Overview
A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's farm in West Texas.
Two brothers rob banks together. But they don’t go for the big vault – they just take the petty cash in the tills. Then they move on to the next bank, and do the same again. As the story unfolds, we slowly find out why Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) are specifically targeting Texas Midlands branches. In the meantime Marcus (Jeff Bridges), a Texas Ranger near his retirement, is slowly picking up on their trail, and together with his sidekick Alberto (Gil Birmingham) starts to catch up on them…
To be clear: what you don’t get in this movie is lots of gun fights and high-speed chases. The movie is cautiously paced, allowing the audience to get to know the characters – the three lead performances are all excellent. You do of course get those gunfights and car chases, but they are clearly in support of the character’s stories, and not the main attraction of the film as it would be in yet another Fast & Furious instalment. The banter between the two pairs – the brothers on the one hand and the rangers on the other – works; the companionship and loyalties feel real, leaving you rooting for the flawed characters and friendships in both pairs. It’s not a simple good guys vs bad guys – the real bad guys hardly get a showing in the movie. You know you probably shouldn’t be condoning the heists, yet you cheer the brothers on; but Marcus asks the poignant questions at the end of the movie: can we live with the collateral damage…?
A very nice surprise this movie, showing more mature range from a pleasantly restrained Pine, and a strong performance from Foster as the unpredictable, unlikeable-yet-likeable, ex-con. Jeff Bridges is a most worthy adversary of the brothers.
A recommended watch.
★★★★☆