Grumpy old crooks
‘Going in Style’ remake is better than the original
If you’ve got nothing left, there’s nothing left to lose. Hence the masked trio’s classic cliché announcement to the bank teller: “We’ve come to make a withdrawal.”
My high hopes for “Going in Style,” with three beloved old stars and a surefire comic plot, were disappointed — in 1979. It takes a geriatric critic to know a geriatric movie in which George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg rob a bank to relieve the sheer boredom of retirement.
In the remake at hand, three similarly stellar and grumpy old men — Michael Caine, Alan Arkin and Morgan Freeman — do likewise, but not from boredom. Lifelong pals and co-workers at Wechsler Steel Corp. in Brooklyn, they’ve been living from one Social Security check to the next, getting dangerously closer to the dog-food diet, while waiting for their pensions to kick in.
Suddenly, the company summons them to announce it’s moving all operations to Vietnam and their pension fund has been liquidated as part of the reorganization. The bank overseeing both the pension fund and its divestiture turns down hapless pensioner Caine’s loan request. While there, he happens to witness a stick-up and gets an idea.
You get that idea: This is a seriocomic heist movie in which one of the guys is getting evicted, one is terminally sick, and one just wants to help his family. There are a few inspired moments, such as our trio’s commentary during a “Bachelorette” episode on TV, and their mega-shoplifting (including a whole pork roast) at the local supermarket.
This is no less than the sixth time that Mr. Freeman and Mr. Caine (whose British accent is never explained) have worked together, and the chemistry is good. Mr. Arkin steals the show, playing cute with his grandson and his lines. Hotly
pursued after the shoplifting, he suddenly stops running, turns around with his hands up and says: “This is not an admission of guilt — I’m just tired!”
(He’s just as cute offscreen, telling a recent interviewer that “Any time I get a script nowadays, I ask, ‘What page am I on the gurney?’”)
Christopher Lloyd does what he does best — a cameo as a crazy person — while Ann-Margret does another turn as an oversexed (and truly creepy) cougar.
Director-writer-actor Zach Braff, deservedly acclaimed for the popular Dr. J.D. character on the “Scrubs” TV series, and for his feature directing debut “Garden State” (2004), is comfortable with this gentle material, whose tagline is “You’re never too old to get even,” and whose corporate villains are an easy mark. The social commentary on aging in America is tame but true: “It’s a culture’s duty to take care of its elderly.” In the meantime, they have to take care of and care for each other.
FYI, an actuarial comparison of star ages: George Burns (83), Art Carney (61) and Lee Strasberg (78) in the 1979 version. Michael Caine (84), Alan Arkin (83) and Morgan Freeman (79) here.
In the Geezer High Jinks Department, the current reboot is somewhat better than the original and much better than the tedious old Matthau-Lemmon “GOM” flicks. Judging by the preview audience’s laughter and applause, it’s that proverbial thing — “good clean family entertainment,” suitable for Aunt Thelmah as well as the kids.