THE OLD MAN & THE GUN

US, 2018, 92 minutes, Colour.
Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck, Tika Sumpter, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Keith Carradine, Elisabeth Moss., Isiah Whitlock Jr, John David Washington.
Directed by David Lowery.

This film was billed as Robert Redford’s last film appearance. In many ways, it is a pleasant swansong (but, one hopes, not necessarily his last film).

Redford is in his early 80s, his face lined, but his basic handsome presence is strong, a genial smile. In fact, this is very much part of his character. Almost immediately we see him, hat and suit, moustache, briefcase, going into a bank and the audience observing at a little distance, an encounter which leads to him walking out of the bank, his briefcase full of money, his driving away. Added to that, he sees a woman trying to fix her truck on the side of the road, stops to help, admits to having little expertise, but he certainly evades any pursuit and gives the woman a lift.

She is Jewel, played with great charm and empathy by Sissy Spacek, a widow, owning some property and tending a stable of horses.

Redford, claiming that his name is Bob, tells Jewel the truth but then backtracks. However, agreeably, they share phone numbers – and, as the audience would hope, they keep in touch, visits, going to diners, his sketching her horses, visiting her home and the stable.

So, who is this Bob? We soon see that he has two associates, played by Danny Glover and Tom Waits, who sometimes act as diversions and lookouts for robbing banks. And rob banks he does, names and dates coming up on screen, all in the latter months of 1981 as he travels across southern states from Missouri back to California. He and his friends are called the Over the Hill group. Unfortunately, we don’t see as much as we would like of Danny Glover and Tom Waits.

And the police? We are introduced to a rather frazzled detective, John Hunt, played by Casey Affleck, on his 40th birthday, his friends giving him a one candle’s cupcake, his wife and children offering him a cake breakfast after his night shift. Thinking of retiring, he is given the case of the gentleman bank robber as people are prone to call him, praising his presence, his charm, his having a gun but not using it, nice threats… And reassuring an upset teller on her first day at the bank.

John Hunt collects boxes of documents, interviews a range of people, builds up something of a picture. He also appears on television discussing the case – and is seen by Bob. There is an amusing sequence where John goes out to celebrate with his wife and Bob and Jewel are also at this restaurant, Bob going into the restrooms to have an ironic and challenging conversation with John.

The police get a name and an identity. His real name is Forrest Tucker. He has been in and out of jail since he was 13 – and has escaped 16 times (and there is an entertaining visual collage of these escapes, even using some footage of Robert Redford in the 1966 thriller, The Chase, and his finally building a small boat to escape from Alcatraz!).

Will he be caught? Will Jewel find out the truth? If he goes to jail will he try a 17th escape attempt?

What we do know is that Forrest is actually incorrigible, not wanting to harm anyone, even willing to pay Jewels mortgage unbeknownst to her, but finding the robberies exhilarating, the driving escapes adrenaline-pumping – and that while robbing banks and escaping he knows that he is alive, is living.

But, strange to say, a film about a bank robber is generally very nice.

1. An engaging film? Despite an incorrigible robber? A film of charm, but…?

2. Robert Redford, his career, screen presence, in his 80s? Allegedly his last appearance?

3. The locations, the range of states, all over the south, to California? The range of banks? Homes, the stud with the horses? Police precincts, on the road? The musical score?

4. The opening, the start with the robbery, the elderly gentleman, moustache, hat, suit, the gun but never using it? Chatty style? Nice, even in threats? Collecting the money, leaving, driving away? His work alone? The collaboration with the Over the Hill friends?

5. Forrest, driving away from the robbery, seeing Jewel, helping with the truck, driving her, the attraction, at the diner, his telling of the truth, then denying it, being charming? Her response? Exchanging numbers? Ringing later, her picking up? The range of meetings, discussions, the bonds, going to her home, the sketch of the horses, with the stables, his decision to pay her mortgage, the visit to the bank manager? A future?

6. Jewel, a widow, the truck, the drive, at the diner, her paying, phone numbers, the meetings, sharing, at home, the horses?

7. The Over The Hill group, their personalities, their work, age, the roles in the robberies? At the end – and the betrayal?

8. John Hunt, celebrating his 40th birthday, the cake, on the job, return home, wife and children, the cake for breakfast, the family bonds? Wondering whether he should resign? Not? The range of fellow officers, their talk, the work of the detectives?

9. John’s quest, getting the boxes of documents, examining, getting the descriptions, the sketches, understanding Forrest’s charm? The range of interviews with the managers and tellers, their experiences visualised, being charmed by Forrest, the girl and her first day?

10. The dates, 1981, the range of travel over all the states?

11. The revelation about his life, the records, the photos, in juvenile detention from 13, the catalogue of his escapes, 16, the variety of escapes, ingenuity, driving the car, arrested? The scene from Robert Redford as young from The Chase? Escape from Alcatraz, the boat, building it, success?

12. John Hunt, on television, talking about the case, his visit to San Francisco, meeting Forrest’s daughter, her explaining the family situation? Not wanting to see him?

13. The irony of the diner, Forrest seeing Hunt and his wife, the chat in the restroom? Cat and mouse?

14. The final robbery, the chase, in jail, dual visiting him, the collage of the 16 escape attempts, number 17, his staying?

15. Getting out, Jewel receiving him, at home, his going out to the shops, the four banks on the one day, incorrigible, the exhilaration of robbery, living?

16. An entertaining portrait of a charming rogue?