Review of Going in Style (1979) by Trevorsview — 06 Apr 2017

You are older than you ever were before. Now you are older than you ever were before. Now you are officially older than you ever were before. Day by day, minutes pass by, and we all fear the approaching retirement age, when we face unimaginable health problems to remind us of our vulnerability. We begin to question, “Where did our lives go?”.

Going in Style explores the feeling of seniority when the past only looks like a presentation of lost opportunities. Although here, it seems like getting old means time to ignore authority and commit thievery. So nothing can possibly go wrong, right?

Three old men drive director Zach Braff’s buddy movie, all of them Academy Award winning actors. One of them, portrayed by Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules, Sleuth) lives with his daughter and granddaughter, which adds to the pressure of his overdrawn checking account. Another one of them, portrayed by Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, The Shawshank Redemption), lives with his longtime roommate, and refuses to make public his desperation for a kidney transplant. The longtime roommate, portrayed by Alan Arkin (Argo, Little Miss Sunshine), has had it with his living as a music instructor, and fights the urge to start a romance with a convenience store clerk who can’t stop flirting with him.

All in all, these three senior citizens will waste no more time, and their leader (Caine) decides to rob a bank after experiencing a robbery first-hand. He understands his desire to stop living mundanely, and takes action to ensure a satisfying retirement.

First they try to shoplift a convenience store, which is actually quite a hoot to watch. Alas, their first baby step fails pretty miserably. Some extra preplanning is needed by an experienced professional, who coincidentally happens to be a Mexican named Jesus. Yes, I know: “Wow. A professional Mexican terrorist in New York City—exactly what our country could benefit from!” Seriously, such a casting decision in light of recent events is morally irresponsible.

Anyways, on they go into a month-long setup for the big day, a situation open to numerous narrative possibilities worth over four minutes of montage, even though it winds up doing just that. Too bad for us, as their plan deserves a much deeper exploration into the meticulous detail; but what we are shown still looks well thought out against the unkind legal system. While the police force’s functionality may defy believability here and there, you’ll overall buy into their wild adventure against the law.

Then the mission’s stakes continue to get higher as they don “Rat Pack” costumes at the official heist. Awesomeness lands in these three old men’s endeavors of the little time they have left, especially when considering the individual conflicts each of them faces. Yet when the whole scene finally comes up, it does not last as long as desired.

Thankfully though, the attempted bond between the three leads should guarantee an impact, both with one another and their outside families. I say “attempted” because none of the performances by any of the cast delivers any genuine sorrow for the quiet moments. All players here fall along the lines of poor, below average, or somewhere in the middle. Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) gives the only good performance as the old loon who runs the men’s elderly community, even though his dialogue suggests nothing beyond weak comic relief.

You may by now see Going in Style as a mere Redbox rental worth a one-time watch, and only if you’re a man over middle age seeking a unique perspective of growing old. Well I can certainly attest your assumption—this type of entertainment probably would work better if aired straight to TV. You can expect a slightly satisfying taste, just don’t expect to remember any of it a week later.