View Full Version : Hell or High Water Review.
Averageman
09-04-16, 15:37
A modern version of The Lone Ranger and Tonto meet Jesse and Frank James.
Not perfect, but three out of four pointy fingers.
I will see it at some point.👍
Got up early and drove 190 miles (one way) to go see it today with my family and foreman's family. We enjoyed the heck out of it, especially seeing familiar sights from Tucumcari, Portales and Clovis. A somewhat dark film with some funny highlights. The director really captured the mood of the kind of people you would meet in rural West Texas and Eastern New Mexico, although filmed totally here in my State. Many times you leave a movie feeling somewhat let down. This film was worth every penny ($10 bucks a head) and delivered. Best film I've seen so far this year. I know I'll get it on Blu-ray when it's released.
Averageman
09-05-16, 00:01
What don't you want?
What don't you want?
In this film, or films in general?
Averageman
09-05-16, 09:16
In this film, or films in general?
No, Corn or Green beans. Which Don't you want?
Remember?
No, Corn or Green beans. Which Don't you want?
Remember?
I wouldn't get green beans. It would have been futile to have asked for a T-Bone cooked a little more than medium rare. I was halfway expecting her to mention iced tea with more detail and indicate sweet tea was the only option (a southern or Texas thing).
This kind of discussion is the marking of a memorable film. Little vignettes which get discussed later. What was so realistic for this part of the United States is the waitress refusing to give up her $200 tip; "...that would pay half my mortgage". People are very cantankerous in Eastern New Mexico and West Texas when it comes to interference in their lives.
I might add that the old codger in the bank with all the pennies is Buck Taylor, who played Newly O'Brian in 174 episodes of Gunsmoke. His Dad was Dubb Taylor, veteran of many westerns. I met Buck Taylor once here in the State during a personal appearance in Edgewood, New Mexico at Founders Ranch. My youngest son got his picture with him.
Averageman
09-05-16, 09:47
When I would go home on leave after being away for some time and interact with these folks there would be a "Through the Looking Glass" kind of moment until I remembered where I was at.
Fiercely independent, cantankerous and tough as nails, might best describe 3/4's of the population in that area.
I had no idea that was " Newly."
Here's a picture I took of Buck Taylor in June of 2006. He makes his living now painting western art and small roles in films. If you have followed his career he was also in the movie Tombstone. Really nice guy and about as down to earth as you can get. When I heard he had a role in Hell or High Water as the old codger at the bank, I wanted to check it out for sure.
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss126/BlackMesaRanch/buck_taylor_zpshrowcu5y.jpg
LowSpeed_HighDrag
09-05-16, 11:55
Interesting to see the glaringly obvious pro-2a message in the movie, can't say I've ever seen that in theaters. I thought the plot was a little weak, the final shootout was anti-climactic and completely unreal, BUT the last seen between the Ranger and robber was tense enough to make up for it's shortcomings.
black22rifle
09-05-16, 12:19
I saw it yesterday, it was ok, I thought it was going to be better. I didn't get the message about the banks robbing people for years. Is that something that was prominent in west Texas or were they referring to the housing market crisis?
Averageman
09-05-16, 12:26
I saw it yesterday, it was ok, I thought it was going to be better. I didn't get the message about the banks robbing people for years. Is that something that was prominent in west Texas or were they referring to the housing market crisis?
It's happened a number of times and kind of works in a cycle.
Land prices go up in value and those too foolish to remember or don't know what happened the last time take a loan, usually a whopper.
Land values normalize and they are left with a loan and their land, crops and livestock are worth less money.
That the Bank took the money and knew that there was oil, doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that anyone has any mineral rights to anything below ground anymore. That was legislated away decades ago.
I would guess that property would have likely had to have been in their family more than 100 years for that to work.
The whole eastern side of New Mexico and west Texas has had issues with bankers going back to the dust bowl period of the 1930's. It wasn't just in Oklahoma. Lots of foreclosed properties during that era. Small operations mortgaging their places for small amounts of money to hold them over, and losing a ranch worth far more than the loan balance to the bank. Some banks did well during the depression.
A few years ago I was visiting with an elderly Spanish fellow and rancher in the area who's family has been on this land since the early 1800s. He told me they ate a lot of Jackrabbits during the depression, and officially knew the hard times were over when that species of Lepus Alleni showed a population increase.
I saw the movie last week. I enjoyed it and sort of reminded me of the 'No Country for Old Men' Cohen brothers film.
There wasn't a lot of gun play, but it was an entertaining although somewhat dark film.
One thing that I noticed is that the film was a limited release in my area. It was only shown at a few of the larger theaters.
Great group of actors, especially Jeff Bridges. It's worth watching.
Averageman
09-05-16, 12:49
Yes it was in limited release at first. I had to wait a week for it to come here locally and that concerned me a bit.
I thought the same thing about the "No Country for Old Men" parallels, I think Bridges might have actually been better than Tommy Lee Jones in that role.
He seemed to have it down to a T.
Averageman
09-05-16, 12:56
The whole eastern side of New Mexico and west Texas has had issues with bankers going back to the dust bowl period of the 1930's. It wasn't just in Oklahoma. Lots of foreclosed properties during that era. Small operations mortgaging their places for small amounts of money to hold them over, and losing a ranch worth far more than the loan balance to the bank. Some banks did well during the depression.
A few years ago I was visiting with an elderly Spanish fellow and rancher in the area who's family has been on this land since the early 1800s. He told me they ate a lot of Jackrabbits during the depression, and officially knew the hard times were over when that species of Lepus Alleni showed a population increase.
I didn't think as far back as the Dust Bowl, but you are correct.
Thanks for that.
I never thought about a pro-2nd Amendment message in the film, because I've never expected to find it in a modern film. The armed towns people following the brothers reminded me a lot of my fellow inhabitants here and into west Texas. The sparse wide open plains is eye candy for a rancher.
Around 1880 someone came out here and commented that they couldn't wait to return to "God's Country" back east. The response to that easterner was:
"This is God's Country, 'cause no one else would have it"
Well I saw this film and honestly it did not feel like it was made in 2016.
I mean that in a positive way. It felt like it could've been made 30 years ago or even 50.
It felt like a modern day Western. I didn't look for a political message because there was none.
It was outlaws and cowboys but in a more grim way. I am a Pibb man, but the jab at Mr. Pibb over Dr. Pepper made me laugh.
If a movie can make me laugh and then say "oh SHIT!" then it is worthwhile.
I disagree about the highway standoff being "unrealistic". That was suppressing fire and it suppressed. Mission accomplished. Look at 1997 North Hollywood guys and tell them it was bullshit.
The very ending, which I won't spoil, had this real deep confrontation. A lot of what wasn't said or done was pretty severe.
But it wasn't flashy nor was it over the top. Nothing was glorified and it wasn't a cartoon so that's why this will get overlooked.
4.5/5 from me.
LowSpeed_HighDrag
09-05-16, 22:12
Well I saw this film and honestly it did not feel like it was made in 2016.
I mean that in a positive way. It felt like it could've been made 30 years ago or even 50.
It felt like a modern day Western. I didn't look for a political message because there was none.
It was outlaws and cowboys but in a more grim way. I am a Pibb man, but the jab at Mr. Pibb over Dr. Pepper made me laugh.
If a movie can make me laugh and then say "oh SHIT!" then it is worthwhile.
I disagree about the highway standoff being "unrealistic". That was suppressing fire and it suppressed. Mission accomplished. Look at 1997 North Hollywood guys and tell them it was bullshit.
The very ending, which I won't spoil, had this real deep confrontation. A lot of what wasn't said or done was pretty severe.
But it wasn't flashy nor was it over the top. Nothing was glorified and it wasn't a cartoon so that's why this will get overlooked.
4.5/5 from me.
Maybe not political, but there was an OVERT tone of anti-bank and pro concealed carry/2A.
There was very little suppressing fire, no real drama over you know who taking a round, no one scrambling to assist him. It was weak, and anti-climactic to say the best (that scene).
Maybe not political, but there was an OVERT tone of anti-bank and pro concealed carry/2A.
There was very little suppressing fire, no real drama over you know who taking a round, no one scrambling to assist him. It was weak, and anti-climactic to say the best (that scene).
1. I think most people are leery of banks anyways and figure the everyone having a gun bit was just being in the rural South where..yeah....everybody has a gun.
2. I meant the highway part not the other part. The other part felt like a callback to old Westerns but the highway part yeah he was just trying to get people to back off.
Also that one bank teller I thought was some kind of Chinese and she had a hispanic name. Regardless, she was quite a hottie.
MountainRaven
09-05-16, 22:40
Banks are one of those rare elements that are almost universally detested without any particular need to describe to detail the reason(s) why the bank is the bad guy.
I think part of the reason why Jews were so hated for so long in Europe is in part because they established some of the first banks in Europe (Christians couldn't lend to Christians, because that was usury - loaning money is good, but charging interest is theft, and ditto-ditto Judaism. But the restriction only applied to believers, so Jews could lend money to Christians and charge interest without sinning. Of course, the church realized that they and their wealthy patrons were missing out on a huge potential revenue stream and soon decided that usury was no longer a sin, so long as the interest rates were reasonable, of course).
See also: It's a Wonderful Life and Mary Poppins.
I'm not much of a high brow critic when I go to the movies. I want to be entertained, see some action (I liked the Death Wish films of the 1970's with Bronson), and suspend reality for a while. It's a plus if it's western and some pretty scenery as well. I live in it but never get tired of it, although I always thought it would be neat to live in lighthouse on some rugged, uninhabited coast on the cliffs. Some like you'd see in John Carpenter's "The Fog". Speaking of Carpenter, back in the late 90's he shot a film over by Cerrillos, Santa Fe and Las Vegas called "Vampires". Another fun film for sure.
I think Hell or High Water was a winner, and everyone I've spoken to in this State enjoyed it. There's always something you can find wrong with a film, but this one had enough to keep my interest. I agree it has a feel to it of a film made 30 years ago. Maybe the acting helped with that?
Averageman
09-06-16, 12:07
I meant the highway part not the other part. The other part felt like a callback to old Westerns but the highway part yeah he was just trying to get people to back off.
Also that one bank teller I thought was some kind of Chinese and she had a hispanic name. Regardless, she was quite a hottie.
Standing in the Middle of the road was a little too "Movie" for me. I would have fired over the back of the truck, but...
What optic was that on the AR?
You really need to get out this way sometime, I've noticed a few Ladies of Mexican decent with that look, it's really not that rare. You might snap your neck walking the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas has some Latin beauties.
Also that one bank teller I thought was some kind of Chinese and she had a hispanic name. Regardless, she was quite a hottie.
I think you are referring to Amber Midthunder. She's half Lakota-Sioux Indian.
Standing in the Middle of the road was a little too "Movie" for me. I would have fired over the back of the truck, but...
What optic was that on the AR?
You really need to get out this way sometime, I've noticed a few Ladies of Mexican decent with that look, it's really not that rare. You might snap your neck walking the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas has some Latin beauties.
I dunno. Dude was established as being a thug and not some HSLD guy. Regardless, if some dude started mag dumping at me with an AR with some kinda auto sear and all I had was a lever action, bolt action or pistol then I would be rolling off most rickey tick.
Not a tactic I would use but didn't take me out of the movie
Optic looked like some cheap Airsoft holosight(not that he used it)
I been out West once for a whopping 12 hours. I think that would be my next big move.
I think you are referring to Amber Midthunder. She's half Lakota-Sioux Indian.
I googled and yowza. Half Injun myself(albeit east coast) but she caught my eye. Most chicks that are into me are either black birds or blond basic B's wanting to piss off daddy. If that is where you are keeping the women then that's where I need to be.
I also thought it was funny how Jeff "The Dude" Bridges kept busting his partner"s balls with the Red Man/Messican jokes.
I might get this on disc as I have gotten super picky about my DVD buying. I look at it more like books because some movies I can watch once and be done with it.
I think you are referring to Amber Midthunder. She's half Lakota-Sioux Indian.
I thought that she looked familiar. Amber was in the 'Longmire' series on A&E as well. Her father is an established actor and played in several episodes of the same series. Amber is very Beautiful.
Longmire was a great show if you missed it.
I thought that she looked familiar. Amber was in the 'Longmire' series on A&E as well. Her father is an established actor and played in several episodes of the same series. Amber is very Beautiful.
Longmire was a great show if you missed it.
Longmire was set in Colorado, but filmed in New Mexico. Some episodes have been filmed northwest of my ranch at Watrous, New Mexico, as well as Las Vegas. Neat series for sure.
Doc Safari
09-23-16, 11:36
My girlfriend and I saw it a couple of nights ago. Great movie. It reminds me of the way action movies were made in the seventies. IMHO, this movie is more like what I wanted "No Country For Old Men" to be.
Averageman
09-23-16, 12:16
My girlfriend and I saw it a couple of nights ago. Great movie. It reminds me of the way action movies were made in the seventies. IMHO, this movie is more like what I wanted "No Country For Old Men" to be.
I took a date to see it Wednesday, so I've seen it twice and She seemed to enjoy it.
I took a date to see it Wednesday, so I've seen it twice and She seemed to enjoy it.
Oh I remember those days. Taking multiple dates to the same movie and having to act like it was your first time. Hahaha.
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