The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

Review

93min

Genre:     Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance

Director:  David Lowery

Cast:       Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck…and more

Writers:   David Lowery and David Grann

-Synopsis-

Career criminal Forrest Tucker may be the most charming bank robber in history, pulling off heists without forgetting his manners while enchanting the woman who loves him despite himself, and charming the authorities who chase him—as the director of ‘Pete’s Dragon’ and ‘A Ghost Story’ teams up with a screen legend to weave a tale of a loveable scoundrel, based on an unlikely true story.

You’d be hard pressed to find a single figure who has had more of a positive impact on the film industry, from both in front of and behind the camera, than the great Robert Redford. From Hollywood superstar leading man with matinee idol looks to fully fledged Oscar-winning filmmaker, to creating a Utah-based institution and film festival which fuelled the indie film revolution of the late 80s early 90s, helping to launch the careers of filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh and the Coen Brothers.

Now for what has been billed as his final big screen appearance, the California kid-done-good teams up with writer/director and Sundance alumnus David Lowery for a fitting and memorable swansong—an extraordinary true tale of rebellion, ageing and wilfulness, and the story of a man who thrived on living life on his own terms . . . the Redford way.

Redford stars as the geriatric jailbird Forrest Tucker himself, a career criminal and escape artist now pulling simple bank heists in polite style in the American heartland of the early 1980s, along with partners Teddy Green (Danny Glover) and John Waller (Tom Waits)—dubbed the ‘over-the-hill gang’—while falling for unsuspecting widow ‘Jewel’ (Sissy Spacek), who might just make him question his life decisions. But a leopard can’t change its spots, nor does it really want to, as jaded Texas lawman John Hunt (Casey Affleck) gets on the case with a newfound determination, and things head towards an inevitable conclusion . . . or at least the start of a familiar new chapter.

When it comes to romanticising criminals, it hardly gets more blatant or deliberate than this. ‘The Old Man & the Gun’ is about as sympathetic a portrayal of an unrepentant felon as you’re likely to see, but instead of painting a poignant portrait of a victim of circumstance, forced into a life of ill-repute, Lowery takes this true story and David Grann’s 2003 New Yorker article recounting it and turns it into a life-affirming, poetic tale of individuality that will melt your heart and tickle your funny bone.

In many was ‘The Old Man & the Gun’ is designed to bring down the curtain on Redford’s career, occasionally proving as much a tribute to his acting exploits as it is a biographical drama about a bank robber, even using footage from the star’s early films in an almighty montage of unlikely but real Forrest Tucker prison breaks. And Redford chooses to share his screen swansong with a group of formidable fellow veterans, and an on form Casey Affleck, making the film to a small extent a tale of friendship, and to a larger one a subtle classic romance.

There is only one true star of this show though, one real subject, and Redford and his cool Californian ways are perfectly suited for the role. The stoic screen legend brings to life a loveable and enigmatic crook beaten down but unbroken by life, a criminal seemingly without a care in the world, and a man who seems to savour the score and treasure the chase more than he does his ill-gotten gains and the fruits of his labour.

Yet thanks to the humour and the lighter tones, this slow-moving light drama isn’t the most engrossing crime tale or character piece you’ll see. There’s a distinct, deliberate lack of tension and jeopardy for a crime story made in this century, and despite the heist elements it’s not much of a caper film. It’s not exactly an in depth character study either, choosing to delve only skin deep and leaving you scratching your head over some of the behaviour on show. But then that’s sort of the point of Forrest Tucker, and the film is not only a reflection of him, but of a bygone era as well.

For us what makes this film stand out in a modern cinema landscape is its relaxed atmosphere and almost casual tone, reminiscent of another time and reflecting another generation. While Forrest Tucker himself was a gentler, more humane throwback to American outlaws like John Dillinger and Bonnie & Clyde, ‘The Old Man & the Gun’ is a throwback to the films which depicted them—and what really takes the audience back is the music.

‘The Old Man & the Gun’ is blessed with a smooth West coast jazz score by Daniel Hart so rich that it comes off like a character in the story, and one of the more memorable ones too, delighting us with a toe-tapping atmospheric  soundscape befitting a 60s or 70 detective drama or crime caper, punctuated by a soundtrack of classic rock and folk tunes. All of which conspires to fill the cracks in the narrative and inject the film with enough life to make for a delightful stranger-than-fiction comedy/drama . . . and provide its legendary star a smooth, well-earned ride off into the sunset.

The Bottom Line…

A romantic classic American outlaw tale based on an extraordinary true story, and a cinematic tribute to genuine film legend, David Lowery weaves together a delightful light drama with strong comedic overtones and pays a fitting tribute to Robert Redford with a tale of irrepressible characters and doing it your own way—giving the retiring screen icon the lighthearted swansong he deserves . . . and desired.

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