Taylor Sheridan is one of the most fascinating screenwriters working in contemporary Hollywood, and until SICARIO 2: SOLDADO he had pretty much scripted a trio of very good thrillers that touched on the sharp end of the US political embrace of neo-liberalism. David Mackenzie followed Denis Villeneuve in working closely with Sheridan (who has a small cameo in the film as a disconsolate cowboy), crafting the kind of film that supposedly doesn't getting made in Hollywood any longer: mature, gritty, character-driven and political.
Built around three performances that all have deliberate differences in pacing, Mackenzie's considerable technical ability gives Bridges, Foster and Pine the perfect platform to deliver superb character work. What really stands out though, is the way in which the film gives over running time to perfect little portraits of disenfranchised America, from the waitresses who will not give up their tips, nor tolerate dissent from the menu, through to the bank clerk who just wants to get on with their day, this is a film saturated in local knowledge and a strong sense of place. All the more commendable when it is considered that Mackenzie and Sheridan aren't Texans.
This is probably Chris Pine's transitional performance, as he shifts from more mainstream pretty boy roles to grittier character work. It is also Bridges best performance in at least a decade, as he gets caught up in just one last chase before retirement. Ben Foster continues to deliver incredible work on the periphery of Hollywood and must now be considered one of the most underrated actors of his generation. This is a film that baldly directs an attack at the greedy neo-liberal capitalism that propels the US relentlessly onwards, and it must go down as the most sustained and strident critique of the banking crisis and its fall-out. It is also a fine heist western, in the mould of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, or THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT.
Built around three performances that all have deliberate differences in pacing, Mackenzie's considerable technical ability gives Bridges, Foster and Pine the perfect platform to deliver superb character work. What really stands out though, is the way in which the film gives over running time to perfect little portraits of disenfranchised America, from the waitresses who will not give up their tips, nor tolerate dissent from the menu, through to the bank clerk who just wants to get on with their day, this is a film saturated in local knowledge and a strong sense of place. All the more commendable when it is considered that Mackenzie and Sheridan aren't Texans.
This is probably Chris Pine's transitional performance, as he shifts from more mainstream pretty boy roles to grittier character work. It is also Bridges best performance in at least a decade, as he gets caught up in just one last chase before retirement. Ben Foster continues to deliver incredible work on the periphery of Hollywood and must now be considered one of the most underrated actors of his generation. This is a film that baldly directs an attack at the greedy neo-liberal capitalism that propels the US relentlessly onwards, and it must go down as the most sustained and strident critique of the banking crisis and its fall-out. It is also a fine heist western, in the mould of BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, or THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT.