Going in Style: A Feel-Good Crime Comedy with a Stellar Cast
This is a lighthearted, albeit predictable, crime comedy about a group of retirees who decide to rob a bank. It’s a feel-good movie elevated by its “star power.”
The story revolves around longtime friends Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman), and Albert (Alan Arkin), who have known each other since their days working at a parts factory. When their former company relocates to Vietnam, they, along with the bank, liquidate their pension fund, leaving the friends with nothing to live on. Facing the imminent loss of his home, Joe proposes a daring plan: rob the bank and reclaim the money that was stolen from them.
.jpg “Still from "Going in Style"”)
Fun Fact: All three lead actors are Academy Award winners for Best Supporting Actor. Freeman and Arkin each have one Oscar, while Caine boasts two.
A Modern Take on an Old Theme
How times have changed since Martin Brest (the future director of “Beverly Hills Cop”) directed the tragicomedy “Going in Style” in 1979! In that film, the “old rogues” embarked on their criminal escapade out of boredom, and the movie made it clear that stealing was wrong. Nearly forty years later, this loose remake of “Going in Style,” directed by former “Scrubs” star Zach Braff, convinces the audience that the characters’ actions are completely justified.
.jpg “Still from "Going in Style"”)
A Robin Hood Story for the Modern Age
The film essentially proclaims, “Steal from those who stole from you!” barely concealing itself behind comedic irony, and there’s no hint of tragedy to be found. This isn’t a story about the drudgery and meaninglessness of retirement; it’s a movie about sticking it to the system that tried to screw you over. Apparently, in the 1970s, people’s pensions weren’t being taken away as often as they are today.
Heartwarming, If Not Groundbreaking
Is it a good movie? Not so much good as it is heartwarming. As heartwarming as a movie can be in a country where they don’t sing “Black Raven,” anyway. “Going in Style” revels in the touching friendship of the main characters, their care for their families, and their affection for their senile friends. The supporting characters also contribute to the film’s overall warmth. Even the experienced gangster the heroes hire as a consultant acts more like a caring mentor than a cynical criminal.
.jpg “Still from "Going in Style"”)
A Lack of True Villains
The only character who slightly deviates from this heartwarming idyll is the FBI agent investigating the robbery, played by Matt Dillon. But he’s only as stern as his job requires, and he can’t be labeled as a villain. The real villains of the film are the unseen “big bosses” of large corporations, whose actions led to the heroes losing their pensions.
Familiar Territory
The film is filled with jokes and gags, mostly centered around old age, but “Going in Style” doesn’t offer anything particularly original. How many times have we seen conservative elderly people smoke weed and start causing trouble in recent years? The film maintains a farcical tone, so it doesn’t exactly shine with depth.
Trivia: Michael Caine and Alan Arkin last starred together exactly 50 years ago, in the 1967 film “Woman Times Seven.”
A Simple Plan
The “clever plan” the heroes follow when robbing the bank is also underwhelming. There isn’t even the “plan within a plan” that’s obligatory for the genre, and the characters hardly have to improvise because their simple idea turns out to be almost flawless. It seems Braff aimed to make a film that encourages pensioners: “Go for it, you can do it!” Younger viewers, however, may find themselves wanting more.
A Stellar Cast Makes it Worthwhile
However, audiences of all ages will benefit from seeing the leading actors. Caine, Freeman, Arkin, Christopher Lloyd as their mutual friend, 1960s sex symbol Ann-Margret as one of the characters’ love interests… Time has taken its toll on their appearance, but not on their charisma and talent, so watching them act together is a pleasure, even if the script isn’t the best of their careers.