a review of 赴汤蹈火

A tale of brotherly love, bank robbing, and looking out for the people you care for. Watching good people do bad things for the right reasons isn't exactly anything new, so the strength of the movie doesn't come from originality. Instead Hell or High Water succeeds just because of how well made it is. The cinematography is gorgeous and the movie has a fitting soundtrack to go along with it's delightfully true-to-form depiction of the Texas lifestyle. David Mackenzie pulls incredible performances from what we know to be already highly talented actors. This is genuinely some of the best work of each cast member's career. The story itself is brimming with emotion and believable human interactions. The dialog is clever and often quite funny. The plot itself is familiar, but no less remarkable due to it's cleverness, thrills, and ability to pull the audience in. It grabs your heart and connects you to the characters. No matter which side of the law they are on. Compelling drama, heart, soul, and the absurdity of Texas all come together in the careful hands of a talented and fantastic director to create something wonderful. Highly recommended.