For all intents and purposes the classic western is a dead genre nowadays in terms of American cinema however the so called "Neo-Western" is alive and well and "Hell or High Water" is an excellent example of why that is.
Based on a script by Taylor Sheridan, who also penned last years also amazing "Sicario", the film follows brothers Toby and Tanner Howard (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) as they go on a bank robbing spree through west Texas to raise money to save the family ranch. Meanwhile Texas Rangers Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are hot on their trail as Marcus is on his last case before retirement. A cliche plot perhaps but there's a reason people keep using it, because it works. Especially in a case like this where you assemble such a talented cast and let them go to work.
At the top of the bill is Jeff Bridges, a man who has perfected the "lawman on his last job" character as he's played it a few times before. He brings the gravely voice, southern twang humor you'd expect but also injects Marcus with quite a bit of sadness. This is a man who knows how to do only one thing, be a Texas Ranger, and will soon be giving that up due to the creep of age and is left realizing that the job he's losing is all he has left in this world. We initially see him as a rather jovial figure, laughing and ribbing his partner and generally appearing to enjoy himself. Its in the times he's by himself that we realize what a sad and lonely figure he truly is.
While everyone else speaks of their families or plans for the future Marcus has only this job left and soon he won't even have that anymore. He's built his whole life, his whole identity, on being a Ranger and being "one of the boys" but what is left for a man after that time is over? Bridges handles this complexity brilliantly and gives us one of his better recent performances in recent years. Nothing flashy or over the top, just subtlety mixed with gravitas and tragedy. Gil Birmingham is also very good as Marcus's put upon Mexican/Native American partner.
Constantly the punchline for all of his partners off-color and racial jokes who is both tired of his Marcus's constant teasing but also knows its all the man has left and puts up with it anyway, partially because it'll all be over soon.
The other duo is the Howard brothers. Toby is the down on his luck family man who came up with the idea of robbing the same banks who are trying to steal their land through a reverse mortgage deal that was upon their dying mother in her last few years. He now has less then a week to raise $40,000 or lose the family land, upon which oil was recently discovered that could change his families lives forever. To pull this off Toby calls upon his unstable brother Tanner, recently released from jail after a 10-year stay for manslaughter and the only person Toby knows he can rely on to do this.
Chris Pine is playing the role of straight man Toby here and is better then expected in this spot. We see a guy who has never done anything illegal before but is forced into it by circumstance and who also is resigned to the idea they won't be getting away with it without going to jail, all that matters to him is securing his estranged children's future and changing his families fortunes for the better. His desire to change his families fate while also being resigned to his life most likely ending in jail gives Pine a chance to flex some acting muscles he doesn't get to do very often and he handles it very well.
Ben Foster is right in his wheelhouse here as the unstable brother Tanner. Tanner's self-destructive behavior and disregard for his own safety/future gives Foster a chance to be a bit more flashy in his performance but luckily he keeps it just below to parody line and delivers a very compelling character who feels like someone who would grow up in West Texas. This behavior seems to highlight a guy who can't stop jumping from one adrenaline high to another and seems destined to end his days either in prison or at the end of a gun. Both performances are outstanding by themselves but its the when the two are together that the real magic happens.
Pine and Foster do indeed feel like brothers onscreen as they play off and compliment each other perfectly. Their playful nature with one another, as well as the loyalty they feel towards defending one another, is really the heart of this movie and if it didn't work the whole thing falls apart. Luckily that's not at all an issue here as you can feel the bond and love between the brothers even when its not explicitly stated.
I'd also be remiss if i didn't at least mention the pseudo other main character in "Hell or High Water" and that's the state of Texas itself. This movie feels like it could only take place in Texas and it takes full advantage of that. From the scenery to the history of Cowboys vs Native Americans to even the fact it seems everyone in Texas is carrying a gun this is a movie that takes full advantage of its setting and, in a way, makes it a character all its own. It adds to the flavor even more when things take a more action-centric turn near the end and the idea of this as a modern western is truly revisited in the last few scenes. Not to mention how you decide to interpret the ending and where it leaves our remaining characters.
Whether you're looking for a crime movie, a western or a character driven action film "Hell or High Water" delivers on all fronts and shows why so many critics deem it as one of the best movies of 2016. Don't miss this one folks!
**8.5/10 Stars**
"Yippee Ki-yay get along little doggies"
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