Jean-Paul’s Rating: 3/5 stars

Bottom Line: A decent enough movie with two great actors and a useless Casey Affleck.

There are some movies that you just watch and enjoy and take them for what they are and then never really think about again. “The Old Man & the Gun” is such a movie. It is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) who was a career criminal and prison escape artist and geriatric bank robber. Mostly, though, it’s a story about getting old and not going gentle into that good night. This is an incredibly appropriate story for Robert Redford given this will also be the last movie he ever acts in.

The heart of the movie is Forrest’s relationship with Jewel (Sissy Spacek). On some level, it is a romantic relationship, but mostly it is just platonic with some great chemistry between the two. The best parts of the movie are just the two of them sitting on the porch of Jewel’s farm contemplating life. These parts contain some good dialogue and let two wonderful actors shine.

Since this is a robber movie, there also has to be a cop. That cop is John Hunt (Casey Affleck). I do not begrudge them having a cop, but 90% of Hunt’s involvement in the movie was just pointless. There is this whole side-plot with him versus the FBI that comes to absolutely nothing. There are all these moments with his family that I guess are meant to humanize Hunt in some way, but there’s not much to Hunt except these moments and the moments where the movie makes clear that he’s hunting Tucker. If it were up to me, there would be less Hunt and more moments with Tucker and his accomplices, Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits!) just shooting the shit.

“The Old Man & the Gun” is worth seeing even if it won’t make a lasting impression. It is an enjoyable time and a fitting homage to two great actors, one of whom will never act again. Whenever it pops up on the streaming service of your choice, be sure to give it a watch.