The Old Man and the Gun

Public screenings
13^th October 2018 12.00pm at Vue West End
13^th October 2018 12.30pm at Vue West End
20^th October 2018 6.00pm at Curzon Mayfair

Only Robert Redford could bow out of a cinematic career with such class. Like a last knowing wink to the audience, the star gives The Old Man and the Gun every bit as much cheek, charm and charisma as the Sundance kid we fell in love with nearly 50 years ago.

David Lowery’s 80s crime comedy follows 74-year old Forrest Tucker, the heist addict responsible for a string of bank robberies throughout the US, charting his entanglement with both detective Jon Hunt (Casey Affleck), the officer hot on his tail, and Jewel (Sissy Spacek), the woman who wins his heart.

Don’t let his age fool you: Redford’s performance vibrates with energy. While the actor, now in his 80s, has announced this to be the last project before his retirement, his character is determined to keep on doing what he does best. After all, “it’s not making a living, it’s just living“. A person is only as old as they feel, and Spacek’s blushes when the two are together are like that of a schoolgirl. The pair prove their prowess by forging an incredible romance on screen, matched only by the comic chemistry between Redford and Affleck, whose respect for each other will have viewers smiling from ear to ear. 

This is not a tale to grab us by the shoulders and shake us; it’s more like a story that swipes our wallet whilst holding us in a warm embrace. The lighting is soft and the pacing is gentle and leisurely – though never anything less than enthralling. It’s a chase between gentlemen who stop to open the door for one another. The witty script, based on a New Yorker article by David Grann, does justice to the man who made movie magic so many years ago with timeless caper The Sting. Indeed, the tone is nothing if not nostalgic: the period setting is almost romantic, and images of the character’s past exploits through the years are intercut with shots of a young Redford, an homage to decades in the industry.

David Lowery knows exactly what he wants The Old Man and the Gun to be: not revolutionary, not violent or deeply philosophical, but rather a stroll into the Texas sunset – with swagger, of course.

Rosamund Kelby

The Old Man and the Gun is released nationwide on 7^th December 2018.

Read more reviews and interviews from our London Film Festival 2018 coverage here.

For further information about the festival visit the official BFI website here.

Watch the trailer for The Old Man and the Gun here: