The Old Man and the Gun (David Lowery, 2018)

[DarkImbecile]

David Lowery's The Old Man and the Gun, with Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, and Casey Affleck

[Werewolf by Night]

Every time I see the name David Lowery, it takes me a moment to remember that, no, the guy from Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker actually doesn't make movies now. #genx

[PfR73]

David Lowery's The Old Man and the Gun, with Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, and Casey Affleck

Also co-starring the coolest building in Waco, TX

[domino harvey]

[DarkImbecile]

The Old Man and the Gun, again

[Brian C]

Don't know if anyone else has gotten around to seeing this yet, but I have to say that I was not prepared for how deathly dull it is. I suppose it's going for a light-and-breezy kind of tone, but it's so breezy that it simply doesn't stir at all. Maybe Redford's character will go to jail, or maybe he won't; maybe Affleck's character will catch him or maybe he won't. No one seems to care all that much, including the characters within the film. It's all about how Redford's character is "happy" in his work. But who could possibly give a damn about something as insipid as that?

I also have to say that it's bizarre that no one involved - either the characters inside the film or the filmmakers - seems to understand that Redford's character is a narcissistic ass. I'm reminded of George Clooney's gentleman bank robber in Soderbergh's Out of Sight, and how effective and even poignant that film was, because it saw Clooney's character clearly enough to make a viable protagonist out of him. Soderbergh and Clooney are too smart to allow that character to be all lovable scamp without any depth to him. But Redford and Lowery can't quite allow themselves to acknowledge the less appealing aspects of Forrest in this film, and it's frankly annoying that we're seemingly supposed to swoon in response ... "aw, how cute, he's SMILING while he robs banks!"

But, I mean, it's not really that annoying, because in the end it's just too damn dull to elicit much of a response.

[Mr Sheldrake]

Redford revisits his Sundance Kid, romantic outlaw persona, incredibly craggy faced now. I thought Katherine Ross would have added some sparkiness to the romance had she been cast in the Sissy Spacek role.

Lowery pulls the sheet off of Casey Affleck but he hardly needed to bother, Casey's half dead here, struggles mightily to get a word out, he's world weary, it must be of the existential variety, what with a beautiful, loving wife and two adorable kids.

The movie could have used more of the sidekicks, Danny Glover and Tom Waits. Someone needs to put a clip on youtube with Waits' brief, hilarious anecdote on why he's always hated Christmas.

[Roscoe]

Don't know if anyone else has gotten around to seeing this yet, but I have to say that I was not prepared for how deathly dull it is.

Redford hasn't gotten involved in anything that wasn't deadly dull since THE STING.

[swo17]

All the President's Men, such a snooze

[Brian C]

Sneakers was pretty boss when I was a kid, no idea how it holds up though.

But anyway, nice HOT TAKE!!!

[domino harvey]

Keep your fond childhood memories of Sneakers. I revisited it a few years ago and it does not hold up at all. I still named my external Western Digital Passport HD "My Voice Is My Passport," though

[Brian C]

Not surprising, I guess. I’m pretty sure that it’s the movie that introduced me to Ben Kingsley, so at least it has that going for it, though.

Quite possibly Redford, too, come to think about it.

[Big Ben]

If you really want to see Roscoe mad ask him about Anthony Minghella (No seriously.)

Redford has reached that stage where being a tired old man just works for him (Not really) and reliving your past glory is a way to make a film a somewhat passable piece of something you can spend part of afternoon on. It's a film that I think banks on that past nostalgia in hopes that the audience knows about films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid because if they don't they're going to be in for a yet another disheveled old man movie.

[Roscoe]

All the President's Men, such a snooze

Cool. Forgot about ATPM. And THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR isn't a total waste of time and resources. The exceptions that prove the rule.

But THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN, QUIZ SHOW, on and on and boringly on. LEGAL EAGLES, my God. THE HORSE WHISPERER. The screeeeeaming horror of A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT....

[domino harvey]

But Legal Eagles is my favorite crossword clue for Debra Winger

[Roscoe]

But Legal Eagles is my favorite crossword clue for Debra Winger

At last, a justification for that film.

[hearthesilence]

All the President's Men, such a snooze

I hate to say this, but as much as I like the story, I've always found the film itself a bit dry and underwhelming.

I think the only Redford film I'd really enjoy revisiting is Quiz Show - I have nothing against him as a star presence, but his vehicles tend to be bland.

EDIT: Forgot about The Candidate, which isn't bad but I haven't seen it in a long while.

[KJones77]

I feel stupid for not recognizing it, but what was the film with young Redford that was included in the prison break montage sequence?

[Professor Wagstaff]

The Chase. I got a kick out of the movie saying a clip from more than 50 years ago was supposed to be Redford 15 years ago.

[MichaelB]

The Limey did something similar with clips from Ken Loach’s Poor Cow presented as flashbacks to the Terence Stamp character’s earlier life.

[KJones77]

The Chase. I got a kick out of the movie saying a clip from more than 50 years ago was supposed to be Redford 15 years ago.

Thank you! I assumed it was (never seen it but it felt fitting for a chase scene plus he looked young enough) but wasn't sure.

Looks like I'll have to bump it up my watchlist.

[Monterey Jack]

The Limey did something similar with clips from Ken Loach’s Poor Cow presented as flashbacks to the Terence Stamp character’s earlier life.

Also the third Austin Powers movie had clips from an old Michael Caine movie as "flashbacks" to his character in the 60's.

[Ribs]

A late episode of Boston Legal had extended flashbacks to a TV movie from the early 60s Shatner did where he also played a lawyer. It’s a neat trick but obviously pretty difficult to pull off!