After debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, the contemporary western Hell Or High Water was released in North American cinemas to great critical acclaim. Directed by Scottish filmmaker David Mackenzie and written by Texan native Taylor Sheridan, the film stars Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Gil Birmingham.
Pine and Foster are brothers Toby and Tanner Howard, whose family land is facing foreclosure by the bank. Toby is a divorced father of one and Tanner is a volatile tempered ex-con. Ignited by the unfairness of the system, the brothers come together to rob the bank in question to take back what they believe is rightfully theirs.
Yet, as Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Bridges) reluctantly winds down towards his retirement, he is determined to hunt down the perpetrators with his partner, Alberto Parker (Birmingham), leading to a showdown at the crossroads where Old and New West collide.
“As a filmmaker I’m always drawn to stories which are not black and white in terms of their moral shades,” says Mackenzie. “So, one of the elements I was interested in was this thing that I call redemptive criminality, where good people do bad things for good reasons. I think there’s something really interesting about that balance and that is definitely an area of attraction for me as a filmmaker and in particular in this film.”
For producer Carla Hacken, the film felt both exhilaratingly timeless and part of our times. “This is a bank-robbing story, but it is also unusually relevant to our times with its theme of a family losing their home to the bank,” she says. “At the same time, the brothers Toby and Tanner bring in a kind of Cain and Abel angle as well. It has all the visceral elements of a heist thriller, but you are hit with the emotions of a family fighting for one another.”
Mackenzie has brought together a strong cast to realise his vision of the modern American West. The veteran and iconic Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges was drawn to Hell Or High Water for its sly, modern twists on the classic faceoff of good and evil. “I enjoy that what motivates each of these characters is complex,” he says. “You are never quite sure who are the bad guys, who are the good guys, or who you’re rooting for. We all tend to judge each other’s motives in life, but in this story, it’s a matter of point of view as to who’s right and who’s wrong – and maybe every character is a bit of both and that is always intriguing.”
I’ve rarely seen the element of brotherhood handled so elegantly and truthfully
As the Howard brothers, Mackenzie cast two of Hollywood’s most charismatic young actors. Chris Pine, best known as the current incarnation of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, comments that “Toby is a quieter person than I’ve ever played before and I loved that about him”.
The actor was also drawn to the importance Sheridan’s script gave to the concept of family and how the Howard brothers try to do right by theirs. “This is a story not just about crime, but also about roots and legacy. And, to me, Toby and Tanner feel like they are the last of a lineage of failed men and women, and it’s come down to them to stop this cycle of violence and poverty and shame for good,” he says.
Foster agrees, saying that the film’s exploration of how brothers connect – and fail to connect – hit him with its authenticity. “I’ve rarely seen the element of brotherhood handled so elegantly and truthfully,” he says.
That Pine was cast as Toby sealed the deal for Foster. “We had just finished doing The Finest Hours for three months and that really bonded us. I knew we could find that natural rapport of brothers together. This movie lives and dies on you on believing that these two men love each other, in whatever ways that they are able to express it.”
Rounding up the film’s core quartet is Gil Birmingham as Ranger Alberto Parker, a mixed-race, part-Comanche Tejano who shows open affection for Hamilton, who constantly badgers him with comic insults and take-downs. Playing him is Gil Birmingham.
Birmingham comments on the ties that bind Parker and Hamilton. “Alberto and Marcus are both driven by the thrill of the chase,” he observes. “But there’s a difference to them beyond their love of excitement and adrenaline, and it comes down to the way they perceive injustices.”
Birmingham was also attracted to the fact that film was more about its protagonists than the action and gunplay. “With all the comic book, super hero and sci-fi movies right now, it’s nice to have such a character-driven thriller. This is a raw, exciting film but it’s also the kind that can touch people’s hearts.”