Thriller ‘Hell or High Water’ succeeds on all levels

What It's About: Dusty, dry, depressed west Texas is the setting for the superb crime thriller "Hell or High Water," one of the best movies of the year.

Bristling with first-rate performances, rich characters and crackling dialogue, this gritty modern-day western excels on all levels.

With director David Mackenzie's sharp observations and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan's ("Sicario") smart writing, a dream cast fully realizes the murky opposite ends of the justice scales.

Brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) Howard resort to robbing bank branches to pay off the looming family farm foreclosure. A few unforeseen curveballs threaten their well-crafted plan, but they remain steadfast pursuing this last-ditch solution before the deadline runs out.

Chased by two wily Texas Rangers — Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), the brothers' means to an end is in jeopardy. But all the men have a few tricks left.

Performances: Both marquee leading man Pine ("Star Trek Beyond") and Foster ("Lone Survivor"), an accomplished character actor, worked together on "The Finest Hours," released earlier this year. Their complicated brotherly relationship is astutely conveyed by both men, who are working here at the top of their game.

Pine, in probably his best performance to date, is a divorced father desperate to do right for his family, even if it means being on the other side of the law.

Foster is all explosive, restless energy, an ex-con with a devil-may-care attitude and trigger temper. He might be on the highway to hell but he's not going down without a mighty effort.

Oscar-winning Bridges ("Crazy Heart") is again masterful as a crusty lawman, on the verge of retirement, hurling insults directed at his half-Comache, half-Mexican partner, beautifully realized by Birmingham ("Twilight") in a lived-in performance as Parker. They care for and respect each other.

Birmingham's monologue on comparing the slights of the 19th century to the 21st century is a high point.

What Works: Every minor character is genuine — from the world-weary waitress at The T-Bone and the flirty server at the diner to the flustered bank tellers and the stammering loan officers.

This is a real-people problems story, told with matter-of-factness and compassion. Sheridan shows that justice is not all black-and-white, and there is a big gray area. He also layers the script with wit and some great zingers.

The post-economic downturn recovery permeates every frame shot of a dying small town and its resigned citizenry. Hope is in short supply, and cinematographer Giles Nuttgen captures the tell-tale signs of decline and decay.

This character-driven story's release in mid-August is like an oasis in a desert of bloated blockbusters and disappointing sequels that crowded the multiplexes this summer.

Seek it out — now playing at six theaters in St. Louis — for at the end of the year, this will be one of the films topping critics' lists and awards ballots.

This story was originally published August 18, 2016 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Thriller ‘Hell or High Water’ succeeds on all levels."