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    Hell or High Water

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    “Hell or High Water” proves the Western genre never quite goes out of style.

    Toby Howard (Chris Pine) and his ex-con of a brother Tanner (Ben Foster) are committing a string of bank robberies, and they’re being smart about it. On the case is Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a Texas ranger about to retire and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham). The brother’s simple but effective techniques would allow them to get away clean if anyone but the seasoned Hamilton was the one on their trail.

    One of the most striking aspects of the film is the landscape. It’s set in modern-day but everywhere you look, you see a civilization lost in time, or on the brink of collapse. As Toby and Tanner drive at high speeds through the countryside, it’s the same pattern that repeats endlessly” “For Sale” “Liquidation” and “Repossessed”. The only places where people aren’t shuffling their feet or wasting their time are the places where there’s money: the banks and the casinos. This world breeds desperation and stinks of greed. That’s the two brothers in a nutshell. Toby is doing the robberies “for the right reason” while his brother has always been a troublemaker. He’s doing this so he can have things he doesn’t need. Despite this, you can't blame either of them for choosing to do what they are doing. This place has made them this way.

    This is the kind of movie you can watch and re-watch and always notice something new. Marcus is hilarious but often, he takes things too far. It makes you wonder if he and Alberto are friends despite the insults they frequently exchange. How many of the veteran's comments are earnest? How many are there just to see what he can get away with? Simply listening to the dialogue is a treat. Combined with the wonderful performances, you forget about everything outside the movie. What’s that? Gotten comfortable again? Time for the movie to shake things up and deliver sudden, shocking violence, the kind that leaves you rattled.

    Major credit must be given to Taylor Sheridan and his excellent screenplay. Everything about this movie is tight. It’s about two brothers who’ve been taken advantage of by the system and who fight back but when you start having a bit too much fun with it, reality comes in from the left and clocks you across the face. You get everything you’d want out of a Western: the law vs. the lawless, gun fights, chases, heists, showdowns. You also see your expectations subverted in small but meaningful ways. Every character’s move or line builds them up, and defines them further. Everyone you meet is memorable and adds to the atmosphere from the two idiot posers who pull up in a lime-green sportscar (such a shocker against the tan desert it’s like they’re a pair of time travelers), to the waitress who’s so bitter the only people who would order from her are those who have nowhere else to go, to the old men who sit in the restaurant all morning waiting for the police to interrogate them despite having seen nothing of value.

    “Hell or High Water” is the kind of movie that becomes an instant favorite. The cinematography, the tight storytelling, the characters, the performances, the dialogue… they’re all in perfect synch. It blows you away to see a movie like this that takes a genre and makes it feel so fresh and innovative by tweaking the right nobs. (On Blu-ray, October 23, 2020)

    10
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    adamwatchesmovies@  10.9.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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