Stand Up Guys is one of those movies that place more emphasis on the story development and the relationship between its principal characters than the overall story at hand.
The character driven magic that drives this film is Christopher Walken's collaboration with co-star Al Pacino in which the two share many touching moments as con man who share one warm evening reminiscing about the good old days.
Walken plays Doc, a mob retiree with his days putting in his work long behind him so he fills his days
watching cable TV, painting sunrises,
and waiting for his fellow mob associate and best friend Val who is just finishing a 28 yr old prison sentence for a crime they committed together.
However, Doc has got one problem though. They were involved in a shoot where the son of a crime boss Val and Doc worked for was killed. Whom pulled the trigger does not matter to the boss but who he suspects is what counts in the mob world.
So now Val has within 24 hours to knock off his best friend or else he and his Granddaughter are in serious danger.
What makes Stand Up Guys click is how Val must make a choice in the movie between his Oath or Friendship. In a way I feel as if Val is granting his friend Doc his last Supper by eating steaks, sucking down fountain drinks, shacking up with broads, or boosting a pharmacy full of Viagra and cholesterol medication. In the end Val can no longer make a wager on his friend's life for the cost of living out his as a loner.
The film is like a race against time between acting tough and being practical that makes this film reminiscent
of similar comedies that make fun of old age such as Cocoon and Grumpy Old Men.
These Old timers know their criminal days have long past them by but they still got plenty of gas left in the tank to raze some hell as if today were their last. A great example of this is in a wonderful tribute to Scent of A Woman where Val convinces a young gal at the night club to dance with her feeling what its like to be young again.
Honestly, I think Stand Up Guys serves as a perfect launching pad for Walken and Pacino to do
more collaborations together on future comedy projects. They have this unique chemistry that is both appealing with very well timed comedic pacing. I really got the sense that these two were a couple of old friends meeting for the first and picking up right where they left off as if nothing happened.
However, they could have done away with the sarcastic comedy of Alan Arkin and substituted for another veteran actor in Robert DeNiro.
DeNiro has that same comedic presence, timing, and attitude as that of Pacino and Walken. Granted , Pacino and Deniro have worked together in many dramatic roles and are as close as friends anyway that he would make a perfect addition to this group.
Comedic duos are hard to come by. Surely we have lost many greats from Abbot and Costello to
Walter Mattheau and Jack Lemmon.. Perhaps these two have found something they should build on before
its too late.
All in all this was about as funny as listening to my own Grandfather reminiscent about the good
old days and crack old jokes in front of the family. It's a enjoyable multi-generational film for everyone who
believes your not as old as you think or feel .
FINAL RATING: 3/5
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