STAND UP GUYS
Starring: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkan
Director: Fisher Stevens
Val (Al Pacino) gets out of a 28 year stint in jail and reunites with his former partner in crime and best friend Doc (Christopher Walken) for one last night of fun before Doc is to deliver Val to mobster Claphands(Mark Margolis)
Pacino and Walken take on the night in style as a younger man would except with the complications that age has bestowed on them. Doing rails of prescription medicine in place of coke, hunting down some Viagra for performance issues, and breaking out Hirsch (Alan Arkin) from a senior center, who despite his age is still an excellent wheelman. They even find time to get into a car chase after solving a befuddling push button starter.
Stand up guys pays homage to older times, you won’t see anyone starring at their cell phones, and you won’t see anything outside of a new sports car that lets you know this film wasn’t made in 78. For a film that relies on dialogue and nostalgia the chemistry needs to be right and seeing these acting heavyweights go back and forth is fantastic it’s great to see two guys who have continually played over the top characters of late settle down into familiar territory and take it down a notch. It’s a trip down memory lane for everyone involved and Walken and Pacino pull it off nicely. A sentimental and touching story with a strong emphasis on mortality.
Grade – 83
