A pair of estranged Texan brothers are reunited against a common foe – the bank that gypped their father into signing away the family farm and now threatens to foreclose on the loan. Straight arrow Toby (Chris Pine) and ex-con loose cannon Tanner (Ben Foster) stage a series of heists against various branches of the bank, all the while pursued by Jeff Bridges, on deliciously crusty form as a Texas ranger nearing the end of his career. Part heist, part western for the Occupy generation, this sharply plotted thriller is a triumph for both director David Mackenzie and writer Taylor Sheridan (Sicario). Mackenzie makes effective use of the hard-baked Texas landscape, which seems to consist entirely of grit and grudges. And Sheridan’s acidic humour brings a spiky levity to some scenes – a ferociously charmless waitress in a steak restaurant is a particular high point.
