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‘The Old Man & The Gun’ is merely a hair trigger away from getting a higher grade and honestly I’m in doubt of whether it should receive it after all? I genuinely long after more laid-back low-budget films, which isn't made to accomplish anything grand - and watching a film like this accomplish exactly that is a lovely thing to witness, as long as everything around it works its wonders... and this one pretty much does.
The film is like its characters and the characters are like their actors - a bit old, rough around the edges, but very elegant and charming. It might remind you of something you’ve stumbled upon before but there’s so much life on screen that it’s just too hard to resist. And it’s not just the life that is but also the life that was. And you feel that. You feel the time and tear that has happened before the story starts and thereby you automatically settle in. As an audience you enter this neat little time pocket where the life of these old souls feels worthy and not weary of our time. The backdrop is equally inviting and so is the almost inconceivable 60s and 70s feel this film captures so beautifully... complete with 16mm film and all.
Of course, a lot of the credit has to go to the actors and actresses who sell the movie amazingly by almost not acting. In many ways, this is a film where there’s room to breathe - both for us and the characters, and most importantly, for those who play them. You feel their presence, you enjoy their company and you admire them every step of the way.
This is a charming little film that moves along in a pace that fits the phase of the character and actor, here especially referring to Mr. Robert Redford, who transcends wonderfully and wistfully into the very role that sends him respectfully into retirement with a smile... on both his face and mine.
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The film is like its characters and the characters are like their actors - a bit old, rough around the edges, but very elegant and charming. It might remind you of something you’ve stumbled upon before but there’s so much life on screen that it’s just too hard to resist. And it’s not just the life that is but also the life that was. And you feel that. You feel the time and tear that has happened before the story starts and thereby you automatically settle in. As an audience you enter this neat little time pocket where the life of these old souls feels worthy and not weary of our time. The backdrop is equally inviting and so is the almost inconceivable 60s and 70s feel this film captures so beautifully... complete with 16mm film and all.
Of course, a lot of the credit has to go to the actors and actresses who sell the movie amazingly by almost not acting. In many ways, this is a film where there’s room to breathe - both for us and the characters, and most importantly, for those who play them. You feel their presence, you enjoy their company and you admire them every step of the way.
This is a charming little film that moves along in a pace that fits the phase of the character and actor, here especially referring to Mr. Robert Redford, who transcends wonderfully and wistfully into the very role that sends him respectfully into retirement with a smile... on both his face and mine.
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