Hell Or High River.
111 Mins. Starring: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene & Jon Bernthal. Director: Taylor Sheridan.
Come 'Hell Or High Water', 'Sicario' writer Taylor Sheridan in completing his noirish crime trilogy has gone from the script desk to the directors chair for 'Wind River'. And after arguably penning the best two pictures of the last two years ('Hell Or High Water' actually attaining an Academy Award nomination in said category), Sheridan with the same first initial and last name as the next great young actor ('Ready Player One'?) gets behind the lens for one of this calenders greatest. As with this unofficial trilogy this writer/director double threat here shows he is heading to a land where he is to modern movie storytelling what Cormac McCarthy is to classic noir novels. Much akin to what future sci-fi fable director Neil Blomkamp is to cinemas, what original science fiction forefather Phillip K. Dick was to the chapters of every bookshelf and countless blockbuster his cult stories have inspired. In some ways the former 'Sons Of Anarchy' actor Taylor was made to write books, but what he's bringing from page to screen right now is worth putting a bookmark in whatever you're reading for the next couple of hours...and the ones you'll reflect on after. Because this film takes the wind out of you and sends you up the river. 'Moon River' this is not. There's bitter brutality below the snowscaped bountiful beauty. A white noise where no one can here you scream in avalanches of the tallest trees and magnificent mountains. A land of wolves and prey were not all the predators stalk on four legs as Sheridan sets both a stunning and sickening scene in the nature of life and the unnnatural disorder of man. This terrific but terrifying tale from Taylor is no story either. But based on actual events as he brings to your porch the raw reality and racism that is happening to Native American's today as we speak in a Trump tide and time where discrimination is far more than the not so United States worst kept secret right now. Yet those Americans who discovered this great land are still getting so ignorantly dismissed and ignored. But in Wind River, Wyoming these Americans are given a voice as Sheridan's movie screams justice from the hills with no reservation.
Whitewash may be called by some critics looking for a cheap buck to comment or crucify everything that's coming out right now. But the only example of that here is on the snow that covers these lands. As the two leads here Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen are both integral to the plot and the race relations that stir in the about to boil over pot below. Showing that just like in the United States as a whole regardless of your colour of skin or creed if you live here, you're from here. Hawkeye has bow and arrow sniper like precision too here as Renner is a hunter of all sorts of predators who are animal in nature no matter what tracks they leave. Whilst the Olsen twins sister Elizabeth and the Avenging Scarlet Witch strikes out with her own magic here. Spellbinding as a Florida FBI agent sent from a Vegas detail to the out of her depths nature of here, as she trades 'Hell Or High Water' like casinos for a place where the chips are well and truly down. And as Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff reunite there's even room in this ensemble assemble for a Frank Castle too like we only wish the 'Infinity War' next year would. As these Marvel 'Avengers' who first came together thoughtfuly with precision and power in the 'Age Of Ultron', only to work so well together in the rescue, escape and fight moments of Captain America's 'Civil War' (the first knife blade reunion scene that throws everything including the kitchen sink at Vision is cutting edge superhero and their powers re-introduction) are marvellous together again on screen for the third time. Albeit showing that under blockbuster cloak and dagger they are much more than the cape and cowl of the mega Marvel Cinematic Universe's enterprise. Sheridan's scripts are known to bring the best words and wisdom out of some of the greatest actors around from Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt to Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges. But here the ever real Renner with true grit under all that camouflaged ice gives us his best and brightest since definitive right now 'Detroit' director Kathryn Bigelow's 'The Hurt Locker'. The film which broke out him and fellow flying Falcon Anthony Mackie. Whilst Olsen showing ownness and a real and raw, surviving and striving strength in the face of ravaging discrimintion, racism and sexism has more power than a Furiosa 'Atomic Blonde' and furious 'Wonder Woman'. This being the benchmark of the next great actresses already impressive career catalogue that features standouts in 'Godzilla' (with her Quicksilver on-screen brother), 'Oldboy' (with Thanos) and 'I Saw A Light' (with Loki). This Olsen sister is so good she is the one in this double act, second wind.
But this revenge tale is more than these two Avengers even if it is too late to dub them 'The Revengers' (thanks Thor!). 'Twilight' franchise father Gil Birmingham is breaking even more new ground by dawn here following his heartfelt and heartbreaking moment in 'Hell Or High Water'. Partnering up to Jeff Bridges cop bantering grit with back and forth gravitas. Here he plays a wounded father. Hurt by an insurmountable loss, spilling over in snow storm stunted eye for an eye trained desires. Even in sparing scenes Gil is great. Even if his erupting emotion is shown behind quickly shut doors, Birmingham is brilliant in showing the love and loss that comes with outliving your young and not knowing where the hell their choices lead them when they became old enough to make their own decisions. Whilst 'The Green Mile' and 'Dances With Wolves' standout Graham Green equals and then one ups his best as a Wyoming officer with the badge and gun that can take Olsen's FBI agent and Renner's hunter tracker in to his jurisdiction and warrant all the bullets and blood that is shed. Making for some amazing action and gunfights that are lightning like the 'Collateral' damage and 'Heat' of Michael Mann's made ones caught in a beer bottle with the top opened cautiously to an everything spraying fizz. Pepper sprayed with visionary realism. As once Sheridan's snow silent slow burner turns into a Mexican standoff flanked like something you've never seen starring down the barrel, what comes rolling out the chamber is a set-piece artillery that clips you, reloads and shoots from the hip again and again. And with all these shells leaving you shocked then there's no wonder The Punisher comes into play, even if he only wields fists and not real weapons. After following his 'Sicario' strangling surprise cameo, Sheridan pulls Jon Bernthal out the hat yet again for the same amount of screen time, but one layered in so much more emotion. As 'The Walking Dead', 'The Wolf Of Wall Street', 'Fury' and of course 'Daredevil' actor gives us a fall 'Punisher' preview to tide us over. Yet again showing us the evoking power in his perfecting, scene setting storytelling and the necessary violence of his protection. Further rhyme to his reason that even in a few choice scenes he shows just how multi-dimensional and incredible an actor he really and truly is. But the real storyteller here is Sheridan who successfully takes his words here and makes them his vision for the first time behind the seed of yet another compelling Nick Cave score. And in turn the wonder of Hollywood's writer of the moment becomes the next great director for our generation. But there's much more to Taylor Sheridan's show and tell here in this thrilling action/drama and its real world unflinching warnings in a wrong world of rape and racism. Sheridan's statement is really saying something here. And if it remains unheeded down by the river there will be hell to pay for all of us come the high winds rise. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Hell Or High Water', 'Sicario', 'Captain America-Civil War'.
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