HELL OR HIGH WATER – We Are Movie Geeks

LA LA LAND and ARRIVAL Lead the 2016 St. Louis Film Critics Association Nominations

“La La Land,” an original musical about pursuing one’s dreams, garnered 13 nominations, while the science-fiction close encounter “Arrival” earned eight nominations from the St. Louis Film Critics Association Sunday.

The organization will announce their annual awards on Sunday, Dec. 18. Awards are given out in 23 categories.

Best Film nominees also included two haunting, powerful dramas, “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight,” with six nominations apiece. The neo-western thriller “Hell or High Water” earned four, as did the First Lady biopic “Jackie” and the Coen Brothers comedy “Hail, Caesar!.”

Other multiple nominees included the action-comedy “Deadpool,” the sci-fi adventure “Doctor Strange,” the landmark Supreme Court case on interracial marriage “Loving,” the animated musical “Moana,” and the thriller “Nocturnal Animals,” all with three.

SLFCA members work for recognized outlets in print, broadcast and online publications.

For more information about the awards or our group, visit www.stlfilmcritics.org or contact board secretary Lynn Venhaus, 618-917-8175.

Here is a complete list of nominations:

BEST FILM

Arrival
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

BEST DIRECTOR

Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”
David Mackenzie, “Hell or High Water”
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”

BEST ACTOR

Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
Joel Edgerton, “Loving”
Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
Tom Hanks, “Sully”

BEST ACTRESS

Amy Adams, “Arrival”
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
Emma Stone, “La La Land”
Ruth Negga, “Loving”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jeff Bridges, “Hell or High Water”
Dev Patel, “Lion”
Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”
Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Greta Gerwig, “20^th Century Women”
Lily Gladstone, “Certain Women”
Viola Davis, “Fences”
Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”
Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Taylor Sheridan, “Hell or High Water”
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Jeff Nichols, “Loving”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Eric Heisserer, “Arrival”
August Wilson, “Fences”
Luke Davies, “Lion”
Whit Stillman, “Love and Friendship”
Tom Ford, “Nocturnal Animals”

BEST EDITING
Hacksaw Ridge
Jackie
La La Land
Moonlight
Nocturnal Animals

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Bradford Young, “Arrival”
Vittorio Storaro, “Café Society”
Roger Deakins, “Hail, Caesar!”
Linus Sandgren, “La La Land”
James Laxton, “Moonlight”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
The Handmaiden
Jackie
La La Land
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Arrival
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
La La Land
A Monster Calls
BEST MUSIC SCORE

Johann Johannsson, “Arrival”
Mica Levi, “Jackie”
Justin Herwitz, “La La Land”
Nicholas Brittle, “Moonlight”
Cliff Martinez, “The Neon Demon”

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Everybody Wants Some!!
La La Land
Moana
Sing Street
Trolls

BEST SONG

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” ” “La La Land”
“City of Stars,” “La La Land”
“How Far I’ll Go,” “Moana”
“You’re Welcome,” “Moana
“Drive It Like You Stole It,” “Sing Street”

BEST ACTION FILM

Captain America: Civil War
Deadpool
Doctor Strange
Hacksaw Ridge
Jason Bourne

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

April and the Extraordinary World
Finding Dory
Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
Zootopia

BEST COMEDY

Deadpool
Don’t Think Twice
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hail, Caesar!
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

De Palma
The Eagle Huntress
Gleason
I Am Not Your Negro
Weiner

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Elle
The Handmaiden
A Man Called Ove
Our Little Sister
Toni Erdmann

BEST HORROR/SCI-FI
10 Cloverfield Lane
Arrival
Doctor Strange
Don’t Breathe
The Witch
BEST SCENE

Berlin Airport fight, “Captain America: Civil War”
Opening credits, “Deadpool”
“Would that it were so simple” with Ralph Fiennes and Alden Ehrenreich, “Hail, Caesar!”
Opening traffic jam number, “La La Land”
Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams encounter on street, “Manchester by the Sea”

WORST
The Angry Birds Movie
Masterminds
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
Warcraft
Zoolander 2

Jeff Bridges in HELL OR HIGH WATER Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD November 22

Academy Award^®winner Jeff Bridges (Best Actor, Crazy Heart, 2009), Chris Pine (Star Trek), and Ben Foster (Lone Survivor) star in the acclaimed action thriller Hell or High Water arriving on Digital HD November 8 and Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and On Demand November 22 from Lionsgate and CBS Films. From the writer of Sicario, Hell or High Wateris a modern western about two brothers who turn to crime in order to save their family farm from the clutches of the bank. Hailed as one of the year’s best films since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the film has since gone on to garner a stellar 98% “Certified Fresh” critics’ score, and equally impressive 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

When a desperate father (Pine) learns that the bank is going to take his family’s land, he and his ex-con brother (Foster) are left with no choice. They decide to rob the bank’s branches, putting themselves in the crosshairs of an aging Texas Ranger (Bridges) in a riveting story of crime, punishment, and brotherly love.

The Hell or High Water home entertainment release’s special features include three all-new featurettes including “Enemies Forever” which provides an intimate look at the characters of the film; “Visualizing the Heart of America” which tells the story of the film’s setting and how filmmakers utilized real locations to bring the story to life; and “Damaged Heroes” an exploration of the outstanding cast performances. The home entertainment release also includes a Filmmaker Q&A, and exclusive footage from the Hell or High Water premiere. Hell or High Water will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for the suggested retail price of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.

BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES

“Enemies Forever: The Characters of Hell or High Water” Featurette
“Visualizing the Heart of America” Featurette
“Damaged Heroes: The Performances of Hell or High Water” Featurette
Red Carpet Premiere
Filmmaker Q&A

HELL OR HIGH WATER – Review

Scottish director David Mackenzie demonstrates a deep affinity for the parched land and distant horizons of depressed West Texas in his modern western HELL OR HIGH WATER – for trailer parks and shabby motels and Indian casinos, and highways that go on forever. With its nail-biting tension, occasional burst of violence, commentary on the state of the economy, and a towering Jeff Bridges performance, HELL OR HIGH WATER is one of the best films this year.

Toby (Chris Pine), a divorced father of two boys, teams up with his loose cannon ex-con older brother Tanner (Ben Foster) to rob branches of the Texas Midland Bank in order to pay off the lien on their late mother’s home before they can foreclose. There’s oil on the property and Toby sees an opportunity for his sons to escape the generations of poverty he has experienced. Justice initially seems to be theirs until they find themselves pursued by Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a laconic Texas Ranger who is not looking for one last big case just weeks from his retirement, but finds it anyway with these two outlaws. As the brothers plot a final bank heist to complete their scheme, and with the Hamilton and his partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham) on their tails, an epic showdown looms.

The Texas of HELL OR HIGH WATER is wide and dusty, dotted with once-thriving communities turned ghost towns and it’s handsomely photographed by Niles Nuttgen. Ben Foster is terrific as loose cannon Tanner but the real surprise is Chris Pine, who effortlessly dials down the Captain Kirk charisma in order to play a more down-to-earth character. It’s a sentimental story and these actors display convincing brotherly chemistry, but the film belongs to Jeff Bridges who dominates even when off-screen. Losing himself in the role, his Marcus is wise and cantankerous, with a mumbling vocal performance as he tries to be a step ahead of his prey. The old cop hooking a big fish on the eve of his retirement is a clichéd character, but when done as well as what Bridges does here, it’s a great one. The film’s trump card is the relationship between Marcus and his half-Mexican half-Comanche partner Alberto. Their many priceless conversations that touch on aging and racism and Native American history and TV evangelists are at the heart of Taylor Sheridan’s outstanding screenplay. Gil Birmingham gives a powerhouse performance and he and Bridges are an unforgettable movie team. All the characters in HELL OR HIGH WATER – every perfectly-cast waitress, bank employee, gambler, and well-armed Texan are vivid with faces that will stay with you. After a summer of stale sequels, uninspired remakes, and superhero duds, HELL OR HIGH WATER is the real thing – a movie that should generate serious Oscar buzz and is highly recommended.

5 of 5 Stars

HELL OR HIGH WATER opens in St. Louis August 19th in St. Louis at (among other places) Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater and The Hi-Pointe Theater

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of HELL OR HIGH WATER In St. Louis

HELL OR HIGH WATER is a modern action drama set in West Texas where the distinction between honest men and outlaws has blurred beyond recognition. Featuring a cast that includes Academy Award®-winner Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “True Grit”), Chris Pine (“Star Trek,” “Into The Woods”), Ben Foster (“3:10 To Yuma,” “The Messenger”) and Gil Birmingham (“The Lone Ranger,” “Twilight”), HELL OR HIGH WATER is produced by Sidney Kimmel, Peter Berg, Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn and executive produced by Gigi Pritzker, Bill Lischak, Michael Nathanson, Rachel Shane, John Penotti and Bruce Toll.

A story about the collision of the Old and New West, two brothers — Toby (Chris Pine), a straight-living, divorced father trying to make a better life for his son; and Tanner (Ben Foster), a short-tempered ex-con with a loose trigger finger — come together to rob branch after branch of the bank that is foreclosing on their family land. The hold-ups are part of a last-ditch scheme to take back a future that powerful forces beyond their control have stolen from under their feet. Vengeance seems to be theirs until they find themselves in the crosshairs of a relentless, foul-mouthed Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) looking for one last triumph on the eve of his retirement. As the brothers plot a final bank heist to complete their plan, a showdown looms at the crossroads where the last honest law man and a pair of brothers with nothing to live for except family collide.

CBS Films will release HELL OR HIGH WATER in select theaters on August 12th and nationwide on August 19th.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of HELL OR HIGH WATER on Tuesday, August 16 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

Rated R

Visit the official site: hellorhighwater.movie

Feel The Brotherly Love Between Chris Pine And Ben Foster In New Texas-Sized Trailer For HELL OR HIGH WATER

Watch the brand new “Texas” trailer for CBS Films’ HELL OR HIGH WATER.

The film opens in select theaters on August 12th and nationwide on August 19th.

HELL OR HIGH WATER is fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a bright green 82 on MetaCritic

HELL OR HIGH WATER is a modern action drama set in West Texas where the distinction between honest men and outlaws has blurred beyond recognition.

Featuring a cast that includes Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart,” “True Grit”), Chris Pine (“Star Trek,” “Into The Woods”), Ben Foster (“3:10 To Yuma,” “The Messenger”) and Gil Birmingham (“The Lone Ranger,” “Twilight”), HELL OR HIGH WATER is produced by Sidney Kimmel, Peter Berg, Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn and executive produced by Gigi Pritzker, Bill Lischak, Michael Nathanson, Rachel Shane, John Penotti and Bruce Toll.

Visit the official site: www.hellorhighwater.movie

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