While Robert Redford has recently taken a slight step away from his initial comments that he will retire from acting, I do hope he sticks around while he can. Because if The Old Man & The Gun or even last year’s Our Souls At Night are of any consideration, he’s still got it. The Old Man & The Gun is in many ways a more overt swan song for the actor, so if this is to be his final performance, it’s one hell of a way to go.
The film is based on the story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), a bank robber who has managed to slip away from captivity throughout his years. After his most recent escape, he performs a series of heists, which catches the attention of Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck). However, Forrest’s attention turns to Jewel (Sissy Spacek), a woman he happens upon while escaping the police, and she begins to take a fancy to him.
The film is written and directed by David Lowery, who previously made Ain’t Them Bodies Saint, Pete’s Dragon, and A Ghost Story. He’s a gifted filmmaker, and his nostalgic sensibilities works wonders here from the grainy 16mm cinematography, to the relaxed plotting and period details, and yet, it never feels like empty pastiche, the specificities and stylistic flourishes have purpose, and serve to keep things light and breezy, almost like a fairy tale, given some of tongue-in-cheek title cards that appear every now and then.
The only real problem with the film is that it keeps one foot in whimsy and the other in reality, and it doesn’t have a good balance. Forrest isn’t a particularly good person. We see him traumatize bank tellers, he has a family that he has abandoned long ago, he scares a mother and child when he forces them to hide him from the cops. These scenes feel obligatory, like lip service; the film never fully grapples with the reality of Forrest as a character, and the damage he does to others. It moves on from these moments as quickly as possible so we can get back to feeling good while Redford charms our collective pants off. It’s effective because it’s Redford, and the film practically worships the ground he steps on. If it were anyone else in the role, I doubt most would be willing to go along with it. Had the film either leaned on the whimsy, and presented a stylized world where his actions don’t really have serious consequences, or go the opposite, and actually deal with the darker elements while still letting him be a charismatic figure, which is common in a pot of crime films, then maybe this wouldn’t have stuck out as much as it did.
Granted, it’s also the kind of film that will bend over backwards to ensure that Redford never looks bad. It’s more of a love letter than anything else. That’s not a bad thing, though, since it allows Redford to do what he does best. It’s damn near impossible not to fall under his spell, especially when during his extended conversations with Spacek’s character. Other cast members are solid too, even if they don’t get as much material as the central character, but that’s why you cast folks like Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Tika Sumpter, Elisabeth Moss, Isiah Whitlock Jr., John David Washington, and Gene Jones, because they are easily able to bring a lot of personality to supporting characters who don’t get much screen time. The only one who stands out is Casey Affleck, who mumbles his way through the film like he usually does, and it did make me wish they cast someone a bit more colorful and, I don’t know, likable.
The Old Man & The Gun isn’t flawless, but for the most part, it’s a warm, nostalgic film anchored by a wonderful performance from Robert Redford, who makes his self-professed “final performance” one that reminds us all why he’s one of the all-time great actors. I also just appreciate that we get to see a film that allows older actors to have meaty roles and be treated with some dignity, which seems rarer and rarer nowadays. David Lowery continues to show off his skills as a thoughtful and artful filmmaker who uses distinct stylistic choices to further various themes and ideas as opposed to show off. If you’re not automatically on board by the actors alone, then there might not be enough to keep you compelled as a cohesive piece, but if you are, it’s a damn good time hanging out with the Redford one last time.