YOU don’t have to be a fan of Westerns, crime stories or films looking at the tribulations of common folk, to find satisfaction from this unhurried, uncomplicated, satisfying low-budget ($US12 million), 21st century Western, in its second week already profitable ($US26 million+), brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) hold up branches of Texas Midland Bank at gunpoint, but take only the contents of the tellers’ drawers, not of the safes. They have a reason and a smart modus operandi.

English director David Mackenzie takes an unblinking look at small hardscrabble communities on the Texas plains in high summer to tell the simple story in Taylor Sheridan’s fresh, intelligent and agreeably credible screenplay.

The brothers have recently buried their mother. The bank is being difficult about winding up the estate.

Gruff, unhurried, dedicated Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton is soon to retire. Jeff Bridges’ portrayal of him is memorable. He and his part-Cherokee subordinate (Gil Birmingham) get on the case. We know they’ll solve it eventually. But not how we expect.

The screenplay as well as presenting convincing lines of action makes perceptive comments about banks, bankers and the banking trade. It moves among the common folk and listens to what they have to say.

There is marvellous comedy, especially the sequence in which the ancient waitress at the T-Bone Cafe tells Marcus what he can have his steak without.