Hell or High Water (2016)

[filmlover]

17 minutes ago, Baumer loves Oogieloves said:

 

And I'd be the exact same way.....half her rent money in that one tip and the sheriff wants to take it away?  Fuck that!

I was talking about the old lady one in the steak restaurant.

[4815162342]

On 9/15/2016 at 0:17 PM, Baumer loves Oogieloves said:

 

I don't see it that way at all.  His films, imo, are slow....very slow.  This one was much quicker and much more lively with a much better script.

 

To me it felt a lot like Killing Them Softly. Cynical and embittered about the failure of the American Dream, with a lot of cinematography-driven scenes.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Enjoyed it. Very good acting an integrity story. Pacing is great no scene seem pointless. 

[Goffe]

Repeats itself a lot in the first hour. Gets kinda tiresome after we see White Ranger insulting Indian Ranger or the two brothers being played for contrast for the tenth time, really. Fortunately, the rest is substantially more interesting. Ending is phenomenal.

 

The cringe when the two brothers started playing like two little kids, with the sunset behind them. 

Edited November 26, 2016 by Goffe

[mattmav45]

Simple, but nonetheless powerful in its execution.  In other words, superior Western cinema.

 

The story follows brothers Tanner and Toby, and more specifically their attempt to keep their parents' ranch in the family upon their mother's passing.  Unfortunately, the ranch is tied up and leveraged by way of a loan to a damn bank.  Naturally, as is typically the case in Texas when confronted with big government and/or business, brash action is taken by way of robbing banks in an attempt to pay off said debt.  

 

The film finds strength in the execution and progression of the story.  The first fifteen minutes throw the viewer right into the dilemma with little to no warning.  After that initial introduction, things settle down, and what ultimately follows is a character-driven slow-burn Western cinema offering.  It's very much a film that depends on dynamics among the characters above all else, and more specifically the dialogue and interactions held among the characters.  It may be set in a modern setting, but this is classical Western material through and through.

 

Texas culture is stereotyped by many, but in actuality the state is simply too damn big and diverse to lump all of its characteristics in a neat and tidy bag.  As a Texan who lived in West Texas for about a decade, the magic of this film lies in its portrayal of West Texas culture.  One of my favorite scenes in the film is that of brothers Tanner and Toby sharing a beer on a porch while basking in a sunset overlooking the plains.  Incredibly simple, but absolutely epic if you allow it to take hold over you.  In other words, it's West Texas.

[The Panda]

Having lived in various parts of Texas, this film does a great job at portraying West Texas.  I'm not used to seeing many places I've actually been in movies, so it was fairly surreal, especially with the fact that it didn't feel like a caricature of the environment.

[MattW]

3 hours ago, Barnack said:

 

But :

  Reveal hidden contents

From what I understood it was money to not loose the land at the end of a reverse mortgage type of deal. The very 100% certainty of owning for what sounded like 4 million worth of land if he paid a very small amount effectively made him a virtual multi-millionaire. He could have easily got a relatively small loan or sold a small/big partnership on is land to someone to get the money no ? It was not a big amount relative to the value of the land.

 

Like the cop said:

You just try convincing a judge
to issue warrants on somebody
set to clear $50,000 a month for
robbing $40,000 from the bank
that manages the family trust.

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=hell-or-high-water

 

And :

There's nothing new around here,
except them pumpjacks.
Each one of them
making you a month
what you and your brother stole
from all four banks combined.
Help me understand, then.
Help me understand
why four people died
so you could steal money that
it don't seem you've spent,
that it don't seem you need.

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=hell-or-high-water

 

2 adults with a 600k a year revenues land not able to come by 40k legally !? That like getting a well equip new Honda Accord. They certainly did it for a reason (much more than needing the money, they were ultra rich), specially with stealing from the same banks gesture. But so high stake of that plan not working and removing from the childs that set for life fortune for that message ? A message they could have done after securing the land and future of the family ? Really did seem odd.

 

Figured I'd respond here.

 

They weren't making money from the land when the robberies went down, but you're probably right, I imagine if you tell a bank you want to buy land that's worth a few hundred plus per year in oil you could get a pretty sizable loan, but that's just one of those accept-the-premise kinds of things, just go with it that they can't get money any other way.  

[Barnack]

33 minutes ago, MattW said:

They weren't making money from the land when the robberies went down, but you're probably right, I imagine if you tell a bank you want to buy land that's worth a few hundred plus per year in oil you could get a pretty sizable loan, but that's just one of those accept-the-premise kinds of things, just go with it that they can't get money any other way.  

Yes I know that but we are talking about a what 4m to 9-10m land for just 41k.... 2 middle age able, very intelligent, motivated men in the US (that do seem to have the mean to buy lot of guns/car and other stuff to do their stunts).

 

I was going with it from what I remember (mostly because most of it is kept secret), but at the very end Bridge character himself explicitly verbalize how much their actions and plans made no sense at all considering their situation (one thing to be that wreckless with that fortune without any kids/people you care about but they seem to really care) and the movie seem to emphasize very much they never did it because they actually needed the money but for some grand gesture against the bank without wanting to pay any cost that by doing so they were jeopardizing the family future for getting a kick out of it.

 

But speaking of Sheridian movie I didn't get, maybe I missed even more the new Sicario than Hell of High Water....

Edited June 30, 2018 by Barnack