Magnificent Indeed

Rating: 9/10 (11 August 2017)

Renner at the top of his craft, and Elizabeth Olson, about who I was concerned, was well cast as the green FBI agent, whose character comes through when the situation required it. Bernthal has a very small part. Graham Green and Gil Birmingham are perfect mixes of stoicism and Indian humor. The Utah (made to look like Wyoming) weather has a major role as well, although I never knew if it was following direction or doing it improv. The story is an intense drama with action to match, based on actual events on the Wind River Indian Reservation which has a per-capita crime rate that makes Chicago look like Mayberry. The climax was set up so suddenly it actually added an element of lethal humor to it. It definitely has a similar flavor to "Hell or High Water" in which Sheridan acted, only better. I noted the absence of any disclaimer about any animals being harmed. I don't know if that's still routinely being put in the credits or not, but I don't think it would apply here, though it was about an animal being hunted, Renner's character's job.