Set in the 1920s, this is the story of America's most successful bank robbers, men who used nitro-glycerine to blow safe doors under the quiet of night; never killed anyone; and who were nabbed when their greed caught up to them.
When Willis Newton (Matthew McConaughey) gets out of the Texas penal system, innocent of the crime with which he was convicted, his grudge against a society obsessed with wealth is formulated under the guise of robbing banks. He enlists his brothers, Joe (Skeet Ulrich), Jess (Ethan Hawke) and Doc (Vincent D'Onofrio) as well as nitro expert Brentwood Glassock (Dwight Yoakam). Willis's justification for these crimes is that they are stealing from the biggest crooks of all: banks. Besides, the banks are reimbursed by the other corporate crooks: insurance companies (a factual inaccuracy, as banks weren't actually insured until the 1930s). Along the way, to add a little romance, Willis hooks up with Louise Brown (Julianna Margulies of television's E.R.).
As in director Linklater's other films, the eccentric Slacker, the contemplative Dazed and Confused, and the (dis)enchanting Before Sunrise, the analytical characters are the focus. Granted, The Newton Boys is more active than those other films, but the central story is that of four brothers who grew up in tough times with a poor background and their subsequent interaction with society.
Linklater's consistent talent for introspection is perhaps this story's weakness. The superior Bonnie and Clyde had more tenacity, humour, style and a penchant for crime. The most interesting moment in The Newton Boys comes during the closing credits where real-life interviews with Willis on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show and with Joe on a documentary are shown. As in the fictionalised drama, these real-life characters tell it as it was, with no remorse and as a matter-of-fact.
