Hell or High Water

Ben Foster and Chris Pine

David Mackenzie's Hell or High Water is a hard bitten B that transcends its genre limitations and a somewhat self conscious script to provide thoughtful entertainment. Mackenzie stages the numerous bank robberies by a pair of aggrieved brothers with a snappy, brisk style. He parallels their flight from capture with the investigation of their crimes by two older cops, the travels of both twosomes visually rhymed by horizontal tracking shots. The backdrop is post-recession West Texas, a burnt, bleak patch of land pockmarked by ghost towns. Giles Nuttgens' cinematography emphasizes the rust and brown palette of roadside Texas, heightening the overall aura of American decay.

Against this bleak backdrop, Mackenzie brings the film to life with moving turns from his players, rarely succumbing to cliché. Chris Pine has been in a host of movies ranging from unwatchable crap like Into the Woods to watchable crap like Star Trek to underseen sleepers like Bottle Shock and he has always brought sharp acting and a sense of fun. Well, there is not much fun to be had here, but this serious outing has deservedly brought him acclaim. Ben Foster has made a career out of sleazeballs and losers and the role of the black sheep brother fits him like a glove. Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham are outstanding as the cops. I think Bridges' performance has hogged the accolades because he has the showiest role in a film which culminates in a nifty face-off between him and Pine.

What prevents the film from achieving greatness is an over-reliance on ponderous speechifying to signal financial corruption and racism. A few racist jibes from Bridges would suffice, but we get a constant stream. The script suffers from both overkill and overdetermination. There is some welcome humor in the film, but little liveliness. Still, I am carping. When I think of outright turkeys like Crash and Dr Doolittle getting Best Picture nominations, the kudos bestowed on this film seem deserved. (2/12/17)