Robert Redford stars as an elderly gent who likes to rob banks in this low-key crime film based on the life of Forrest Tucker.
Director: David Lowery
Screenwriter: David Lowery
Based on: The 2003 New Yorker article ‘The Old Man and the Gun’ by David Grann (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/01/27/the-old-man-and-the-gun)
Synopsis:
Forrest Tucker, 70s, is a gentlemanly bank robber with a long history of getting caught and escaping (once from the infamous San Quentin). He meets a woman, Jewel, and they begin a tentative relationship, while he continues to plan and execute non-violent heists with his equally senior crew. Meanwhile, a detective, John Hunt, becomes set on capturing Forrest and the other members of the ‘over-the-hill gang’, who are gaining notoriety among the media and public.
Analysis:
*Spoilers* The Old Man and the Gun is a curious crime film. On one hand, the plot is the familiar ‘professional bank robber chased by equally committed detective’ story that we’ve seen many times before. On the other, the style, tone and content of the film transform it into something else; something much slower, lower-key and character driven. Does it work? On the whole, yes; as long as you clear your mind of preconceptions before you watch. If you go in expecting Heat (1995), for example, you will be sorely disappointed, as what you get is a nostalgic and affectionate look at an unlikely bank robber.
The film certainly has a lot going for it, cast-wise. Firstly, Redford – in what has been rumoured will be his last acting role – who plays Forrest as a charming career criminal who genuinely loves what he does. The supporting cast is also strong, headed up by two Academy Award winners in Sissy Spacek as Forrest’s independent-minded love interest Jewel, and Casey Affleck as the somewhat lethargic Hunt. The contrast between Forrest and Hunt works well, with the detective developing a respect, curiosity and even some affection towards his target.
Largely eschewing the intricate cat-and-mouse game that usually forms the heart of these cop/criminal stories, The Old Man and the Gun focusses more on life. As the tagline reads: ‘It’s not about making a living. It’s about living.’ Forrest is a man who embraces life and refuses to be trapped – either physically or mentally. While his age is advancing, his passion for life continues to burn brightly. Forrest’s exploits also serve to give Hunt a renewed zest for life and for his job. When we meet him, he’s turning 40, going through the motions of investigating petty robberies and telling his wife he wants to quit. However, he is somewhat turned around by his pursuit of Forrest. Likewise, Jewel, anxious about her own advancing years, is attracted to Forrest’s unwillingness to let age hold him back.
There is also a wider point here about age and how older people are ‘ignored’ by society – Forrest gets away with his crimes partly because no one pays this dapper older man much attention. He just ambles around, staking out banks and being nice to tellers before unassumingly but, at the same time, brazenly stealing the money and walking out. As noted by a Miami Herald columnist (quoted in the source article):
“Old guys are not regularly associated with high crimes.”
As the story progresses, we get a fuller picture of Forrest’s backstory. While we are clearly meant to root for Forrest, despite his crimes, the story does highlight the selfish nature of what he does and how it has impacted his life and those around him. At one point, Hunt tracks down Forrest’s daughter (played by Elisabeth Moss), who Forrest abandoned to pursue his life of crime. There is also a touch of humour to be had along the way, as we learn about Forrest’s audacious prison escapes.
In terms of the laidback style of the film, it would be unfair to say that it drifts along, as there is a strong narrative that plays out over the lean 89-minute running time. However, Lowery’s style is purposely minimalist, draining out high-octane action sequences and typical tough ‘cop/robber’ dialogue and replacing it with warm scenes between Forrest and Jewel, and gentle ribbing between Forrest and the other members of his gang (played by Danny Glover and Tom Waits), while Hunt quietly goes about his business of tracking down the robbers. At several points, the camera simply wanders away from Forrest and the main action – as if his mind goes somewhere else for a moment. Even the ending is more of whimper than a bang, though fitting in its way.
Does Forrest end his days in comfortable retirement with Jewel living off his ill-gotten gains, or does Hunt get his man? In many ways, this is irrelevant, as unlike some other cop/robber films, this story is more about the journey than the destination.
So, how does The Old Man and the Gun measure up to its real-life inspiration?
*Spoilers* It’s easy to see why the filmmakers found Forrest Tucker’s life – compellingly told in David Grann’s article – worthy of the big screen treatment. Aside from the boldness of Forrest’s crimes (and his equally bold methods of evasion and escape), what comes across in the article is how impressed people were with his style and demeanour. He makes for a sympathetic protagonist and his life offers plenty of scope for dramatization, with little embellishment required.
If anything, the film understates Forrest’s exploits, purposely focusing on the man rather than his crimes and opting not to linger too long on his lifelong criminal career or backstory. Given that this story included a harrowing spell on a chain-gang; a short-lived career as a big band musician; a childhood lived in the Great Depression; and a life of crime that got started in the 1940s, in the wake of what Grann called the ‘legendary stickup men’, it’s hard not to feel a little short-changed by the film of his life.
This extends to Hunt’s pursuit and the attention paid to the ‘over-the-hill’ gang. In reality, stopping the gang became a large-scale law enforcement operation involving local police and the FBI, with the gang suspected of carrying out more than 60 robberies in the space of a year. The article recounts several of these exciting robberies, as Forrest honed his ‘art’, often using disguises and aliases. Take a look at the article and you’ll see just how Forrest built his career, evading authorities and squirrelling away what he estimates in the article as millions of dollars, lot of sports cars and a “bag of yen”, attaining outlaw status in the process. (What neither the source material nor the film explains, however, is just why a career criminal and serial-escaper kept getting let out of prison).
In the Miami Herald article quoted in the Grann article, the columnist wrote:
“Tucker might have made a fortune selling the escape yarn to Hollywood.”
While Forrest himself chose to go a different way (even though he did write a lengthy manuscript about his life of crime), when the time came to bring his exploits to the big screen, writer and director Lowery side-stepped much of this material. That’s not a criticism – it’s just a creative choice. Likewise, Forrest’s love interest in the film is transformed from a retired heiress living in Florida, who believed she was married to a successful stockbroker (a.k.a. Forrest). The ending to the article is also more poignant than the film.
Again, this isn’t a criticism of the film, it’s just meant to highlight that when you have compelling source material, there are many choices to make about the way in which this material should be transformed for the screen.
Go further:
Enjoy a Filmmaker Magazine interview with David Lowery that talks about his minimalist style: https://filmmakermagazine.com/106075-being-on-set-is-miserable-david-lowery-on-the-old-man-the-gun-robert-redford-and-vintage-cop-cars/#.XWPANOhKjIU
Take a look at the trailer for The Old Man and the Gun: