Film review: 'Hell or High Water'

Chris Pine finally locates his acting chops in the new film, "Hell or High Water." Toss in a grizzly, gruff Jeff Bridges and hipster Ben Foster, and brace yourself for a great ride into America's heartland.

Two brothers in West Texas decide to give predatory banksters a run for their money. When their recently deceased mother's ranch is a week away from being foreclosed upon, they take action. Tanner (Foster) is an ex-con who's springloaded, while his brother Toby (Pine) is the mild-mannered mastermind behind their plan to rob banks. The logistics that they implement are clever and methodical.

Perhaps too much so.

Senior Texas Ranger, Marcus (Bridges), notices a pattern to the robberies after Tanner breaks the rules. In a laid-back, hilarious scene, Marcus and his partner (Gil Birmingham) sit across the deserted street from a bank, wise-cracking as they lay in wait for a robbery (very Coen-esque).

"Hell or High Water" is one of those "Bonnie and Clyde" films, in which the audience is rooting for both sides. Tanner and Toby are fighting a system that's rigged (sound familiar?) while Marcus has an uncanny ability to take joy in fighting crime. Director David Mackenzie ("Starred Up") teams up with screenwriter Taylor Sheridan ("Sicario") in creating an authentic folk-hero ballad that soars on every conceivable level. The script is stingingly smart; the cinematography is raw and sprawling and the country western soundtrack hits all the right notes.

There's a slew of outstanding supporting cast members (T-Bone Lady, for one) who enhance the real-deal feel of this cat-and-mouse thriller. They also provide the levity, which is applied at just the right junctures. But it's Chris Pine who shines and surprises as he goes against type and delivers a pensive, provocative performance. It's the best thus far in his career.

As "Hell or High Water" comes to an end and the dust has settled, all seems right with the world for one family. But the impetus behind the film's message is that of disenfranchisement. So beware — it can mess with your head in very dangerous ways.