Movie: Stand Up Guys
Director: Fisher Stevens
Cast: Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken and Addison Timlin
Rating: ***
You may find good, average and extremely bad reviews about this film but to acknowledge what you read, I request you to watch the film. Legendary actors, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken team up with Alan Arkin to form an unlikely friendship in “Stand up Guys”, which takes bromance to new entertaining levels. Despite an engaging storyline, it’s the characters that keep this film intact and entertain at regular junctures. Do not expect violence and bloodshed in this touching and funny throwback into the lives of three aging con men.
Upon release after 28 long years from prison, Val (Al Pacino) is received by his best friend and partner in crime, Doc (Christopher Walken). As the duo spend the next few hours doing what they did in the name of entertainment many years ago, Doc reveals that he ‘ought’ to kill Val before 10 AM next morning as part of his last assignment. Having obliged Doc’s request, Val and Doc, steal a sports car from a local gang, pick up their ailing best friend Hirsch (Alan Arkin), and go on a crazy escapade through the night as though there is no tomorrow. What happens to the trio at the strike of the dawn? This forms the rest of the story.
An entertaining rat pack is the perfect term to describe Al, Chris and Alan in the film, which also subtly addresses things such as old age, friendship, loyality and family. Perfect casting and writer Noah Haidle’s cheerful storytelling makes this film no less than one of the best aging buddy comedies in a long time. This may not be one of the best scripts but thanks to Fisher Stevens, for turning it into a feature film with a stellar cast that doesn’t disappoint. To call it a clichéd comic entertainer is an understatement because what it truly accomplishes overall is heartwarming and intelligent.
It is beautifully woven together by several funny instances between Val and Doc. The humor is neither rib-tickling nor logical but serves the purpose of entertaining throughout. The scenes such as Val’s 4-hour long hard on or Hirsch’s attempt to start a sports car are few of the many such moments one can look forward to in this film. On one hand the film is about the less time the trio has in hands, but on the other it is about their friendship, which is celebrated from the minute go till the last.
Walken steals the limelight in his cool and composed role of a mobster-turned-Mr. Nice guy who now lives life for a good ulterior motive. This is probably his third best performances in a row after “A late Quartet” and “Seven Psychopaths”. While most may not appreciate Al’s performance in a foul-mouthed and highly horny character, but his relationship with Walken and Alan is overwhelming. Alan should not be ignored for his cameo because he makes every second of screen presence worthy.
It’s quite possible that this film will pave way to the questions such as why would highly talented actors such as Al Pacino and Christopher Walken, succumb to something so low and crudely funny. One of the common answers could be for money and another probably may be because they wanted to attempt something offbeat.
