Movie Review Of "Going In Style"

“Going in Style” is a modern satirical comedy featuring five established more mature actors and performers. This 2017 movie of 96 minutes is a well done Zach Braff remake of the 1979 version starring George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg, and Charles Hallahan. In “Going in Style” three older retirees decide to rob a bank, which is unfairly foreclosing on mortgages. The bank, along with their former employer, a steel company which is moving overseas, is responsible for taking away their retirements earned after many years of hard work. This movie does not resemble bank robber movies like “Bonnie and Clyde” with Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. Regrettably, these now more mature actress and actor were unfairly embarrassed at the 2016 Academy Awards, when Academy management had them initially announce the incorrect winner of the 2016 movie of the year.

Except for some machine gun fire in an earlier bank robbery at the same bank where Joe (Michael Caine, age 84, "Blame It on Rio," Batman movies) was a witness, and later gunfire at the subsequent robbery, the movie had no violence. There are only a couple of adult scenes in good taste with Albert (Alan Arkin, age 83, "Catch-22"), and a grocery store cashier (Ann-Margret, age 75, "Viva Las Vegas"). Willie (Morgan Freeman, age 79, "Shawshank Redemption," ‘God’ in "Bruce Almighty," also Batman movies), Albert, and Joe, the unfairly treated steel company retirees, are persuaded by Joe to rob the New York bank that is threatening to foreclose on his home. There seem to be a variety of motives of this hilarious attempt of the retirees venturing into what seems like a silly and impossible adventure: needing money, wanting to prove they can do it as seniors, living life to the fullest and with much risk, wanting to get even with the company and bank, and other issues. Interestingly, as experienced men in the ways of the world, they do a training exercise of shop lifting at a grocery store. A very funny sequence involves the getaway driver, Albert, who leaves the getaway car instead of staying with it. Joe and Willie try to escape on an electric grocery cart. While Joe drives, Willie sits up front in the big basket, opens a flour bag, and douses the female security guard who is chasing them, with flour. Woefully, all three are caught, but the head security guard lets them off with a warning. They now realize they need expert advice. Joe goes to his somewhat low-life divorced son-in-law, who sells many varieties of marijuana, to see if he knows someone who can train them. After some hilarious training, they decide they are ready to do the heist. There are interesting minor characters such as a senile friend (Christopher Lloyd, age 78, "Back to the Future") helping with a cotton candy maker, a suave law enforcement officer (Matt Dillon), a frightened, nervous bank manager (Josh Pais), and a character waitress (Siobhan Hogan). In the seniors’ planning for the bank robbery, they set up interesting alibis such as using a porta-potty. They also use an unusual hotwired escape vehicle. There is a nail-biting sequence featuring a lineup with a little girl witness. The end of the movie has an interesting conclusion with a coincidence with their crime trainer, a puppy, the law officer, and a dog carrier box. Recommended for older children on up.

Bob Rittenhouse is mostly retired. He has had careers as a librarian, a high school and college teacher, a scientist in the life and information sciences, and occasionally works as a Cuyahoga Board of Elections poll worker. He has a little consulting business, Rittenhouse Info Trak.

Bob Rittenhouse

I am mostly retired Have had careers as a librarian, high school and college teacher, scientist in the life siences and information science, occasionally work as a Cuyahoga Board of Elections poll worker, have a little consulting business, Rittenhouse Info Trak

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Volume 13, Issue 9, Posted 4:19 PM, 05.02.2017