Hell or High Water Reviews

Since I kept hearing some pretty good things about this movie, I was really eager to check it out. Well, I always had a weak spot for the heist genre but the most common mistake they make in these movies is that the actual heists are very often just way too convoluted  and, as a result, it is rather difficult to take them seriously. Fortunately, it wasn't the case here as everything made sense and seemed doable which made the whole thing so much more interesting to watch. Of course, it wasn't only about showing a realistic heist, it was also about showing some interesting characters and also their environment. Indeed, the makers delivered a bleak and fascinating view of West Texas showing how life has been hard on the folks down there and, eventually, the bad guys didn't seem to be the bank robbers but the banks pushing some average people to take such drastic measures. The only thing that slightly bothered me was the fact Jeff Bridges figured the whole thing out rather easily but, eventually, this movie was not about his investigation so it wasn't a big issue. Anyway, to conclude, even if it wasn't really groundbreaking, it was a really made and seriously entertaining flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I'd normally rate this movie 7/10. But this kind of movie is so rare these days, I need to push the rating a bit more in favor of promise of any new movie from this rank...

Echoes of road movie, new tex mex thriller, fury on the road, a brother redeemed in making his bro rich without aparent guilt, and Jeff Bridges who understand all.

Esta es una de esas películas que tienen estilo, que no terminan de ser memorables para ciertas personas por su tono o estilo que esta carga encima, y ese es el aspecto que me encanta de esta obra, ser diferente en su genero, que es un western, pero sin ser un western como tal, ya que esta se ubica en la modernidad.

La historia no es una cosa fumada que hará marcar algo en el mundo cinematográfico, pero la trama y personajes son los que me mantienen a flote en este barco, por su formula característica que nos quiere mostrar para lograr hacer demás películas que tengan la iniciativa tan creativa como lo fue esta, y hasta me recuerda a Breaking Bad y True Detective en cierto punto.

Strongly made genre films are worth praising for the simple fact that they’re harder to make than they would initially appear. A dusty neo-western about a pair of brothers who rob banks in the mid-Texas area while being cashed by a gruff lawman? I’m sure you’ve seen it before, and I’m sure we’ll see it again. Doesn’t change the fact that Hell or High Water is one of the stronger recent entries, a solidly entertaining and engaging crime saga that proves the western isn’t down on the mat just yet.

 

The strongest thing about Hell or High Water is a penchant for evading the obvious scenes of gun fights and carnage in favor of quiet, contemplative moments of character study. Not that there’s no gun fights, it just saves those for the very end when the characters are finally painted into a corner with no other recourse. Prior to the brutal climax, Hell or High Water shows us the forces and desperation causing these brothers to rob a particular banking branch, and where exactly all of that money will eventually be laundered.

 

Hounding the brothers throughout this ordeal is a US Marshall a few weeks away from retirement. Jeff Bridges has played gruff before, but here he sounds like talking dip that makes several casually racist jokes at an astonishing per-minute clip. Bridges is a veteran performer with a litany of strong, entertaining performances, and his work here is no different. Yet it’s the sense of begrudging respect he feels towards these robbers and the complicated sense of comradery with his partner that give his work more life, texture, and grit than they would otherwise.

 

Yet his strong showing throughout awards season and the absence of Chris Pine lends credence towards sloppy favoritism in lieu of letting in new blood. Pine plays his role with a bone deep wariness that shockingly brand new for the actor. Bridges and Ben Foster as his twitchy, aggressive brother get the flashier roles, but Pine is the strong center of Hell or High Water. Without his tortured, somber work, seriously, he brings waves and waves of pathos in a scene where he sits alone at a bar, Hell or High Water wouldn’t work. If recent years could find room for Eddie Redmayne to flutter and twitch (The Danish Girl), Andrew Garfield to do a religious Huckleberry Hound caricature (Hacksaw Ridge), and Benedict Cumberbatch to essentially play the same role he always does (The Imitation Game), then why couldn’t we find any room for Pine’s weary, desperate work here?

 

The focus on characters keeps the violence at bay for much of Hell or High Water, until it must rupture and disturb the ramshackle order keeping everything in place. A robbery goes violent, and so in the true manner of a western, further blood must be spilled to retain a stasis or semblance of peace and order. When the bullets stop ringing out, we see a climatic meeting between Bridges and Pine where they stare each other down and promise that there will be no peace for either of them, they will be forever haunted by what has transpired. Does this ending promise more violence to come off-screen in another reunion, or is it simply an elliptical ending that refuses to a traditional payoff for the audience? There’s no clear answer, but the delicate balancing act of civilized society has been stripped away to leak out some of the chaos and ugliness circling underneath.