Stand Up Guys - Movie Review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Frankly, if you put Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin in your movie, you don't really need to worry about the script: we'd happily watch them do just about anything on-screen. And here they sieze every hint of humour, drama and action to keep us entertained and make us care about their characters. Indeed, they maintain their dignity by refusing to give in to the screenplay's lazy old-age jokes and convoluted plot.

The story kicks off when Val (Pacino) gets out of prison after 28 years behind bars. His only remaining friend is Doc (Walken), who lets him stay in his humble apartment. But Val wants to get back in the game, and tries to get Doc to abandon his austere retirement. Then Val learns that Doc is only alive because gangster Claphands (Margolis) is forcing him to kill Val on his release - an act of vengeance against both of them. With nothing to lose, they liberate their dying buddy Hirsch (Arkin) from hospital and decide to go out with a bang.

Screenwriter Haidle seems to want this to be a geriatric Apatow-style comedy, as these men continually talk frankly about their sex lives (including of course a tired Viagra joke). But this is more squirm-inducing than amusing. And director Stevens lets the action set-pieces drag on too long, trying to crank up the energy by giving every scene a madcap spin. But none of this was necessary with these actors: they are geniuses at adding zing to even the most weakly written and directed scenes, keeping us engaged by constantly upstaging each other. They may be past their prime, but they prove that there's plenty of life still in them.

Walken has the best role here, grounding Doc with observant mannerisms and impeccable timing. Opposite him, Pacino seems like a hyperactive, misbehaving teen, while Arkin's smaller role is a nice variation on his usual smart-funny schtick. Together they have snappy, sometimes exhilarating chemistry that draws on the exhaustion of far too many years of this nonsense. By which they clearly include both the story's criminal antics and their own roles in mediocre movies.

Rich Cline

Facts and Figures

Year: 2012

Genre: Comedy

Run time: 95 mins

In Theaters: Friday 1st February 2013

Box Office USA: $3.3M

Distributed by: Lionsgate

Production compaines: Lionsgate

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 38%
Fresh: 40 Rotten: 66

IMDB: 6.6 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Fisher Stevens

Producer: Sidney Kimmel, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, Jim Tauber

Screenwriter: Noah Haidle

Starring: Alan Arkin as Richard Hirsch, Julianna Margulies as Nina Hirsch, Al Pacino as Valentine "Val", Christopher Walken as Doc, Katheryn Winnick as Oxana, Mark Margolis as Claphands, Vanessa Ferlito as Sylvia, Addison Timlin as Alex, Lucy Punch as Wendy

Also starring: Sidney Kimmel, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg