Out on DVD now, The Old Man and the Gun is potentially Robert Redford's final acting role, and what a swansong it is. The movie is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, an American career criminal that first went to prison at age 15 and spent the rest of his life in and out of jail. Best known as an escape artist, Tucker had supposedly escaped from prison 18 times successfully.
What is great about the film, is the entire genre switch that subverts your expectations. There are no thriller or action-packed scenes. Everything is slow, measured, and indescribably suave. Tucker gets through a large number of robberies without threats, without resorting to using his weapon, and his ability to do so without calling attention from police for so long is a testament to the charisma of the character. And that is the kind of role that Robert Redford shines in.
The Old Man and the Gun is a suitable swansong in another way too. As the story follows a life-long criminal, and Redford has pretty much been a life-long actor, the opportunity was seized to not cast a young actor to play a young Redford, instead, using footage from Redford's own filmography in similar style films (specifically Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting). You could almost imagine Forrest Tucker and Robert Redford were brothers separated at birth, having such an intense seductive sense of positivity about them despite being in vastly different careers.
Visually speaking, the film is shot in a way that harks to an older style of filmmaking. Not looking outdated, but the film still has that vintage hue about it. It all feels authentic; from the shops and diners to the cars, outfits, and colour schemes. This genuine vibe and slower pace give the movie a more light-hearted atmosphere, not unlike Catch Me If You Can. Without any high stakes creating needless suspense and tension, the film gets to focus more on the romantic arc of the film which involves a satisfactory performance from Sissy Spacek who plays Tucker's love interest, Jewel. The concurrent love and crime arcs compete in a way that creates its own set of drama, and balances really well.
Personally, I love a good heist film. So I would have preferred more of the cat-and-mouse routine between the cops and robbers, but with the simplicity of the crimes occurring, that was not really a viable option. This does mean Tucker's gang or associates (played by Danny Glover and Tom Waits) have very little of a role in the film, but what time they have on screen is absolutely golden.
I can't help but feel that I would have enjoyed the film more with a bit more action. I'm always after something that grabs me and gets the heart pumping. Yet, the mythos surrounding the "Over the Hill" gang fills me with more intrigue and questions than The Old Man and the Gun was able to answer. Perhaps that was the aim; to leave you wanting more. But you don't get any more, because this was Redford's final stand.