Stand Up Guys (2012)
Certified: 15
Duration: 95 minutes
Directed by: Fisher Stevens
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Margulies, Mark Margolis, Katheryn Winnick, Vanessa Ferlito, Addison Timlin, Lucy Punch, Bill Burr
KRS release
Christopher Walken plays Doc, a criminal who has put his shady past behind him. His life now revolves around his artwork and having breakfast at the local diner, where he enjoys a friendship with young waitress Alex (Addison Timlin).
However, his life is about to take a turn as a chain of events disrupts his routine.
Val (Al Pacino), who had been his partner in crime, is being released from prison after serving a 28-year sentence. Doc has orders from Claphands (Mark Margolis) to kill off Val.
Val is aware of the order and thus he decides to live a last day full of everything he desires. So he visits a brothel run by Wendy (Lucy Punch), but ends up in the emergency room after taking too much Viagra.
Here he meets a physician, Nina (Julianna Marguiles), the daughter of Richard (Alan Arkin), who had been the third member of the criminal group.
Soon enough, Doc and Val decide to return to their glory days. They steal a car and free Richard from his nursing home. In the boot of the car they find Sylvia (Vanessa Ferlito) who had been abused and gagged.
With typical old-style mentality and stand-up-guys attitude, they decide to take matters into their own hands and solve the confusing mix in which they are involved.
The script of Stand Up Guys piles on coincidences, improbabilities and U-turns at a fast rate. However, actor-turned-director Fisher Stevens has a veritable treasure trove of a cast who are all experienced and screen savvy. With exquisite old-school charm, they turn this film into a sweet little exercise in black comedy.
The Viagra segment could have been lifted straight from a Farrelly brothers movie, the difference here being that it is played out by one of Hollywood’s living legends. This comes packaged with over-the-top attitude combined with faces that are staples of serious movie-making.
Walken and Pacino deliver colourful takes of the characters we have already seen them play out on screen. In fact, Pacino seems to be a parody of his Godfather figure. Here he seems to have been given free rein and one can sense that he is almost improvising certain lines.
The script piles on coincidences, improbabilities and U-turns at a fast rate
Meanwhile, Walken is less manic than usual but he speaks in a tone that is so charming. Arkin, on the other hand, shows that he is often underestimated as an actor and his facial expressions alone do wonders.
Tomlinson, who had appeared in the likes of Californication, here brings a very different portrayal with what is a downright honest face. The interludes between her and Walken are emotional and feel sincere. The film rings true in moments when subjects like friendship and nostalgia for better times are focused on and will end up surprising its audience in more ways than one.
This is definitely not the typical gangster movie one would expect: it has a tongue-in-cheek attitude propelled forward by its trio of veteran actors.