Film Review: "The Old Man & the Gun" (2018).

"This Story is Mostly True." This is The Old Man & the Gun. This biographical film written and directed by David Lowery, and loosely based on David Grann's 2003 The New Yorker article entitled The Old Man and the Gun, and 2010 book The Devil and Sherlock Holmes. Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of seventy to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt, who becomes captivated with Forrest's commitment to his craft, and a woman, who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.

In October 2016, it was announced that Robert Redford was attached to star in a biographical film penned and to be directed by Lowery. It was Redford who was interested in talking to Lowery about adapting Grann's article and book. Lowery tried to write the true crime version of this movie and the journalistic version of what really happened, and Redford never felt like he fit into that. In other words, according to Lowery himself, his idea of who Redford was as an actor never really fit into the true story of Tucker. So after many, many drafts, he realized that what he needed to write was the film that Tucker would have wanted to see. He needed to write the version of Tucker that he saw in his own head as opposed to the one that really showed all the things he did. There was a thin line between two, but it was a very important line and that line allowed him to write a movie that was the version that Redford could excel playing. The film would be Redford's last film as an actor, and ultimately led his decision to quit acting. By early April 2017, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Sissy Spacek, Elisabeth Moss, and Keith Carradine rounded out the film's cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place throughout Ohio, Texas, and Kentucky, USA. The film was shot on Super 16 mm film. The film was originally scheduled for an October 5, 2018 release date, but was pushed up to September 28.

The film stars Redford, Affleck, Glover, Waits, Spacek, Moss, and Carradine. The film serves as a wonderful showcase for Redford's dramatic talent and reveals how good the actor still can be when he is working with an interesting story and well-written script. More than enough evidence that Redford is the real deal as he emotes yet again his usual buoyant yet dramatic avenue. We give Redford well-deserved praise for taking on a role so unusual for him and so different than anything he's done.

At once a low-key crime drama, a period piece, and a biopic of sorts, The Old Man & the Gun is a loving tribute to a figure I'm sure many of us never knew about but deserves to be profiled all the same.

Simon says The Old Man & the Gun receives:

Also, see my review for A Ghost Story.