"The Old Man & The Gun"

At some point last year, we started seeing trailers for "The Old Man & The Gun", and it seemed intriguing.  However, when it was released it only lasted about an hour and a half in the theaters, so it took until last night for us to watch this one via the magic of Amazon Prime Video.

Eighty-two year old Robert Redford, appropriately, plays the old man of the title, a gentlemanly bank robber who just can't help himself, despite spending numerous sentences in prisons from which he always seems to be able to escape.  I give Redford credit.  In his prime, there was no better looking leading man in all of Hollywood, and he has allowed himself to age gracefully, never, it seems, giving way to the knives of Beverly Hills' numerous plastic surgeons.  Yes, he's old and craggy now, but still pretty damn good looking guy, and still capable of giving a great performance in a not so great role.

Also, starring in this movie is 69 year old Sissy Spacek.  She, too, is a Hollywood star who has allowed herself to age gracefully, and I thought she was just terrific as Redford's semi-love interest in this one.  She also appears to have spurned cosmetic surgery over the years, and I thought she looked great.  

Also featured in this movie is Casey Affleck, playing the police detective who doggedly pursues Redford and his "over the hill gang".  Affleck basically portrays the same character that he did in "Manchester By The Sea" as he broods and mumbles his way through the movie.  To use a sports metaphor, Casey Affleck, despite that Oscar on his resume, couldn't carry Robert Redford's jock, not in this movie or in anything else he's ever done or, most likely, in anything he ever will do.

In summary, this movie won't be the greatest thing you'll ever see, but it's only 93 minutes long, so it won't take up much of your time.  It has also been reported and Redford himself has hinted that this movie might well be last on screen role.  That alone might make it worth seeing.  And there is that very nice performance by Sissy Spacek.

(By the way, Spacek also had a great role as Julia Roberts' mother in the Amazon series "Homecoming".  2018 was a good year for her.)

Two stars from The Grandstander.