In the last decade, I would be willing to guess that we've seen more films based on true stories than we've seen in the last fifty years. If one leans on the old adage, "truth is stranger than fiction", it's no surprise. There's been so many of these films that the maker's of "The Old Man & the Gun" actually, in a humorous reflection emblazed at the beginning of the film, "This story, also, is mostly true".
Based on a true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest's commitment to his craft, and a woman Jewel (Sissy Spacek) who, after meeting him, subsequently loves him in spite of his chosen profession. What makes this different than most films of this type is that when Forrest approaches the one's he intends to rob, he's actually charming and nice about it. And with his assistance from buddies Teddy (Danny Glover) and Walter (Tom Waits), how could this thief go wrong?
Others to round out the cast are Tika Sumpter as Maureen, John's wife, Ari Elizabeth Johnson as Abilene and Teagan Johnson as Tyler, John and Maureen's children, Gene Jones as Mr. Owens, John David Washington as Lt. Kelley, Keith Carradine as Captain Calder, Isaih Whitlock Jr. as Detective Gene Dentler, Daniel Britt as Sherrif and Lisa DeRoberts as Helen the Teller.
This was seriously yet whimsically directed by veteran David Lowery ("Deadroom" '05, "St. Nick" '09, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" '13, "Pete's Dragon" '16, "A Ghost Story" '17) plus many shorts and TV. Although Redford is and has been an accomplished actor, dating back decades, the subtleness of the character he played as Forrest was delineated with perfection and this is talented directing. The emotion of Forrest came across serious, but he was able to put those he was robbing in an almost accepting mood and this is difficult to convey without expertise directing, and acting for that matter. If this is the brand of directing that wins you over, his rendition of "Peter Pan" is in pre-production. It was also wonderfully written by Lowery ("It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home" '09, "Pit Stop" '15, "The Yellow Birds" '17, and the aforementioned films he directed) plus shorts, which is based on the New Yorker article by David Grann. Based in the year 1981, this man had a very busy one, what with robbing banks, meeting Jewel and planning his next heist, along with evading the police. All of this was written in a concise, thorough and cohesive way. By the way it was written, the storyline almost had you rooting for Forrest knowing that he was basically breaking the law. Lowery has an extremely distinct style which we will undoubtedly see in his rendition of "Peter Pan".
If small independent films are your thing, this just might fill the bill, however if you are into big-budget, high adrenaline, explosive films that are something exclusive to your taste, this probably won't be the film for you unless you would want to branch out and try something a bit different. I hear this is supposed to be Redford's last film, but then I've recently heard different. Hopefully we'll be able to enjoy his effortless acting style for years to come.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 93mins.
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