Stand Up Guys

Stand Up Guys

Rated R and Released 2/1/13

Reviewed 2/2/13 at Celebration Cinema North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Gary

2 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

This movie is like the characters of Grumpy Old Men doing crime. It's not really thrilling, not really boring, but charming enough with some amusing interchanges between Val (Al Pacino) and best friend Doc (Christopher Walken). Walken has the more subdued role, but his stellar performance overshadows the gritty Pacino.

It's the 70s and loyal friend Doc has the task of picking up Val from the slammer after serving 28 years. The overshadowing predicament is a local mob boss has a hit on Val and guess who has the underlying task...Doc. While tormented with his looming job, he indulges Val in the 24 hours before the "hit" has to be executed. Doc provides him with some much-needed humorous indulgences - a visit to a brothel, ransacking a drug store, and lots of eating at the same restaurant over and over. There is a sweet young waitress at the restaurant that Doc befriends and she warmly accepts him. Too bad they don't delve into that storyline instead of circling back to it like it was an afterthought. The pair find themselves palling around, but at the same time move so slow. Gary found this an opportune time for his much needed nap. They decide to seek out an old dying friend, Hirsch (Alan Arkin), springing him out of his retirement home.

Picking up the pace, the movie gets a much needed boost at this point with the refreshing Arkin in the mix. After the pair eventually lose Hirsch, they shift gears abruptly and they plan to go out on their own terms one way or the other. Stand Up Guys is sweet at times with some tender moments that got me a little teary with my family sentimentalism. If you realize the story basically follows the group for 24 hours and there is only so much they can do, you may be passably entertained.

QUIET Rating system: 2 1/2

Quality: JJ

Understood story:  J

Interest: JJj

Entertainment:  JJJ

Time:  JJJJ