For some reason this was the first film from director David MacKenzie that I was fortunate enough to see. How I had missed his previously lauded efforts Hallem Foe and Starred Up is a mystery but one that will be made right after seeing his latest, the South Texas set drama, Hell Or High Water.
Divorced father Toby (Chris Pine) is at the end of his tether. Having nursed his mother through her final months, he is now facing the prospect of losing the farm that he grew up on due to the way the bank ‘helped out’ the family when they started to have financial difficulties. With the help of his ex-con brother Tanner (Ben Foster) he sets out to rob the very same banking organisation that helped put him in this situation. Targeting only rural branches and taking relatively small sums the hope is that they will be able to raise enough money to pay off the debts and be able to give the farm over to his ex wife and his children. The robberies come to the attention of the Texas Rangers. Soon to retire, the case lands on the desk of Marcus Hamiltion (Jeff Bridges) who is fascinated by the circumstances and the methods the two use to complete their crimes.
This is kind of a throwback to films of the 1970’s. It is slow paced and is all about the characters rather than the spectacle. It takes time to develop the main players giving the audience an insight into their motivations which can be lacking in more recent films that try to use the same dynamic to tell a story. In order for this approach to work it requires two things. Patience on the part of the audience and very good performances from the entire cast.
The crucial relationship that carries the film is between the two brothers. You have a sense that what you are seeing on the screen is only a fraction of what they have been through as siblings. There is an undercurrent of a violent upbringing with comments regarding their abusive father and his attitude towards children standing up to him. What this has done is to ensure that the bond between them stronger. Troy asks Tanner at one point why he agreed to do the robberies and his simple answer is because he was asked by his brother. The performances feel natural and nuanced. They talk like people who have grown up together and there is never any need for them to articulate their love for each other. It is understood. The closest we get to it is a salutary ‘Fuck you’ when they split up at one point.
This relationship is mirrored by the relationship of the Texas Rangers. Hamilton’s partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) has a mixed race background. Hamilton makes it his mission to mercilessly goad parker about it at every opportunity. It is never done with any malice or racist undertone. It is a part of their process. Parker tends to either ignore him or give as good as he gets. This is another type of brotherly bond, one forged out of coping with the work at hand. Long, tedious hours are spent in the pursuit of clues and a sense of mutual respect, albeit masked in insults, is essential to the pair being able to work effectively as a team.
Overall, an absorbing take on the modern western.
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