The Old Man & the Gun

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SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     Robert Redford stars in The Old Man & the Gun, the latest movie directed by David Lowery. Redford plays Forrest Tucker, a 70-year-old man who, along with his partners (Danny Glover, Tom Waits), robs banks for a living. With Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck) on his trail, Forrest begins to cultivate a relationship with a rancher named Jewel (Sissy Spacek). She might be his way out… if he can only bring himself to leave his criminal lifestyle behind.

     Fresh off the demanding and esoteric A Ghost Story, Lowery produces a movie that is essentially the exact opposite: an easy and refreshingly straightforward crime flick. With gifted direction and charming performances, The Old Man & the Gun is a showcase of artists at the top of their game.

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     Redford’s Forrest Tucker (a real person, by the way) is a laidback kind of guy. At 70, he’s achieved a certain acceptance about his life and circumstances, but we get the idea that it isn’t exactly a product of his old age; he’s had this carefree, thrill-seeking disposition since he was a youngster. He smiles when he robs banks, and the clerks describe him afterward as “a gentleman.” When he flirts with Jewel, he’s as confident as a man in his prime. Even Affleck’s detective has a grudging appreciation for his style and his daring.

     The Old Man & the Gun feels much the same as its protagonist. It’s charming—as when Redford and Spacek share light-footed dialogue scenes—and it’s untroubled—as when it takes a jolly detour to recount Tucker’s 16 prison escapes in colorful little vignettes. It’s a movie that feels old-fashioned by its sheer simplicity, and like Tucker, it’s only briefly interested in recognizing the damage his escapades leave behind.  

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     Lowery directs with noteworthy skill, and his script deserves praise for its dialogue and pacing. He ensures that The Old Man & the Gun is beautiful to look at, both in terms of palette—lots of rich blues and greys—and in its visual style, which evokes the 70s action films like Three Days of the Condor that catapulted Redford to fame.

     As for the performances, Redford and Spacek easily command the screen. They have a natural chemistry and, of course, they’re both veteran actors. More importantly, they seem to be really enjoying themselves, and that amiable quality is contagious. If this is indeed Redford’s final role (as the actor has stated), he could do a lot worse than Forrest Tucker, this gentlemanly old rebel on the run.

The Old Man & the Gun is rated PG-13.

TRAILER

Watch the trailer here. 

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