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The Old Man & the Gun

While Hollywood icon Robert Redford, now 82, may not be as spritely as he once was, he still packs a
powerful onscreen punch and The Old Man & the Gun is no exception.

Written and directed by David Lowery, the film is based on a 2003 New Yorker article by David Grann
which detailed the life of career criminal Forrest Tucker. The Old Man & the Gun also stars Sissy
Spacek as Jewel, love interest of Redford, and Casey Affleck as Detective John Hunt who always
seems to be one step behind the elderly bank robber.

Career Criminal Forrest Tucker

Redford offers a masterful portrayal of Forrest Tucker who had a rap sheet as long as the actors CV. Tucker, born in 1920, was first imprisoned at the age of 15 and subsequently spent the rest of his life
in and out of prison. Best known as an escape artist – by his own account he successfully escaped
prison 18 times – Tucker went on his final crime spree at the age of 79 while recovering from a triple
bypass.

A consummate gentleman, Tucker was always smartly dressed and polite and during his last crime
spree, managed to singlehandedly rob 4 local banks before being arrested in 2000.

Tucker was sentenced to 13 years in jail but died in 2004 at the age of 84 while incarcerated at the
Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Worth.

Hollywood Icon Robert Redford

Much like the ease of playing real money pokies, it’s easy to see why Lowery chose Redford for the
role of Tucker. Still perfectly capable of breaking hearts, Redford has in his almost 60 years on the
silver screen played several outlaws such as in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and
Sneakers.

With a reverence and respect for the craft, Redford delivers an impeccable performance as Tucker
and still possesses the familiar twinkle in his eye.
Dressed in a suit and tie, soft-spoken Tucker never raises his voice and says early in the film, “I
wouldn’t want you to go and get hurt, because I like you, I like you a lot. So don’t go breaking my
heart now, okay?”

A Bank Robbing Geriatric

Tucker befriends Jewel, played by Spacek, when he stops to help her after her car breaks down on
the highway. Confessing that he’s a bank robber, Tucker is laughed off by Jewel as who would
believe this of such a well-dressed, well-spoken gentleman of his age?

In fact, Tucker’s age at the time of the crimes is what helped him get away with it for so long and
instead of falling back on the familiar trope of a “one last heist” movie, Lowery instead focuses on
the familiarity of Tucker’s routine.

Lowery’s Understated Mastery

While The Old Man & the Gun may seem slight, none of it would work without Redford who brings
the perfect balance of laidback competence and iconic Hollywood magnetism.

With an ability to draw pathos from the understated, Lowery has brought Tucker to brilliant life.

 

© David Nusair