'Hell or High Water' is a modern western about two brothers (Ben Foster and Chris Pine) who rob banks, and the two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) trying to solve the case.
In recent years Jeff Bridges has been talking in an unclear garbled voice in almost every film he's been in. Occasionally it can be a bit difficult to understand him but over the past few years I've become used to it. Ben Foster, meanwhile, sounds like he's trying to impersonate Tom Hardy in 'The Revenant'. At the beginning of the film it took me a few minutes to get used to the heavy Texan accents that the majority of the characters have, the same way it took me a few minutes to get used to the Shakespearian language used in last year's 'Macbeth'. Though that just adds to the authenticity of the real world setting that the film inhabits.
Now that I have my (very) minor gripe out the way, 'Hell or High Water' is a brilliant film. From the opening shot, alternating between a teller and the brothers as they enter a bank, the film had me hooked and never lost my interest for a single second. Part of the brilliance of the film is that writer Taylor Sheridan and director David Mackenzie manage to make you care for all four main characters and you become conflicted as to which duo you would like to see succeed.
Ben Foster's Tanner is the more unstable of the two brothers, having committed a multitude of crimes in the past and having spent time in jail. He expertly conveys this and believably portrays a character who isn't quite mentally stable. Chris Pine's Toby is more adjusted than his brother, actually caring about people other than his brother. I have mainly seen Chris Pine in high budget films, like the Star Trek reboot, and does fine in them. Here he gives a great performance as a man trying to help his family and keep his land. Foster and Pine are believable as brothers, partly because of their chemistry together on-screen, and also thanks to the dialogue that Taylor Sheridan has given them.
The premise of the film is simple on paper, but as the story progresses that doesn't matter as you believe in these characters and situations. During several scenes I started to think what it would be like if it were set a century or two earlier, and the majority of scenes would still work well. However, seeing the western tropes in a contemporary setting is refreshing, as during a time where there are very few actual westerns are made, taking the story to modern day Texas sets it apart from the classic westerns from several decades ago. One moment sees a ranch worker moving a herd of cattle across the road, as he remarks "It's no wonder our kids don't want to do this", referring to how film makers produce westerns a lot less frequently than their predecessors.
The western genre does bring with it several clichés, and unlike 'No Country For Old Men' and the revenge genre, it doesn't quite set them up and turn them on their head. For example: Jeff Bridges' Marcus Hamilton is days from retirement. Marcus is not the one who constantly brings it up, and actually dreads it, but his partner Alberto is the one counting down the days until he will no longer be subject to Marcus' mildly racist remarks about his mixed race heritage.
The cinematography provides beautiful wide landscape shots of the west Texas scenery. It is coupled with great precision with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' score. This is thanks to David Mackenzie's expert direction. All of this would make a good film to watch, while listening only to the music used, but it is Taylor Sheridan's script which moves this film into the territory of greatness. The sharp dialogue and western structure make the film an enjoyable watch, and the characters develop throughout and you understand everyone's motives behind their acting. After this and last year's 'Sicario', Sheridan truly is a screenwriter to look out for during awards season in the next few years.
In short: 'Hell or High Water' is one of my favourite films I have seen so far this year, containing brilliant dialogue, great acting all around, a story that keeps you interested, and a score that works extremely well with the cinematography and the direction of the film.
