Hmmm. This keeps happening. Here’s the review:
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This year I watched a low budget film set in small town America which was tootling along in a quite realistic way when, out of the blue, one of the characters sprouted a huge alien limb upon which he impaled another guy. I shrugged, thought “Oh it’s that kind of film” and continued watching. The fact is, after years of “it was actually two separate dudes/ the past/ Earth all along” or “oh, it’s not really two separate dudes/ not the past/ not actually Earth”, high concept zaniness and rug pulling narrative tricks are now so common in cinema that they are almost the norm. These days, If you really want to catch out your audience, you make a film where there are no surprises.
So, along comes Hell And High Water, a film which is refreshingly straightforward in its plot and how that plot unfolds. Chris Pine and Ben Foster are bank robbers; Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham are the Rangers trying to catch them. All of the tension and drama lies in the fact that the paths of these men are in direct conflict with one another and we know that when those paths cross it cannot end happily.
With its dusty landscape, stolen cash + lots of shooting formula and a world weary Sheriff spouting wisdom HOHW might, in its early scenes, remind you of No Country For Old Men. But you may remember, even that film – although straightforward enough for the most part – at its most crucial moment, threw the rule book out the window, employing a directorial flourish which frustrated many of those watching.
A better comparison from recent years would be David Ayer’s cop film End Of Watch. As in that film we take the time to know and care about these four men, and we understand them better through observing their relationships with one another.
But really this film is most like a contemporary take on that particular brand of Western where we are led to have more sympathy for the bandits than either the parasitic banks or the bloodthirsty good ol’ boys who help the lawmen in their pursuit of the robbers.
After Jeff Bridges rips the piss out of his Native American deputy, he responds with the line which is the very soul of this film:
“150 years ago all this was my ancestors’ land …til the grandparents of these folks took it, and now it’s being taken from them. ‘Cept it ain’t no army doing it..”
(He points to the bank they are staking out)
“it’s those sons of bitches right there”.
The Man Who Will Never Be Kirk (Pine) has received a lot of well-deserved praise for his work, but it’s Ben Foster who plays his brother (who, in fairness has the juicier role) who crushes it here. Jeff Bridges turns in another latterday Jeff Bridges performance, varying the heavy and light in exactly the right places, the way a master pianist fingers the keys.
All in all, a very satisfactory 🌵🌵🌵
Great review. This sounds like a really interesting film.
I actually think there’s a lot of truth in the notion that ‘modern’ westerns (say, post-Unforgiven) are better than the classics. Have you seen Slow West from a couple of years ago? It was an incredible, really well crafted small film.
And I quite liked your minimal review before you corrected it in the comments – very pithy !
Cheers! I’ve not seen Slow West – it is on my endless “to watch” list. Also directed by a Scotsman btw, which may or may not be pertinent.
It occurs that Afterworders would like me to have mentioned that Nick Cave and Warren Ellis provide the soundtrack, with some additional tunes from the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Waylon dropped in to good effect..
Saw it recently. Agree with your 🌵🌵🌵 review Sewer. It’s not gonna change your life, but it’s an excellent and well made evening’s entertainment.
I saw War Dogs last night. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a more bizarre case of film marketing. From the trailer I was expecting a screwball comedy “from the director of The Hangover trilogy”. Instead it’s very close to The Wolf Of Wall Street in both style and content, but about arms dealers rather than stock dealers. I loved it.
4/5
Top drawer review SR.
I really enjoyed this film – it’s a contender for my fave of the year & the only time I’ve braved a multiplex this year ( I’m such a grumpy sod these days that I involuntarily anticipate horrendous Wittertainment Code violations, thus blighting my chance of fun at the flicks).
It is in many ways a very conventional movie, feeling like a throwback to the early/mid 70s, when films about grown ups for grown ups were not the rarities they are today.
The dialogue is superb and utterly credible in the mouths of the characters, who we are able to root for, whether they are the ‘good guys’ or the ‘bad guys’.
A decent companion piece to No Country For Old Men or also perhaps ‘Three Burials’ by Tommy Lee Jones from a few years back, which is one of my fave neo Westerns.
Highly recommended.
Sewer Robot says
Hmmm. This keeps happening. Here’s the review:
———————————————————
This year I watched a low budget film set in small town America which was tootling along in a quite realistic way when, out of the blue, one of the characters sprouted a huge alien limb upon which he impaled another guy. I shrugged, thought “Oh it’s that kind of film” and continued watching. The fact is, after years of “it was actually two separate dudes/ the past/ Earth all along” or “oh, it’s not really two separate dudes/ not the past/ not actually Earth”, high concept zaniness and rug pulling narrative tricks are now so common in cinema that they are almost the norm. These days, If you really want to catch out your audience, you make a film where there are no surprises.
So, along comes Hell And High Water, a film which is refreshingly straightforward in its plot and how that plot unfolds. Chris Pine and Ben Foster are bank robbers; Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham are the Rangers trying to catch them. All of the tension and drama lies in the fact that the paths of these men are in direct conflict with one another and we know that when those paths cross it cannot end happily.
With its dusty landscape, stolen cash + lots of shooting formula and a world weary Sheriff spouting wisdom HOHW might, in its early scenes, remind you of No Country For Old Men. But you may remember, even that film – although straightforward enough for the most part – at its most crucial moment, threw the rule book out the window, employing a directorial flourish which frustrated many of those watching.
A better comparison from recent years would be David Ayer’s cop film End Of Watch. As in that film we take the time to know and care about these four men, and we understand them better through observing their relationships with one another.
But really this film is most like a contemporary take on that particular brand of Western where we are led to have more sympathy for the bandits than either the parasitic banks or the bloodthirsty good ol’ boys who help the lawmen in their pursuit of the robbers.
After Jeff Bridges rips the piss out of his Native American deputy, he responds with the line which is the very soul of this film:
“150 years ago all this was my ancestors’ land …til the grandparents of these folks took it, and now it’s being taken from them. ‘Cept it ain’t no army doing it..”
(He points to the bank they are staking out)
“it’s those sons of bitches right there”.
The Man Who Will Never Be Kirk (Pine) has received a lot of well-deserved praise for his work, but it’s Ben Foster who plays his brother (who, in fairness has the juicier role) who crushes it here. Jeff Bridges turns in another latterday Jeff Bridges performance, varying the heavy and light in exactly the right places, the way a master pianist fingers the keys.
All in all, a very satisfactory 🌵🌵🌵
Lodestone of Wrongness says
This is set for our Friday Night Film – let you know how it goes.
Arthur Cowslip says
Great review. This sounds like a really interesting film.
I actually think there’s a lot of truth in the notion that ‘modern’ westerns (say, post-Unforgiven) are better than the classics. Have you seen Slow West from a couple of years ago? It was an incredible, really well crafted small film.
And I quite liked your minimal review before you corrected it in the comments – very pithy !
Sewer Robot says
Cheers! I’ve not seen Slow West – it is on my endless “to watch” list. Also directed by a Scotsman btw, which may or may not be pertinent.
It occurs that Afterworders would like me to have mentioned that Nick Cave and Warren Ellis provide the soundtrack, with some additional tunes from the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Waylon dropped in to good effect..
Gary says
Saw it recently. Agree with your 🌵🌵🌵 review Sewer. It’s not gonna change your life, but it’s an excellent and well made evening’s entertainment.
I saw War Dogs last night. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a more bizarre case of film marketing. From the trailer I was expecting a screwball comedy “from the director of The Hangover trilogy”. Instead it’s very close to The Wolf Of Wall Street in both style and content, but about arms dealers rather than stock dealers. I loved it.
4/5
Junglejim says
Top drawer review SR.
I really enjoyed this film – it’s a contender for my fave of the year & the only time I’ve braved a multiplex this year ( I’m such a grumpy sod these days that I involuntarily anticipate horrendous Wittertainment Code violations, thus blighting my chance of fun at the flicks).
It is in many ways a very conventional movie, feeling like a throwback to the early/mid 70s, when films about grown ups for grown ups were not the rarities they are today.
The dialogue is superb and utterly credible in the mouths of the characters, who we are able to root for, whether they are the ‘good guys’ or the ‘bad guys’.
A decent companion piece to No Country For Old Men or also perhaps ‘Three Burials’ by Tommy Lee Jones from a few years back, which is one of my fave neo Westerns.
Highly recommended.