If you asked me: "hey charlie, what's your top film for 2016?" I'd have had to think very hard because there's no stand-out flick... but this opinion may have changed...
Western heist, Hell or High Water is the film fans have been begging for. David Mackenzie's opus follows Toby Howard (Chris Pine) who is a divorced father who plots a scheme to try and save his family's ranch in Texas. Along with the help of his brother Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) - an overly trigger happy ex-convict with a taste for violence - these brothers attempt to rob banks in the local area to try and build up enough income to save their family ranch.
Hell or High Water also focuses on two rangers. Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) is an experienced soon to be retired ranger working on one last case before a life of rocking chairs and sitting on his porch. Along with his partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) they will try to catch Toby and Tanner before it's too late. So we have an interesting premise, an extremely talented cast and a new visionary director. This sounds like a recipe for a great film.But how does it fare?
Hell or High Water's cast is its greatest asset. The chemistry between Tanner and Toby seems so real and natural, you believe that they are actually brothers. Their ever-changing sibling relationship is very believable as they react to the dire straits they're plunged into.
Chris Pine's performance as Toby is excellent, showing that he is not just a blockbuster actor with a pretty face. He's a very capable and talented actor, whose skills are perhaps underused in the film industry. However, I believe that it is the performance from Ben Foster as Tanner that steals the show between these two actors. His dark humour and dark personality fits the film perfectly.
The pair of rangers, who come after the brothers, have whole different dynamic. It mostly consisted of Marcus throwing jokey insults towards Alberto, usually if not all about his Native American ethnicity. The insults would always not bother Alberto as these two have lots of mutual respect and care for each other. Jeff Bridges' performance stands out above the rest. I cannot think of any actor who could have played this role better. Throughout the first two acts, he is very stonewall and is unfazed by much, however in the final third, his emotional performance really shines. Almost bringing a tear to my eye. Do not be at all surprised if he's in the running for a best supporting actor Academy Award.
Another great aspect of this film is the cinematography. Texas is a superb filming location, as it has a sort of rugged beauty about it, and David Mackenzie used it to its fullest. Every scene is very well shot with some amazing angles and shots that take your breath away.
The writer Taylor Sheridan has done a fantastic job with the story, it is emotional, funny and very cool. All of the writing fits the characters perfectly.
So is Hell or high water the best film of 2016 so far? Absolutely yes it is, by miles. This film is the savior of the indie film, and if you are not able to catch it in the cinemas. I recommend you pick it up on DVD when it's available, trust me, you do not want to miss out on this gem!
hell or high water is a 15 certificate