Yesterday I went to the Broadway, my favorite art house theater, for an indie double feature. First up was The Old Man & The Gun which is reported to be Robert Redford's final film. It tells the "mostly true" story of Forrest Tucker (Redford), a man who spent most of his life in and out of jail, who commits series of daring bank robberies at the age of 70. These bank heists are non-violent and many of the tellers who are held up refer to him as a gentleman. He commits the crimes simply because he wants adventure not because he wants or needs the money. While on his crime spree he meets Jewel (Sissy Specek), a woman with whom he begins a relationship, and John Hunt (Casey Affleck), a detective who becomes obsessed with catching him. It is a charming treatise on what drives people to live their lives the way they do anchored by an incredibly charismatic performance by Redford. Tucker's eyes actually twinkle every time he flashes a smile at whomever he is with, especially when he smiles at Jewel. The scenes between Redford and Spacek are absolutely magical, especially when they sit on Jewel's front porch and discuss the meaning of life. Affleck is outstanding as a burned out detective who is reinvigorated by the investigation of Tucker while Danny Glover and Tom Waits are highly amusing as Tucker's Over-The-Hill Gang. This film looks like a movie Redford could have starred in early in his career with its sepia toned cinematography and the period verisimilitude. My favorite moment in the film is a montage of all of Tucker's escapes from jail which includes footage from some of Redford's early movies. I loved this film and I highly recommend it!
