Stand Up Guys (C+ or 2/4 stars)
When Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after 28 yrs. for refusing to give up one of his criminal buddies, he is picked up by old pal/partner, Doc (Christopher Walken) in 'Stand Up Guys' (directed by Fisher Stevens). Ecstatic to be free, and yearning to have sex ... Val quickly consumes more Viagra pills than his system can tolerate. Suffering from the physical consequences of popping all those pills, he winds up in an ER where he meets a nurse, Nina (Julianna Margulies), who turns out to be the daughter of their old getaway driver, Hirsch (an enjoyably crusty Alan Arkin), whom they spring from a nursing home for one night of mischief, settling old scores, & escaping from the cops in a stolen car. Their bond is as strong as it was 30 yrs. ago, & the 3 of them reflect on their lives, losses, & good times.
Val & Doc's bond is particularly strong. They've been through it all together. And on speaking about his imprisonment, Val explains, "I'm a stand-up guy. I took the fall" (alluding to his loyalty which landed him in prison in the 1st place). The thing is: Doc has unfortunate orders from a local crime lord to kill Val in less than 24 hours and, when his granddaughter becomes a potential victim, he's even more conflicted. Drama ensues.
Lurching btwn. buddy flick, geriatric comedy, & shoot-'em-up-thriller, 'Stand Up Guys' is only moderately entertaining; with any joy in watching the film coming squarely from Pacino, Walken, & Arkin. The script practically begs for these 3 great actors to fall into self-parody mode, but the acting trio is too good; overriding the less-than-top-shelf material. The characters - as written - lack depth. But the actors fill-in the gaps by playing off each other splendidly. Filled with eye-rolling cliches, cringe-worthy jokes, & some sleazy sexual innuendos, the formulaic script & so-so direction prevents this film from having any kind of redeeming quality.
Furthermore, the treatment of women in the film is VERY suspect: with the exception of the Margulies character (and we only see her in 2 quick scenes), the women here are either hookers, whores, or lowly waitresses. They have no purpose except as plot devices for the 3 male characters. Having said all of that, even while I knew I was watching a turd of a film with bogus plot developments, as mentioned ... I enjoyed being in the company of these 3 wonderful veteran actors whose average age is about 73. Pacino (showing-off to the camera), Walken (touching our heart), & Arkin turn this D quality movie into something palatable, like a C+.
Val & Doc's bond is particularly strong. They've been through it all together. And on speaking about his imprisonment, Val explains, "I'm a stand-up guy. I took the fall" (alluding to his loyalty which landed him in prison in the 1st place). The thing is: Doc has unfortunate orders from a local crime lord to kill Val in less than 24 hours and, when his granddaughter becomes a potential victim, he's even more conflicted. Drama ensues.
Lurching btwn. buddy flick, geriatric comedy, & shoot-'em-up-thriller, 'Stand Up Guys' is only moderately entertaining; with any joy in watching the film coming squarely from Pacino, Walken, & Arkin. The script practically begs for these 3 great actors to fall into self-parody mode, but the acting trio is too good; overriding the less-than-top-shelf material. The characters - as written - lack depth. But the actors fill-in the gaps by playing off each other splendidly. Filled with eye-rolling cliches, cringe-worthy jokes, & some sleazy sexual innuendos, the formulaic script & so-so direction prevents this film from having any kind of redeeming quality.
Furthermore, the treatment of women in the film is VERY suspect: with the exception of the Margulies character (and we only see her in 2 quick scenes), the women here are either hookers, whores, or lowly waitresses. They have no purpose except as plot devices for the 3 male characters. Having said all of that, even while I knew I was watching a turd of a film with bogus plot developments, as mentioned ... I enjoyed being in the company of these 3 wonderful veteran actors whose average age is about 73. Pacino (showing-off to the camera), Walken (touching our heart), & Arkin turn this D quality movie into something palatable, like a C+.