Going in Style

Three elderly friends concoct a scheme to rob a bank...but what will they do with all that money? Although bank robbery is hardly endearing, director Martin Brest (doing very nimble work) glosses over the extremities and gives us George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg at their most amiable. Brest isn't afraid to be tender, but he's not maudlin and has a good sense of humor and pacing. Unfortunately, the screenplay loses steam in its third act, which gets gummed up with much realer issues and plot-snags (an unconvincing jaunt to Las Vegas is also weak). Up to that point, however, surprisingly good, with the three leads impeccably interacting. *** from ****

Martin Brest is best known for his popular successes BEVERLY HILLS COP, MIDNIGHT RUN and SCENT OF A WOMAN, but more recently his career made a bit of a tumble with the disastrous GIGLI (2003), starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez and snoozefest (and trying so hard to be 'profound') MEET JOE BLACK (1998), but this little gem is how he got noticed (and might even be his best effort yet).

The story is simple: three kindly old men (George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg), indistinguishable from the half-forgotten ranks of senior citizens you might pass on any city park bench in warm weather, decide to light up their lives by sticking up a Manhattan bank in broad daylight.

Don't be put off by the idea of 'three old guys robbing a bank.' This film is a delight in a very New York and very low-key fashion with hardly any grand scenes or set-ups, but with great writing, sharp dialog and the three leads giving their very best. Although the film was marketed as a comedy, it's above all a heartfelt drama and a truly moving portrayal of old age.

One of the highlights: when the three seniors are on a little trip to Manhattan and Art Carney starts dancing to the rhythms some Caribbean Street musicians. It's such a marvel to see 80-year old George Burns clapping and smiling and genuinely having fun at this improvised street scene. It's a shame this film is practically forgotten. A heartfelt, funny, and ultimately a very moving picture. Don't miss this one.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10

A short preview of this film on television might suggest a zany comedy in which old age-jokes fly fast and furious, but "Going in Style" is in fact a serious film, with only bits of humor thrown in here and there.

George Burns is Joe, a man who suggests to his two roommates (Art Carney and Lee Strasberg) that they rob a bank in order to relieve the boredom of retirement. When they do, the find their lives do in fact change drastically, though in quite unexpected ways.

The characters are three-dimensional and complex, and it is apparent that they, just like real people, have issues in their lives -- sometimes very serious ones -- that have gone unresolved for many years. The dialogue is realistic, but relaxed, and includes a lot of repetition of lines (Joe, Willie, and Al are all starting to lose their faculties somewhat and occasionally need repetition from each other). This makes the pacing deceptively slow; when you think back on the film after watching it, though, you find that a whole lot happened in those 97 minutes.

"Going in Style" has no caricatures (except, perhaps, Joe`s attorney) and, though the problems of old age are presented in a matter-of-fact way, the film is never preachy. It should also be noted that it is gratifying to see a movie in which younger members of a family (Pete and Kathy) show such genuine respect and kindness to their elders.

All the leads are terrific, but Burns is perfection itself as Joe.

This film is very highly recommended.

I've found it's almost impossible to predict what my opinion will be on a film that I haven't seen in many years. I recently rented both The Out of Towners (1970) and Going in Style. I hadn't seen either since at least the early 1980s, when I was still a teen. Before watching this time I would have predicted that they were both about equally good--that's what I remember from my earlier assessments. However, I ended up being slightly disappointed with The Out of Towners while I was blown out of the water by how excellent Going in Style is.

This is a film that's best to watch knowing as little as possible about the plot beforehand. For those who must know something of the story, however, it concerns three elderly men who are living together in Astoria, Queens (part of New York City)--Joe (George Burns), Al (Art Carney) and Willie (Lee Strasberg). They're on Social Security, which doesn't provide a lot of money--that's why they're living together. They spend most of their days in a park near their apartment, feeding pigeons, watching children play, and so on. Joe comes up with a very unusual idea to supplement their income and put some excitement in their lives. The first half of the film involves planning and carrying out the idea. The second half deals with the aftermath, and is kind of an extended character study.

The most remarkable characteristic of Going in Style is that writer and director Martin Brest, with co-writer Edward Cannon, managed to make a film that has elements of both almost absurdist comedy and deeply moving realist drama co-existing at the same time. Going in Style is a poignant portrait of old age, occasionally deeply sad and even pessimistic, but also very funny, and the three principal characters possess an almost Zen-like satiety, calmness and wisdom.

It's interesting to note that Brest later went on to direct films as diverse as Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Meet Joe Black (1998). Going in Style has elements of both--Beverly Hills Cop's wacky crime-comedy and involved plot structure and Meet Joe Black's emotionally impactful minimalism and social/philosophical subtexts. Another way to describe the film might be in terms of another director, Woody Allen. Imagine Allen making Take the Money and Run (1969) or Bananas (1971), but in a mood much closer to Alice (1990) or even September (1987).

The performances are excellent, but Burns especially stands out. Joe is a very different character for him, much more serious and gruff--he's almost a bit of a "heavy". If Burns had been just a bit younger, Going in Style shows that he could have easily had a career make-over/turnaround via Quentin Tarantino, similar to John Travolta. Carney and Strasberg both easily paint complex characters, as well, and the chemistry of any two or more of them together is simply magical.

Brest, showing early inclinations towards minimalism, peppers the film with many extremely effective "pregnant pauses". These enable the cast to subtly stretch their mastery of comic timing and give more depth to the tragic or seriously emotional scenes. In both its comic and tragic modes, Going in Style tends to be a relatively "quiet" film--the tone/atmosphere reflects that Zen-like disposition that Brest and his cast create for the characters. We could easily see most of the film's "action" growing out of the pregnant pauses. Brest emphasizes this by loading early scenes with such pauses, such as when our protagonist trio are sitting on the park bench and hatching their plan.

The above might sound a bit ridiculous or overly abstract to some, but keep in mind that it's all part of Brest's touching portrait of old age (an incredible feat for a 27-year old writer-director, by the way). Joe, Al and Willie live day by day, because they figure that each might literally be their last day. They're not in a hurry to do anything. They prefer to soak up the fullness of each instant. They're mostly content with their lives and have accepted their mortal fates. Their scheme is relatively easy to pull off because with the slight exception of Willie, who interestingly has some issues from the past he is still trying to deal with and is thus a bit less comfortable with the present, they look at it as just another thing they can experience before they check out of the world, with the consequences of the scheme, no matter what they are, all having their advantages.

Brest works in a bit of sly social commentary more conspicuously into the script, as well. One example is the radio announcer who notes that the Gray Panthers are capitalizing on the events as a means to underscore the U.S.'s neglect of old folks. This is doubly clever because not only is the claim literally true, there are subtexts about opportunism, media influence, and so on. The above example is actually a very small detail in the film, but this is a film that has a wealth of such small details.

"Going In Style" is one of the more entertaining movies I've seen. The characters, Joe, Al and Willie exemplify the elderly male generation of our time. Three men who've partially lost their identities in no longer being able to carry on their vocations. As more and more of us will be moving into the retired or "seniors" group, this movie shows us both the problems of retirement and one very entertaining and interesting solution. All three characters are at an age which is too often ignored in motion pictures. Though basically this movie isn't exactly moral, it's a very good insight into the lives of its characters. Art Carney is an accomplished actor and George Burns was an accomplished entertainer. I'm not sure how many people know that Lee Strasberg was one of, if not the great teacher of dramatic acting during his lifetime. In "Going In Style," Strasberg, as the "not always up to speed" character Willie, is nevertheless often a bit of a surprise. All three men, portraying the various ways we age, give a beautiful performance, each in his own way. As a minor collector, I consider the motion picture the major art form of the past century. That's not to say that all the movies made during the last century are works or art, but quite often many were. It remains to be seen whether that tradition will be carried on into the new century before us. Whatever, I am very grateful for the gift of this movie and highly recommend it.