Film Review: Hell or High Water
Written by: FFT Webmaster | July 19th, 2016
HELL OR HIGH WATER – 3 ½ (out of 4 stars)
If you loved the movie No Country for Old Men (2007) then you are going to be pleased to see this movie. Director David McKenzie (Starred Up) brings us a great dramatic piece examining the actual lives of individuals caught up in today’s financial meltdown. The powerful screenplay is penned by Taylor Sheridan who’s known for Sicario, White Rush and Sons of Anarchy. If you’re a fan of the TV series, you know what to expect, a very powerful drama. In West Texas two brothers (A divorced dad and an ex-con) resort to desperate scheme in order to save their family farm from a bank foreclosure.
Midland state bank was a leading lender of mortgages and reversed mortgages in areas such as Lubbock and Midland Texas. While they would squeeze their customers for fees they cared little about their livelihoods. Caught up in this meltdown, the brothers decide to become Robin Hoods who steal from the bank (in small amounts) in order to pay off the bank. Their antics come to the attention of sheriff Marcus (Jeff Bridges) whose goal it is to stop them in their tracks. After a long game of "cat and mouse", Marcus faces off with the brothers for an unlikely ending.
Jeff Bridges delivers a great performance as an old retiring sheriff on his last case and Chris Pines as the divorced brother struggling to make things right. Ben Bishop is fabulous portraying the out of control ex-con brother, who’s a comedic, psychotic and terrifying individual. Not someone you want to meet in a dark alley.
While this film is slow moving. its intensity never let’s go of your attention. I highly advise seeing this movie. While it may not be for millennial’s the intelligence level of this film makes you remember why you want to go to the movies.
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