Flutterby™! : Hell or High Water

Last night, Charlene and I had plans to go see Moonlight with friends, but I'm in no shape to do that, so we were home, and decided to do a movie there. Hidden Figures isn't out on streaming, we went down the Oscar nominee list, and eventually ended up deciding between Hacksaw Ridge and Hell or High Water. Went for the latter.

Hell or High Water is a film that reminded me of back in the days when I was immersed in storytelling craft. In two decades, this is a film that's gonna be dissected. Every line of the very spare dialog moves the story. In every shot in this film there are several things said. The script is spare and powerful. What's happening in the backgrounds is as important as what's happening in the foregrounds. It's a modern western that, in tone, reminded me of Tender Mercies, albeit with more gun play, with beautiful sparse landscapes and small towns and payday loan billboards.

It's a film about how men relate (and, yes, where this film has a flaw it's that there ain't too much for the womenfolk to do, but it's also a critique of that culture, so I'll kinda let that slide). About obligations and family, and what drives us. Despite being a Western chase film, with the two Texas Rangers after the two brothers on the wrong side of the law, it's also not a film with good guys and bad guys; at points we see the same sorts of being tight lipped and uncooperative to the Rangers, and then as a mob chasing down the robbers with intent to kill. The circumstances drive the actions, in ways that leave lasting questions.

And the parallels between the relationship of the two Rangers and the two brothers gave me little "aha" moments well after the movie ended.

Not a big loud violent blockbuster. If you like your films slow and contemplative and can tolerate a little bit of gun violence (and, yes, a few deaths) with that, this is one that's sticking with me.