'Hell or High Water' is a 5-star movie

• Critic's ratings: 5 out of 5 stars

If you like cowboy movies, you should see “Hell or High Water.”

If you like detective stories, you should see “Hell or High Water.”

If you like great acting, you should see “Hell or High Water.”

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If you like scathing commentary on the financial health of the country, you should see “Hell or High Water.”

Let’s make it easy: If you like sitting in a dark room looking at pictures that move, you should see “Hell or High Water.” It’s terrific.

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The basics of the story are pretty simple. Toby and Tanner Howard (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) rob banks. They have guns, ski masks, getaway cars, the lot. Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), an aging Texas Ranger, is trying to catch them. It’s a story as old as the movies, practically.

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But the actors, along with director David Mackenzie (“Starred Up”) and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario”), infuse it with a contemporary urgency that merges spectacularly and surprisingly well with the bleached-out tumbleweed Texas scenery (though the film was shot in New Mexico).

We see from the first robbery that Toby and Tanner are not especially good at robbing banks, not the actual hands-up-give-me-the-money part (though Tanner seems to enjoy it more than Toby). But they get the job done, and they’re smart, in their way, particularly Toby. For instance, they drive a different beat-up car to each job, then speed back to their broken-down ranch and bury the vehicle out back. These are rough-and-tumble men, whose closeness is only revealed when they have a couple of beers and wrestle in the front yard.

But Marcus notices enough about the robberies to detect a pattern, and to realize that this isn’t just a random string of robberies. For one thing, they only hit Texas Midland banks. For another, it isn’t just a cash grab — they take only the smaller, unmarked bills. They’re up to something specific, but what?

And therein lies a story. I don’t want to give too much away, not for typical spoiler-alert reasons, but because Mackenzie’s story unfolds so perfectly, with one motivation after another revealed, that it’s better to simply enjoy it. That said, it’s fair to say that the economy has not been good to Toby and Tanner. Don’t be misled — these guys aren’t modern-day Robin Hoods. But they aren’t greedy thugs, either. They’re operating under a code of honor, their own code. Tanner, in particular, is looking at the future while trying to make amends for the past. In their heads, and maybe even their hearts, they believe they’re doing the right thing.

Marcus doesn’t care. He’s a lawman with a job to do, and however clichéd that may sound, Bridges rises above that. Marcus is close to retirement and ostensibly glad about it, but his banter with partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham) and attention to detail signals that he’ll miss his work. He’s good at it, good enough to be patient, to set up shop with Alberto outside a restaurant and sit across the street from a Texas Midland and wait. And wait.

If this makes it sound as if “Hell or High Water” moves slowly, don’t worry. It doesn’t. It’s laced with a lot of humor, particularly as Marcus quietly outsmarts everyone, commenting as he goes along, or when he’s giving Alberto bigoted grief that betrays a real affection and respect. There is also action and like everything else in the film, it’s loaded with layers.

For instance, it’s no surprise that at some point there will be a showdown. What’s funny and telling is how this one plays out. Suffice it to say guns are popular in Texas. Did I say funny and telling? More telling than some may realize, I suspect. For what it’s worth, the most intense showdown in the film doesn’t involve any guns, though the threat of them is ever present.

Foster was born to this kind of role, rugged but soulful, and he’s outstanding. The surprise is Pine, giving by far his best performance. Toby is haunted and he is going to make amends, no matter the cost. Bridges, meanwhile, is so relaxed and comfortable, it seems like he’s been playing this guy forever.

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“Hell or High Water” has a little bit of everything, all of it good. It’s a movie you don’t want to miss.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: twitter.com/goodyk.

Phoenix, Arizona Movie Theaters, Showtimes, Reviews

'Hell or High Water,' 5 stars

Director: David Mackenzie.

Cast: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges.

Rating: R for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality.

Note: At Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square.

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