Sam Burnham, Curator @C_SamBurnham The Highwaymen provides a timely contrast for the earlier reviewed film Hell or High Water. This film is set in and around Texas in 1934 during the violent rampage that was Bonnie & Clyde. It’s timely as Bonnie and Clyde found a level of stardom based on the perception they were “just robbing banks” and somehow sticking it to the rich who were sucking the life out of the poor. It was the same sentiment we saw for Tanner and Toby Howard in Hell or High Water. The biggest difference is that Bonnie and Clyde were murderous thugs who were just as capable of killing any of their adoring fans as they were a banker. First off a disclosure. Kevin Costner has been one of my favorites dating back to The Untouchables and Field of Dreams. I’ve stuck with him when his acting was great and also through at least a few times he remained himself rather than truly taking on his character. In this instance he morphed into Frank Hamer seamlessly. It was some of his best acting. On the other hand, Woody Harrelson has not always been one of my favorites. His portrayal on Maney Gault, however, is flawless. What he gives viewers is a man deeply troubled by experiences earlier in his career who is seeking to regain part of his humanity. This role has me considering Harrelson’s earlier roles and realizing that it wasn’t him that I disliked so much as it was the characters he sold so well. What I needed was a character I could connect with. Harrelson does that with Gault. The film’s treatment of Bonnie and Clyde is also unique. They are key to the plot, they are the driving force or the narrative but they are almost ghosts. The roles could have been played by unpaid extras. Even revealing their faces is kept to instances when it is absolutely necessary for the plot. This approach keeps the film from glorifying them while adding to the mystery. When you do see them it compounds the tragedy of it all. You see two young lives that could have, should have, turned out differently. It is a brilliant technique. Like Hell or High Water, this film accurately shows poverty in The South. In this case it is under the debilitating conditions of The Great Depression. But much of it is the struggle of the post-war South. It’s a struggle you can still find in parts of The South today, even if in a lesser form. If you take these pieces, combine them with a beautiful score that plays on your emotions to build suspense, fear, frustration, and occasionally even a little humor, you make quite a film. Then there are the costumes and the delightful automobiles, all the little extras that immerse you into the story. This is yet another Netflix film that should make a splash come awards season. In addition to cinematography, screenplay, score, and others, i expect to see acting nominations for Costner and especially Harrelson. I will probably watch this one again. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Expect a commentary to follow.
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Sam Burnham, Curator @C_SamBurnham My reviews aren’t always timely. This one is no exception. This review goes back to a 2016 release that escaped my radar then but I came across a clip from it a while back and then found the film on Netflix. After viewing it, I think it is important to not only review it but also to follow up with a commentary as I’ve done before. The cast of Hell or High Water led by Jeff Bridges, using his gravely cowboy voice rather than his more recognized “Dude” voice. Bridges plays an aging Texas Ranger on the trail of bank robbers . His partner is played by Gil Birmingham, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. The setting is West Texas but it could just as easily have been in rural areas of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, or Mississippi. There is a painfully accurate portrayal of poverty in rural America. Rather than showing poverty as poor people in a comfortable home but with few possessions, poverty is shown as true economic insecurity. Widespread poverty is contrasted against the wealth of Big Oil and Texas Midlands Bank, the regional bank that plays the roles of both victim and villain. Texas Midlands takes the brunt of the vengeance within the plot but a broad definition of predatory lending is laid out before viewers to see the sentiment of the common people of West Texas who are consistently reluctant to help rangers investigate the string of bank robberies that are hammering Texas Midlands Bank branches.Their reluctance is due to their hatred for the bank and the practices that have cost so many so much. On the flip side of the plot we learn of the impact these lending practices has had on the two brothers who are pulling off the robberies one by one. The planning and execution of the robberies serve a particular goal. They also kept the investigators confused. Without giving out spoilers, two robbers and two rangers spin and weave plot twists into a thrilling story, a story with many small messages that combine to make a rousing narrative of Agrarianism, decentralization, and the need for family and community. But I don’t want to muddy up this review with two much analysis. That’ll be the next story. For now let me say this is a great movie. It has poignant messages we need to consider, action to keep you engaged, and some really good acting. It’s one of the best movies I’ve seen. And now I’m off to break down those messages... Sam Burnham, Curator @C_SamBurnham I shared some of the music that helps me to stir the Christmas spirit but there’s more. I thought I’d add a list of viewing - movies and television - that can help in the same way. It’s A Wonderful Life - 1946 This movie is one of the mainstays of the season. I know it can seem like a cliche to include it but this movie is filled with the themes that we espouse at ABG. The small town of Bedford Falls, George Bailey and his locally-owned savings and loan, the relationships he and the business have with the locals, the ever present bigger bank breathing down his neck, and his earnest efforts to keep them from taking over his town. It's the power of relationships in a small town and how things can be set right The messages are timeless, Jimmy Stewart is a legend and this is some of his best acting. It’s a Christmas must-see. A Charlie Brown Christmas - 1965 An animated classic but this one isn’t just child’s play. Charlie Brown is frustrated by the commercialized Christmas he sees surrounding him. So he sets out to find some real meaning in the holiday only to be harried and harassed at every turn by the flashy expectations the commercialized Christmas has given to his friends. I gotta say that Linus standing on stage and reciting from the Book of Luke is one of the finest moments in television history. So simple but so profound. “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” A Christmas Story - 1983 For 24 hours each year, Turner Broadcasting puts this little jewel in the player and hits repeat. You can turn it on and then go on about your way. When you walk in the room you can stop and laugh a bit before you move on. It’s not nearly as profound as the previous two on the list, but this is the funniest Christmas movie ever made. It’s nostalgic and gives us a chance to recognize our own reality in the comical dysfunction of normal life. So many quotes from this movie have become common in our cultural jargon. “You’ll shoot your eye out!” “It’s a major award!” And even the maniacal adaptation of “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Used by the shopping mall Santa. When you hear one, you know where it’s from. A Christmas Carol - 1984 Whichever version of this Charles Dickens classic you watch is totally up to you. I’m kinda partial to George C. Scott. Regardless of the version, this is a how-to guide to getting into the spirit at Christmastime. The crustiest curmudgeon to walk the Earth is transformed into a tender hearted benefactor in the course of one night. And if Scrooge can get in the spirit, surely you can. Again, these are a few and I'd love to hear your suggestions. Feel free to share them with us! |
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