It’s been just over 10 years since Fisher Stevens was behind the camera of a feature, but he’s back with a mouthwatering cast and a heartfelt story.
Stand Up Guys begins with Val (Al Pacino) being released from prison after a 28 year stint. With his best friend, Doc, (Christopher Walken) waiting for him on the other side, the two ex-cons hit the streets with a bang as Val is eager to party the night away, and party hard. There’s a catch however, as Doc has been ordered to kill Val by 10am the following morning for a past job gone wrong years ago. What makes matters worse is Val knows this and accepts his friends task. With this knowledge the two begin a night that consists of dining, sex, robbery, a police chase, and Viagra, while we get an insight into who these men are and their history together. Just before the halfway mark, they break out their old driver, Hirsch, (Alan Arkin) from an old persons home. Around this point the film really picks up and switches from a sentimental drama, to a faster-paced, more enjoyable movie. The female characters, Nina (Jillianna Margulies) Wendy (Lucy Punch) Sylvia (Vanessa Ferlito) and in particular Alex (Addison Timlin) all provide comfort, in their own way, to the male leads. They’re a strong part of the story as all young woman offer a unique insight and, in a way, inject a bit of youth to our aging leads. The film reverts back to it’s sentimentality but this at this point it’s more appropriate, before getting an end that the movie really deserves.
Director Fisher Stevens wanted to make a film that was a love letter to 70’s films. He mentioned his love for those sorts of films, how it was all about the characters rather than big plots. That was his appeal and inspiration for making Stand Up Guys, that “time had forgotten this town.” That’s evident throughout the film. It’s a homage to 70’s cinema, the clothes are old fashioned, the colours are dull, there’s a lack of technology. It’s about old souls lost in time.
Val can sometimes be a little irritating and there’s a suspicion of (forgive me) overacting on Pacino‘s part, but the heart is there for all to see. It’s overwhelming for him finally being out of prison and there’s so much he wants to do; he’s sleazy in stages but mostly he’s just been lonely for a very long time. The bar scene where he dances with a young woman tries to be more heartfelt than it actually was but the idea was there, and it was a nice one. He’s a complex character; he’s a crook, sure, but he’s not a bad guy deep down. Doc’s arc is brilliant for the film, a man who has been forced to wait 28 years to kill his closest friend while seeing his entire family leave him. His daughter ran away and had a daughter herself, and while he reveals his daughter wants nothing to do with him, he still hasn’t been able to meet his granddaughter yet, something which clearly pains him. Hirsch is another great additional to the film, a man who’s coming to the end of his life, and he almost welcomes it. He’s glad he got to have one last night with ‘the old crew’ but deep down he misses his wife who passed away and is ‘done’ with life. Alan Arkin is a shining light in this film which falters for not utilizing him more. Walken plays his role masterfully of a man carrying a great burden and both truly out perform a slightly off Pacino in this surprise film.
Ultimately, the film’s quite slow to begin with and seems to act ‘cooler’ than it is. It’s worth sticking with it though as it picks up and Alan Arkin outshines Pacino and Walken, which is no easy feat. He injects some life into the film and it’s a shame he wasn’t in it for longer. In the spirit of sentimentality, and hoping not to sound too corny ,the message for this film is clear: Everyone’s time is up at some point, but if we can do what we love and make a connection with people along the way, a real connection, then it makes the long journey worthwhile.
Rating: Definitely one for fans of the slow quiet films rather than the ‘loud’ ones. (5.6/10)
Stand Up Guys, directed by Fishers Stevens will be released in US cinemas on February 1st 2013
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