The Old Man and The Gun Review: Redford’s Finest Finale

PG-13: Brief Strong Language

Fox Searchlight, Condé Nast, Endgame Entertainment, Identity Films, Wildwood Enterprises, Inc

1 Hr and 33 Minutes

Writer/Dir: David Lowery

Cast: Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tika Sumpter, Tom Waits, Sissy Spacek, John David Washington, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Augustine Frizzell, Elisabeth Moss

All legendary actors have to retire someday. Last year Daniel Day Lewis (for the umpteenth time) proclaimed that “Phantom Thread” was his final performance and now Robert Redford is hanging his acting coat with “The Old Man and the Gun”. Wait... what? He just said that choosing to retire from acting was a mistake?

I don’t want you to retire, Robert Redford, but it’s either you retire now or live long enough to not see yourself casted in a shitty movie before you pass. Just saying. Orson Welles’ last film was “Transformers: The Movie”, Bernie Mac’s was “Old Dogs”, and Jonathan Winters’ was “Smurfs 2”. DON’T GO OUT LIKE THEM! Go out big and strong like the performance you displayed in this movie.

Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest's commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.

THE GOOD

The style that director David Lowley brings to the table is highly appreciated. The film takes place in ‘81 and the filmmaking replicates the time it's set in. The editing is as smooth as an ‘80s movie where slow fades and wipes keep the story fluent and paced nicely from one scene to another. The score and cinematography also add to the authenticity. The score is light and lively jazz and the cinematography bears the same style as a noir at times. Despite this being a cat-and-mouse-chase narrative, it’s surprisingly well-paced for its short running time.

Lowely brilliantly displays the kind of character we are going to follow throughout the movie. Forrest Tucker has to be the most charming bank robber to have ever lived (or to have ever been presented on the big screen). Right when the film begins, we see Forrest rob a bank and then pause his own getaway to help a woman on a highway with her car. Forrest Tucker is not your usual bank robber. He is sweet, smooth, and honestly never wants anything bad to happen to anyone. It’s like if the fellas from “Going In Style” were more competent, knew the perfect bank-robbing formula, and got away with it. Forrest is a bank robber with a heart of gold. He will steal your bank’s money and you won’t even feel bad about it. His gun will terrify you, but he has such a sweet and calm demeanor to him that he’ll leave you with a smile on your face going:

The story revolves around a man who successfully escaped prison over a dozen times and the film has you rooting for him. Robert Redford perfectly sells this character with an incredible performance. He is a joy to watch on screen as he gradually slips into a romantic relationship with a woman named Jewel (Sissy Spacek). The film is motivated by Redford’s charm and he carries it thoroughly with grace. This is one of those rare cases where each second of his screen time brings a full-blown smile to my face because he’s so likable. It is even boosted by his chemistry with Spacek who is as delightfully charming as Redford. They are on the same playing field and their characters’ connection is enjoyable to watch. One of the highlighted moments in the movie comes from a sequence they share at a mall which is one of the most uproariously funny scenes I’ve seen in a film in a while.

You don’t know why Tucker is robbing banks or what his motive truly is, but because of his friendly personality, you hope he never gets caught. There’s also the fact that the cop who is pursuing him is a detective named John Hunt played by Casey Affleck.

Honestly, I’m just as surprised as you are that Affleck is still getting work. I think that his “Manchester By the Sea” Oscar (which, I admit, was well-earned from a performance standpoint) is the prime factor to it. That said, he delivers a good performance. Hunt isn’t one of those hyped up detectives who tries to catch his formidable foe by every means necessary; he does it calmly and with charisma as well. Even his character has an arc that you get behind and when it concludes, it sends chills down your spine. Hunt, like Aizawa from “My Hero Academia”, is good at his occupation, but is just so damn exhausted all the time.

As the story progresses you learn about the dimensional layers of Forrest’s character and it keeps you enticed throughout. Tucker has a level of appeal to him, but he is heavily flawed as a person. There are skeletons in his closet that are revealed through the subplot involving John Hunt’s investigation. You keep wondering if this guy’s just a kleptomaniac or if there’s something deeper to his persona. Regardless, this is a man you just want to sit down and have a drink with to let yourself be captivated by his many adventurous stories of his life as a convict.

THE BAD

The humor is a bit too old fashioned, but it usually works because of Redford’s execution. The film has its demographic and appeals to them often. While the lighthearted humor matches the lighthearted tone, it gets a bit telegraphed at times, but those moments are brief.

While some plot points do feel a bit too cliched, there are sweet twists and turns that keep the story flowing. It's as if Redford was hanging out with Paddington Bear and his pleasantness just rubbed off on him. I believe that’s how Redford got into character and figured out how to portray Forrest. He just hung around Paddington for a while.

LAST STATEMENT

Stylish, entertaining, and all-around charming, “The Old Man and the Gun” is an enjoyable biopic buoyed by an incredible performance by Robert Redford.

Rating: 4/5 | 88%

Super Scene: Jewel(ry) Theft