Directed by David Lowery
2018 Crime Caper Comedy
1 hour 33 minutes
From Fox Searchlight
Starring
Robert Redford
Casey Affleck
Sissy Spacek
Tika Sumpter
Danny Glover
Tom Waits
Keith Carradine
Some who are big Redford fans and those who like harmless little comedies that aren't particularly notable or original are likely to find this to be quite the tasty treat. I am a big Redford fan who does not particularly care for simple little comedies that don't inspire me much.
The iconic actor who said this would be his last film has apparently recanted. Good. Keep going, RR, I say. I can never get enough of you. I think this film would suffice as a swan song actually although he is certainly capable of doing something that would really knock it out of the park.
The old man is Forrest Tucker (no, no, not the character actor recently featured in these pages) but a real-life bank robber who was caught and imprisoned 17 times and just kept on robbing. He was a genuinely nice guy, almost apologetic in his bank visits. He didn't shoot anyone and it didn't appear that he did anything with the money except hide it. He seems to rob banks simply because he can. He has cohorts, played by Glover and Waits, who don't have a lot to do.
Tucker's story is framed by two other characters, however. One is Jewel (Spacek), a widow who lives on a horse ranch. He meets her on the highway where her car has stalled. He sticks his head under the hood to hide from the police cars speeding by looking for him.
Their second scene (actually the first one they filmed together) is a treasure. With knowing smiles on their weathered faces and teasing glints in their eyes, the characters were getting to know one another at a cafe just as the actors were in real life. (They had not previously known one another, according to an interview I watched with her.) It is a delightful scene full of mirth and mischief as the two characters come to like one another.
Secondly, there's John Hunt (Affleck), a cop trying to capture Tucker but at the same time is fascinated by him. Good as he is and necessary as the role is, I found it a distraction from the main relationship which I couldn't get enough of.
I did like that Tika Sumpter (whom I was so charmed by as Michelle Obama in 2016's Southside with You) was cast as Affleck's wife. There is nary a syllable mentioned about their inter-racial marriage. It just is. Bravo.
The film manages to pay homage to Redford the legend. In one scene he tells Spacek that he doesn't know how to ride a horse (tell that to Sundance). In another, Affleck flicks his nose as Redford was given to doing in The Sting. And in a montage to his numerous escapes, there are shots of him from earlier films... 1966's The Chase, playing a criminal on the lam, is one I remember.
Far and away the best thing about the film is the pairing of Redford and Spacek. The film is a touching and timeless Hallmark card to them. In retrospect it seems astonishing that they haven't worked together before. Their chemistry is undeniable, their acting is effortless and both are well-suited to their roles as good ol' outdoorsy country folk, wise and a bit weary. If Redford does not retire, I recommend he looks for another project with her.
Director Lowery was wise to focus on the romantic aspect more than the bank robberies. He and Affleck have worked together several times before. Redford's Wildwood Enterprises co-produced.
The story itself is a little slight and seems like one I've seen before... a number of times. I don't think the film was exceptional enough to compete with the bumper crop of upcoming Oscar contenders but maybe I'll be surprised.
Next posting:
The troubadour who won an Oscar
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