Hell or High Water (2016) Film Review

Tanner (Ben Foster) and Toby Howard (Chris Pine) are a couple of guys whose deceased mother’s ranch is about to be foreclosed on by the bank, and they’ve just found oil. Desperate, they start robbing banks. They are chased by close to retirement Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges ) and his partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), a couple of law enforcement men (not sure on which department) who are stubborn.

If you want to see one of those slow-moving films with a whining violin soundtrack that sounds a bit like Warren Ellis (ah! Lookie here, the soundtrack is by Warren Ellis and Nick Cave!), with men who talk slow and have that slow, Texas smarts, this is the film for you. It’s a good film, possibly a great film, though not a really original film. While I didn’t mind watching it, I’d sooner have re-watched No Country for Old Men.

Hell or High Water was nominated for Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Jeff Bridges), Best Original Screenplay and Best Achievement in Film Editing, as well as nominations for Golden Globes for Best motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Motion Picture (Jeff Bridges) and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture. It was also nominated for BAFTAs for Best Supporting Actor (Jeff Bridges), Best Screenplay (Original) and Best Cinematography.

 

The Big Lebowski (1998) Film Review

No matter how many times I see this film, I can watch it more. It’s funny, tragic, quirky and ridiculous, and is one of my favourites ever.

So, there’s a guy called Lebowski who is better known as The Dude (Jeff Bridges). He’s an old hippy who potters around, getting through life somehow until one day his house is broken into by thugs who threaten him and urinate on his rug. When realising it is a case of mistaken identity, his best mates and bowling buddies Donnie (Steve Buscemi) and  Walter(John Goodman) advise him on how to resolve this issue. And along the way are nihilists, artists, acid flashbacks, kidnappings, beating up cars and a lot of swearing.

If you’ve not seen the film, you may well not like it. Because if you have friends who like the film, they’ve probably forced it on you. If you didn’t like it, you may no longer have those friends – it’s one of those films that people get crazy passionate about. Use this as a test: watch this clip that shows the entrance of Jesus (John Turturro). If you don’t think this is the most magnificent introduction of a character in cinematic history, you may not like the film. And I’ll chuck it out there: what other character entrances are magnificent? (My second would be Ray Winston in the opening of Sexy Beast. Find that one yourself – I couldn’t find it on youtube. You need the full version with Peaches by The Stranglers)