Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Tue Aug-16-16 09:00 PM
"Hell or High Water (Mackenzie, 2016). From the writer of Sicario."
Sicario ain't no fluke-- Sheridan is the real deal. This is a phenomenal script, beautifully directed by David Mackenzie (who did Starred Up from a couple years ago). Pine, Foster, and obviously Bridges are all in top form here.
If you like a neo-Western style slow-burn thriller, this will absolutely be your shit. Seek it out while it's still in theaters.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Wed Aug-17-16 01:06 AM
2. "It played directly to so many things I love." In response to Reply # 1
Neo-Western? Check. Sharp, often funny dialogue? Check. Gorgeous cinematography? Check. Slow burn thrill sequences? Check. Bridges and Foster chewing scenery? Check and check. Nick Cave music? Check.
I was also really impressed with Pine here. You'd think his straight man would get lost among Bridges and Foster, but he holds his own. Bridges' cop partner in the film gives a strong performance as well as Bridges' straight man.
It's not breaking any ground for plot originality, but it's a damn good time. If you dug Sicario and dig most of the descriptions I give above, I'd definitely seek it out.
3. "98% on rottentomatoes." In response to Reply # 0
I wrote it off as generic after seeing the trailer but damn this thing is getting phenomenal reviews. Hopefully it goes wide enough for alot of people to catch it.
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"The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in." - James Baldwin
5. "an entertaining ride, the less you think about it. " In response to Reply # 0
the cops and robbers set-up is just a plot vehicle for showing the parts of society that America has left behind. the wizened ranger being put out to pasture. the family turned criminal by a cycle of poverty. the struggling waitresses and single mothers. burning cattle fields. and nearly every person with a speaking part being screwed over by the banks.
it’s heavy on Trumpist attitudes, which can be taken as a defense of that movement or simply an explanation. the script also makes its points in boldface, which gets redundant about a third the way in.
the movie moves quickly and gracefully, though. performances are well-rounded and Sheridan is either a Texan or knows the state well, because there are a ton of catchy lines that really give the film a sense of place.
tense and fun to watch, even if I don’t agree with the themes included.
14. "RE: an entertaining ride, the less you think about it. " In response to Reply # 5 Mon Dec-19-16 09:08 AM by The Analyst
>the script >also makes its points in boldface, which gets redundant about >a third the way in.
Strongly agree with this, I was groaning and rolling my eyes every time someone pointed at a bank and gave a soliloquy about how they've been fucked by one at some point in their life. I also found the recurring shots of billboards with bank advertisements to be corny and overly obvious. Certain aspects of this reminded me of KILLING THEM SOFTLY in this way, and I fucked hated that movie.
(I also though the snappy banter between the brothers was a bit grating, but whatever.)
This is much better than Killing them Softly, but it's still no better than just OK to me. Nothing to be mad about, but nothing to write home about it either. I wouldn't discourage anyone from watching it for free on HBO or some shit.
7. "gorgeous film, feels like Sheridan's pulled out twice in a row though" In response to Reply # 0
Sicario and this film both have a stellar sense of the worlds they create, and both are filmed wonderfully. both films get by, and this one in particular, on dialogue and scenery, though.
ENDING DISCUSSION BELOW
Sort of like that movie, it seemed like it was in a hurry to be a different movie than the movie I was interested in seeing. When the final bank robbery immediately started going to shit, I thought we were going to finally get to see all the tension in the film unspool, an Inside Man or Dog Day Afternoon gone wrong, but instead the brothers sneak out of there and while it allowed for that great imagery of the consequences of conceal and carry, it then led to Ben Foster doing his best Terminator walk. Like Sicario when it became a movie about an assassin instead of an out of her element FBI employee, I felt like the script gave up on a better movie for the sake of some more high action.
11. "I agree on Sicario but....." In response to Reply # 7
>Sort of like that movie, it seemed like it was in a hurry to >be a different movie than the movie I was interested in >seeing. When the final bank robbery immediately started going >to shit, I thought we were going to finally get to see all the >tension in the film unspool, an Inside Man or Dog Day >Afternoon gone wrong, but instead the brothers sneak out of >there and while it allowed for that great imagery of the >consequences of conceal and carry, it then led to Ben Foster >doing his best Terminator walk. Like Sicario when it became a >movie about an assassin instead of an out of her element FBI >employee, I felt like the script gave up on a better movie for >the sake of some more high action. >
IMO, I don't think Hell or High Water plays out as an action movie nearly as much as Sicario. In Hell, Ben Foster's character had been leading up to his final stand the whole film whereas the final act of Sicario felt more like Sheridan and Villeneuve were giving viewers a mulligan of sorts because the movie was advertised as being about Benicio's character. There's just enough hints in Hell or High Water to justify the shootout at the end.
12. "There's a lot of that in Sicario as well." In response to Reply # 11
There's a long slow reveal of Benicio's back story and his motives. It was, to a certain extent, about two people seeking revenge; Blunt's character has her limits for how far she will go so we shift to Benicio's character who is a "wolf" and willing to do whatever it takes.
The shift in both films is about the person willing to make the sacrifice to get the job done. Blunt shows she isn't a wolf and gets almost literally kicked to the sidelines. Foster's character states pretty early that nobody gets away with anything to set up that he kind of knows he's going to be the one taking the fall so his brother can get the land back. (Although the biggest Huh? for me was the bank not wanting to pursue the matter. If they thought Pine was in on the robbery, they could own that land outright rather than just managing a trust.)
I think it was more jarring in Sicario because Benicio was more of a supporting player to that point whereas Foster was almost a co-lead; he and Pine were almost always together.
And while it was a bit more actiony than I expected, it wasn't as jarring as the action movie third act of Mud.
10. "Solid flick, wish I saw it before the good word of mouth." In response to Reply # 0
Very simple movie so I went in expecting more after all of the hype. Still, good flick with great performances. First thing I've liked Chris Pine in in a while. And Ben Foster is always fun to watch. The scene with the old waitress could be one of my favorites of the year.
20. "This was really good. " In response to Reply # 18
As far as which movie had the Best Picture qualities... I think the relationships in Moonlight were meatier. (at least I the relatoinships between Chiron and his mother and Randy were better drawn than the ones between Chris Pine and Ben Foster)
But Moonlight was a more 'important' movie than Hell or High Water. Also, a Best Picture about bank robbers, as well as it was told, is a tough sell.
But that's not to take anything away from this movie. Longo hyped it here so I had some level of expectations but the movie far than exceeded them.
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