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Even in its most buoyant moments, Stephen Frears’s The Grifters retains a palpable, stifling air of desperation and moral rot. The trio of grifters at the center of the 1990 crime thriller are introduced via a visual triptych, in which each of them are donning designer sunglasses and a slick outfit as they ready themselves for their respective cons. But despite their suave appearances, these schemers—Lilly (Anjelica Huston), Roy (John Cuscack), and Myra (Annette Bening)—aren’t living large.

There are no obscenely rich marks, no luxurious locales, no big score that’ll allow them to sail off into the sunset. No, while Lilly skims a little off the top of her employer’s winnings at a horse racetrack, Roy heads to a dive bar for a money swap that nets him a whopping $10 and Myra seduces a jewelry shop owner. Roy later works a similar scam that earns...

Recently, casting director Amanda Mackey told Back Stage that the key to casting the leads in "The Men Who Stare at Goats" was finding actors who could age believably, since the film spans several decades. Of course, such opportunities are few and far between; mostly you'll be cast close to your own age.But there is much to be learned from playing characters older than yourself when the chance arises. Also, once you are in fact older, there's much to value in your newfound understanding of how to play certain roles. To hear older actors' perspectives on aging and how it affects their craft, I made a few calls. This column will talk about how men face the issue. We'll have a companion column about women in February.Lear at 60Austin Pendleton played King Lear nine years ago, when he was 60, and he says now he'd love to revisit it.