Review of Stand Up Guys (2012) by Dawdlingpoet — 28 Nov 2021

This is a comedy film, with aspects of crime drama interspersed and containing themes including cons and revenge. This film was rather underwhelming when it first started - it appeared to consist primarily of (of course) a bunch of cocky ageing guys talking about things, how things were but not a whole lot actually happening. It definitely has a seediness to it, with a 'house of ill repute' featuring quite early on. Some of the scenarios the characters find themselves in are amusing, if not a bit potentially cringe-y. I think its fair to say that these ageing criminals have become somewhat bumbling in their more senior years, although they clearly do still have a rebellious side to them and still enjoy having a bit of fun. Seeing how some people respond to their exaggerated advances is relatively amusing, although a fair bit predictable. There are some pretty decent one-liners but the plot, for the most part, felt a bit underwhelming.

It is very much a character driven film, with a frustratingly slow plot pace. I felt that it came across as a bit self indulgent, probably due to the 3 main a-list actors seeming to reminisce about things and not really doing a whole lot, for the first half an hour or so in any case.

Cast wise, Val spends most of the time on screen and he is played by Al Pacino. Obviously, he is more well known for his appearances in crime drama films. This film very much comes across as a comedy, moreso than a crime thriller/drama. He did seem, to me, a bit out of place in this film. Meanwhile, Doc is played by Christopher Walken and he also appears on screen a lot, as one of Vals better friends. Walken is quite well known for his somewhat eccentric comedic roles and I felt he suited his role in this film quite well. Other cast members include Alan Arkin as Hirsch, Julianna Margulies as Nina Hirsch and Mark Margolis as Claphands (yes, you read it right!).

I get the feeling that the main cast are somehow trying to prove that they can have a bit of a laugh at themselves and don't take themselves too seriously but I didn't feel like it quite worked properly for a general audience. If the script was beefed up a bit and it was a little more substantial, with more action based scenes and a stronger plot, then I think this could have been a lot better. As it is, its fairly watchable and there are some amusing moments but overall, the main word to come to mind in relation to this specific film is dull - other such words being bland and mildly depressing. It felt a bit like they were trying too hard.

Content wise, the film contains sex references and innuendos, with some scenes being set in a brothel - nothing especially graphic is shown, with no full frontal nudity. There is some violence, although nothing particuarly explicit and there are numerous profanities. Women are effectively objectified in various scenes, due to the plot. One character is shown snorting drugs as well as others shown smoking and drinking but otherwise there's little likely to offend. The film has been given a 15 rating due to this content.

Unsurprisingly, no, I wouldn't recommend this film. It does feature a decent cast but the script seemed quite lacking, the plot pace is frustratingly slow and it just seemed a bit too bland overall.