The Old Man & the Gun Review — Robert Redford goes out in a blaze of story

Imagine how you’d feel if you were a director and the iconic Robert Redford asked you to direct what could well be his last film. Speechless? Intimidated? Honored? Scared shirtless?

In a casual reception on the Fox Lot after a screening of The Old Man & the Gun, writer/director David Lowery told me his emotions were certainly mixed, but how could he refuse the actor’s request? Lowery had worked with Redford several years prior on Pete’s Dragon, and he thought Lowery would be perfect for an adaptation of a New Yorker article he’d purchased the rights to, a remarkable and almost unbelievable tale about a man by the name of Forest Tucker, whose great passion in life was robbing banks.

Second to that, Tucker relished escaping from the authorities, and managed to do it 17 times, including a prison break from San Quinten and several other high security prisons. What could be a better swan song for the mercurial Redford, aged 82 and still sexy?

Lowery plays this one low and slow, starting near the end of Tucker’s bank robbing career, as he developed a lovely relationship with a good woman (Sissy Spacek) who may or may not have had a clue what he was really up to. The moments between those two are some of the best, and tenderest in the film.

Other supreme moments include a montage of Tucker’s escapes, using footage and stills from Redford’s prior movies. Those of us who have followed his career get a bit teary eyed during that segment.

The film’s only flaw is Casey Affleck’s performance as John Hunt, the detective who makes it his mission to capture Tucker. His low energy, nasal delivery sucks all the energy and light out of the film whenever he’s on camera. Tucker seems committed to working with Affleck, as he also cast him in A Ghost Story and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, but the chemistry failed to ignite this time around.

It’s a mistake to try to wring a deep message of something like “follow your bliss” from this film. Tucker’s bliss got him incarcerated, shot up and pursued by the FBI, while Redford’s bliss got him consummate fame, a film festival and a ski resort. But this is a fond and fitting farewell to one of the world’s most beloved actors.

Rated PG-13

1 Hour 33 Minutes

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The Old Man & the Gun Review — Robert Redford goes out in a blaze of story