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This is a real gem. I went in wanting brooding landscapes and tense action set pieces but came out with far more appreciation for the slower, more offbeat moments. The dialogue between Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham is a real highlight with even minor characters given time to stand out making them more than just Waitress or Old Man.
Not sure how I feel about the ending, oddly satisfying but interested to see what others make of it.
I’d highly recommend.
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One of the best of the year for sure. My only real gripe was the political message was a bit overdone. I appreciated what it had to say, but I feel it could've been done in a less overt way. Still, a fairly unique film and a highlight of Hollywood's recent output. Go see it, people!
Just saw this tonight on Amazon Video - cracking little film, perhaps nothing groundbreaking but really solidly filmed, acted and scripted. Jeff Bridges is great as always, but I was particularly impressed by Chris Pine. I knew he had charm in abundance but didn't know he had this kind of performance up his sleeve, hope he finds more time outside of the Hollywood leading man gigs to make this kind of work.
I liked how Taylor Sheridan also fed in enough comments on wider society issues - poverty passing from generation to generation, towns in forgotten corners of America stuck in the past with no obvious prospects - to lift the whole thing up from just feeling like just another bank robbery film (a rural Heat, if you will). Strong shades of No Country for Old Men, perhaps a bit reductive to say that but it's meant as a compliment.
This script headed up the 2012 Black List, and it's easy to see why - naturalistic dialogue, strong characters with deep, believable relationships (the brothers, Pine with his ex-wife and kids, the partners). As I say even if it gives you things you recognise from other films, it's all done with such style, smarts and sincerity that by the end I was completely sold.
Taylor Sheridan is clearly someone to follow - I see he wrote Sicario, too, which I also loved for its grown-up tone and intriguing characters you could tell the actors were very much enjoying climbing inside of. Much like Cormac McCarthy, he seems to really get how to convey stories set in the grit and moral grey areas of the borderland. I'll definitely be looking out for his next film, Wind River, which is his debut as a writer-director. Apparently it's along similar lines as his previous work - fingers crossed it's as good as Hell or High Water.
This was a good movie, but I was disappointed after the big buildup.
I understand that the differentiator was supposed to be that the bank was the bad guy. Aside from great performances, and great visuals, you have a variation of the Angels with Dirty Faces plot, the inexplicable rogue robbery which sets the law on their tails, etc. Not sure it qualified for Oscar consideration,
One of the better films I've seen and I think it has to do with the simplicity of it all.
A great script met by a great director. Great acting. Especially Bridges and Foster. Awesome use of the surrounding scenery. No one tried to go over the top and for the most part the film was a mirror image to the script. Can't say that happens too many times.
A true testimate to Taylor Sheridan's storytelling abilities.
IMO, this was a guy movie. I understand why most guys loved it. To me though, it was good, but certainly not great or even worth a re-watch. Just about how I felt about No Country For Old Men.