The Old Man & the Gun *** (2018, Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Tom Waits) – Movie Review

Robert Redford twinkles and is endlessly charismatic as real-life bank robber Forrest Tucker, who escaped from San Quentin at the age of 70 and carried out a string of gentlemanly heists, with the help of Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits), as well as his gun of course. Meanwhile the over-the-hill gang leader courts a charming, sympathetic widow (Sissy Spacek) and plays cat and mouse with the downbeat dogged detective on the case, John Hunt (Casey Affleck).

Like its main actor, The Old Man & the Gun is a very laid-back, likeable, amusing movie, at ease with itself, and confident in knowing exactly what it is doing. It is a slightly unwieldy story due to the rambling true story nature of the original, but writer-director David Lowery gets a grip tightly and focuses sharply. It is quite impactful, very impactful for a little laid-back, amusing movie.

Everyone is good in The Old Man & the Gun, particularly Spacek, who benefits from being much more relaxed than usual, and Affleck is low-key ideal, but it is the Old Man’s movie and Redford is really, really good, alone worth the price of admission. It is a good role for him and he is the perfect fit for it, fitting like a very expensive old leather glove.

The Old Man & the Gun could be longer, more epic than its admittedly taut and compact, well edited 93 minutes. For example, Teddy and Waller could have longer roles, giving the indispensable Danny Glover and Tom Waits more to do. Should the film have pushed harder? Maybe, but laid-back is good, especially when the star is 82. Redford announced his retirement from acting, and then quickly announced that he had changed his mind. So, then, good. On this form, he is much too good to waste on this retirement business.

It really is time to give Redford an acting Oscar. It is now or never. He has an Oscar as Best Director for Ordinary People (1980) as well as a 2002 Honorary Award Oscar statuette for ‘Actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere.’ His only acting nomination is for The Sting (1973).

Lowery previously directed Affleck in A Ghost Story and Redford in Pete’s Dragon.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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