A New Texas-Based Movie To Put On Your Radar

When you think about movies like No Country For Old Men and The Last Picture Show, you think of iconic screen impressions of Texas.  I haven't seen it yet, but with the raves given by critics like CBS Sunday Morning's David Edelstein, we may have a new classic on our hands.

In his Sunday Morning segment this week, the critic left no doubt where he stood on this picture  "Hell or High Water is the best movie I’ve seen all year," Edelstein led boldly. "All last year, too,"

What has got him all excited?  The way the movie messes with his head. Good movies do that.

The movie has a starkness, a terrible clarity that eats into your mind. It’s a new classic Western.

Watch Edelstein's full review here, or read the transcript. Trust me, it's better with the pictures.

Even better is the New York Times' inclusion of a scene from the film on its site with narration from its director, David McKenzie. 

If I keep posting videos, we might just get the whole movie up here.  In all seriousness, this picture is a modern Western because it takes place in Texas and it involves bank robberies. Where the modern kicks in is the motivation behind the robberies.  Chris Pine and Ben Foster play ranchers who are about to be foreclosed. The way they see things, a little turnabout is fair play.  They also find that despite their amateurish execution -  neither of them are professional criminals and it shows - they have hit upon a successful formula.

The Texas Ranger assigned to crack this case is none other than Jeff Bridges, heartthrob from The Last Picture Show.  I guarantee you, if he didn't play this role then it would've been given to Sam Elliot. Gray and grizzled, that's the character. Dig the trailer.

Pine and Bridges even sat down to talk about coming from show business families. Jeff Bridges is of course the son of the late Lloyd Bridges and brother to Beau Bridges. Chris Pine's father is actor Robert Pine.

After a summer full of comic book nonsense, it's refreshing to see a Texas indie-flavored film coming along for adults that is still a wild ride.  It's on my must-see list.