water” (R)

Local celebrity and TGIF co-host Sheldon Demke recently quipped that come hell or high water, he’d see this movie! He should. In fact, I’d encourage all moviegoers to see this wildly entertaining, expertly crafted film before it leaves theaters, particularly if you’re a fan of “No Country For Old Men,” “Badlands,” and “Bonnie and Clyde.”

In this modern western from David Mackenzie (“Starred Up”), divorced dad Toby Howard (Chris Pine) and his ex-con brother Tanner (Ben Foster) take on the Texas banking system in order to save the family ranch from foreclosure. As these wily siblings go on a relentless bank-robbing spree, they soon find veteran lawman Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) hot on their trail.

At the heart of “Hell or High Water” is the loving bond between two brothers who at the end of the day would do absolutely anything for one another. Pine and Foster have the kind of spot-on rapport that I wanted but didn’t quite get from Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in “The Nice Guys.” But it doesn’t end with the brothers Howard. The same could be said for the Texas Rangers out to bring them to justice. The chemistry between Hamilton and Parker crackles with an energy all its own.

The cast in this picture is positively stellar! Pine beautifully plays Toby as a man who regrets the mistakes he’s made. He’s after redemption the only way he thinks he can find it. Pine brings both toughness and vulnerability to the role, and his performance here further suggests that his outstanding work in “Star Trek” was no fluke. Foster is equally outstanding as Toby’s loose cannon of a brother, Tanner. He’s a ferocious pitbull of a man (think a slightly less unhinged version of the character he so brilliantly played in “3:10 to Yuma”), but he isn’t without a moral code. Jeff Bridges is an absolute delight in this picture, colorfully mumbling his way through the proceedings in a sort of creative fusion of Rooster Cogburn and Archie Bunker. Standing toe to toe with the sheer force of nature that is Bridges is wonderful character actor Gil Birmingham. As low-key Texas Ranger Parker, Birmingham is a ton of fun. He takes Hamilton’s masterful insults in stride, and despite the sarcastic, cantankerous nature of his partner, there is always mutual respect and loyalty.

Makenzie’s direction is superb. “Hell or High Water” is well paced, beautifully shot, and crisply edited. It’s slick but without sacrificing the grit. Of course, a director’s best friend is a strong script, and Taylor Sheridan’s colorful screenplay is a winner of the highest caliber. The word play pops off the screen, and the conversations held between various characters throughout this picture are lively and entertaining (a scene between Toby and his angry son is one of the best). Beyond that, each character here feels like a vital part of the whole, from the central leads right down to the smallest of supporting players (watch for a hilarious tell-it-like-it-is Texan waitress … you’re not likely to forget her). Seriously, it’s an absolute joy listening to these characters speak. Sheridan should have been nominated for an Oscar for his dark and brooding work on last year’s “Sicario.” But if “Hell or High Water” proves anything, it’s that this writer is as diverse as they come, and it’s safe to say we’ll be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

“Hell or High Water” opened with little fanfare in August, but it seems to be finding an audience by way of strong word of mouth. That strong word of mouth is well warranted. This is the most underappreciated film of the summer. It’s a sometimes mean, sometimes brutal movie to be sure, but it’s one of those films in which its inevitable moments, as tragic as they may be, have emotional payoffs because we care about all of these wonderfully drawn characters. Translation: Everything in this picture feels earned. “Hell or High Water” is one of the best movies of 2016.

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