Sheridan has quickly become one of the greatest writers working in cinema today with sicario, hell or high water and then this- which he directed. He’s not nearly as good a director as Villeneuve or Mackenzie though so the film is in the archives based on that great screenplay and the performances—mainly—Renner
Sheridan’s films are modern westerns. They are deep dives into specific world and regions and the specificity of the worlds is what sets them apart—they are not broad renderings of places or people
Renner brilliantly plays a hardened cowboy sort that could’ve easily been played by Randolph Scott in a Budd Boetticher film, John Wayne in a film by Hathaway, hawks, ford, etc or even Jimmy Stewart in an Anthony Mann film
I’m rather indifferent to olsen’s performance which is disappointing. She’s not bad I just didn’t walk away impressed. She’s not Jennifer Lawrence in winter’s bone here or on that level—I actually think in one key scene Bernthal’s achievement here is superior to hers and Gil Birmingham walks away with a few scenes as well. He’s superb just as he is in hell or high water
That key scene with Bernthal is just a colossally devastating and powerful flashback. Great cinema.
Great formal opening- Renner is shown literally protecting sheep from wolves– decent narrative indicator
Great scene with Renner’s delayed, complex reaction to the young girl’s death (that is only later realized)
I think with this, and a bit with Emily Blunt in Sicario you could argue Sheridan has trouble writing for a “fis out of water” women– Olsen’s first few reactions are fine but after awhile her “shouldn’t we wait for backup” stuff (they are out in the middle of nowhere and no backup would get there) is annoying
It’s an odd choice from Nick Cave in the score to add literal words to the score but I liked it. added something
Very stark open scenic shots – well done
Understated nick cave score
The execution by Sheridan the writer and renner is what sets this above the clichés- this sort of film is on tv all day long in lesser form
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