The Highwaymen

Hier wurde ein sicherer Weg gewählt. Schön aber unauffällig. Schon das erste Drittel mit der bekannten Vorstellung der Hauptfiguren begräbt die Hoffnung auf einen originellen Beitrag zur berühmten Geschichte. Und der Rest des Films widerlegt diese Vermutung nicht. Er ist aber nicht langweilig, Costner und Harrelson haben es fest in der Hand und Costners Gespräch mit dem Vater von Bonnie (William Sadler) gewährt einen tieferen Einblick. Die Festnahme vom kriminellen Pärchen war auch in Wirklichkeit nicht irgendwie besonders. Deshalb konnte der Film keinen großartigen Abschluss haben, welchen ein Genre-Film bräuchte. (17.04.2019)

Netflix once again stumbled upon a good director and a solid premise. Add in the superb acting performance by Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson and you will think that a quality viewing experience is guaranteed. Too bad that given its two-and-a-half-hour running time, the film is very slow-paced, which in the second half of the movie becomes quite a hindrance. Anyhow, the premise is great. I liked it. It’s definitely worth watching. Several scenes are really wonderful, but cutting it short by an hour wouldn’t hurt. (18.04.2019)

Really genuine “too old for this shit" classical, old school, Western in a long time. And the fact that it takes place in 1930s when the economic crisis is in full swing and the cars are covering endless distances instead of horses, doesn´t change it at all. Slowly (I really mean very slowly) flowing, based on the central duo, beautifully captured and played. It's openly “McCarthy's" style, that´s for sure. In other words, it´s seemingly “only" genre movie with melancholic ambiance that is hard to resist. Its captivating (non) pace will either put you to sleep reliably or enchant you completely. (29.03.2019)

After Triple Frontier, Netflix pulls another ace from its sleeve, a macho western/gangster flick set in the 1930s, where the excellent Texas Ranger duo of Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson are hot on the heels of the legendary Bonnie and Clyde. John Lee Hancock perfectly captures the feel of 1930's American South (the costumes, the cars and the guns a thing of beauty) and it's safe to say he gave the two stars a chance for a solid comeback, as they both do an excellent job. In terms of direction, acting, visuals and atmosphere, the film is flawless, the only issue may be the slower pace, but I had a decent time throughout. The highlights are definitely Costner purchasing a gun, Woody's solo in the bathroom, the bandit story and the final carnage. "Clyde might be the king, but I am a Texas Ranger! You little shit!" 80% (02.04.2019)

Classic storytelling, a captivating visual aspect and precise acting performances. Pot-bellied Costner is an uncompromising tough guy and Harrelson delivers the necessary human dimension, where his story just before the end works much better than the climax, when they shoot Bonnie and Clyde full of holes. Hancock smuggled into the picture a dig at the current state of affairs, where the masses and the media deserve nothing but contempt. The slow tempo with emphasis on depicting the characters works excellently and Newman’s music is very nostalgic. This type of picture is woefully lacking at movie theaters, like meat in a veggie burger. (12.04.2019)

An atmospheric, non-action crime film set in the 1930s that bears a little resemblance to Untouchables and Public Enemies in terms of expression, but falls short in terms of direction, scene composition, escalating tension and action. Costner and Harrelson are the draws and their cynical duo is the highlight of the film. Unfortunately, the main villains are given woefully little space and everything around them is basically insufficient. Not great enough as a robust crime drama, OK as an intimate drama between two obsolete detectives, but the ambition was obviously higher. But Netflix can check it off the list anyway. (10.04.2019)

Solche Filme liebe ich – eine stille, langsame Melancholie, nostalgische Erinnerungen an alte Zeiten, unglaublich sympathische Hauptfiguren und ihre interessante Geschichte. Jeder weiß oder ahnt, wie es ausgehen wird. Es geht aber nicht um das Ziel, sondern um den Weg selbst. The Highwaymen ist ein ausgezeichneter Western über zwei ausgediente Cowboys und ihre (letzte?) Arbeit. Kevin Costner und Woody Harrelson glänzen in ihm (vielen Dank an denjenigen, der auf die Idee gekommen ist, diese zwei zusammenzuführen). Von Bonnie und Clyde hält der Film Abstand, was aber nur gut ist – sie ziehen auf sich nicht so viel Aufmerksamkeit und wirken wie ein schleichendes und unberechenbares Böse (am nächsten gelangt man zu ihnen, wenn zu ihnen auch Hamer und Gault gelangen; dann ist es aber natürlich zu spät). Sie sind nicht nur wegen ihren (auch potenziellen zukünftigen) Taten gefährlich, sondern auch deshalb, weil aus ihnen Promis geworden sind. In der ganzen scheinbar klaren und bekannten Geschichte gibt es viele Fragezeichen sowie Ausrufezeichen, die immer gelten. Ich habe den Eindruck, dass es nicht nur der beste Netflix-Film ist, den ich bisher gesehen habe, sondern auch einer der besten Filme überhaupt. Zum Beispiel die Szene mit Clydes Vater könnte ich mir immer wieder ansehen. (30.03.2019)

A wholesome homage to westerns that revives classical traditions like its likeable heroes. Viewers hungry for shootouts and darkness won’t be satisfied, but the neglected fans of the kind of genre flicks that back in the day were created like on a treadmill should be elated. If you liked the recent Hell or High Water and don’t mind an even more sedentary approach, this should be the film for you. And although a deeper look into the psychology of the characters, giving them more original conflicts, and not relying so much on proven templates wouldn’t have hurt, I actually enjoyed the slightly generic concept, I felt good in the company of the heroes and at one point I had no problem accepting the pace and the ambitions. Costner and Harrelson, especially, are very good, and Hancock was a surprise. (01.04.2019)