Les derniers affranchis (2012) Online

I read some of the reviews here, and I think that some who have reviewed this extremely negatively (as in 1/10) are those who appreciate a movie with lots of explosions, and maybe some guys with their tops off, flexing their muscles to accentuate just how tough they are.

Luckily, there isn't much of that in Stand Up Guys. It's character-driven, centered on the relationship between Val (PAcino) and Doc (Walken), both of whom are spectacular.

There's some great dialogue between the two, and despite what you may read on here, the story is quite solid, if simplistic. I don't think people have fully grasped these characters in some reviews, or the meaning of the title "Stand Up Guys". They're throwbacks, and the situations they encounter represent the direction the world has headed over the years, a world that Doc is forced to be a part of, despite wanting a quieter life.

I won't go on any further, but I found the characters endearing, and the relationship between Val and Doc kept me on the hook.

Nice soundtrack, too.

Cheers

"Stand Up Guys" is a reunion of elderly gangsters. Alan Arkin, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken are in their twilight years, after long careers as mobsters. This Noah Haidle scripted black comedy is a treat for the ears, as these New York wise guys reminisce about the past. The soundtrack of blues greats and Jon Bon Jovi songs is perfectly on point.

Impressions of Walken are fun, but Walken himself does the best Walken. You crave more lines from him. Pacino is at his best here, and great Pacino? Forget about it.

After serving 28 years in prison, Pacino is released. His best friend, played by Walken, picks him up in a car that was probably new when Pacino began his sentence. Walken takes his friend out for one last night of partying before Walken must kill him to fulfill a contact put out by the mob boss.

Walken and Pacino rescue Alan Arkin from a rest home, where he is fading away. Arkin is resurrected to be the wheel man to drive a stolen car on their last night out. Along the way, they meet a variety of quirky and interesting people.

Understated, extremely fine acting make this one of the best films of Walken's or Pacino's careers. Seeing them together is like savoring the finest of fine wine. See it.

Great script, great acting, great music. What else do you need?

The film has a nice genuine feel about it, great story, great acting and a great soundtrack that compliments the film and characters! I found myself getting sucked in to the characters and as much as I enjoy seeing Walken act and hearing his dialogue, Pacino was great in this film too. He's not an angry mobster but a likable criminal one of his best films I think. Walken doesn't give us the old stories that we are used to but his presence is just perfection.

Do not expect this film to be full of gangster violence and action, this is the other end of the career. Experience and heart goes a long way.

I have to say that if this film was made with a different cast I think it would have been slow and easy to miss, walken and pacino make the film as genuine as they come.

I think you need to be around 70 years of age to really enjoy this Movie. I am and I did; I really did. I chuckled and laughed throughout the movie and continued to do so long into the evening as I remembered some of the more memorable scenes. This is a gem of a Movie and brings back a touch of the real movies of yesteryear. No Vampires ; no Zombies; no computer designed sets and monsters, no excruciatingly LOUD music and noises; just a simple story well told with real ACTORS. I could have sat through it again as soon as it was over....and I may go again. Some of these "Critics" need to age a bit to really understand the difference that a Movie like this can bring to its audience

I'm not one who often writes reviews and I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this Movie. What can I say - Pacino was Spectacular and Walken is - well, he's Walken. As brilliant as he was in The Deer Hunter. The Duo make a stunning and very humorous Duo and certain parts of the Movie will definitely have you in stitches. I'm not going to say anything about the plot but I highly recommend this Movie to any potential Viewers. Filled with Witty Humour and sharp Sarcasm, the Movie tends to get one thinking about different aspects of Life. A Fun Movie - and though a bit slow, I was fixed on the Screen. Pacino and Walken make some of the Newer Actors look like true Amateurs - Watch it - You'll Love it!!

Not having gotten around to watching "Stand Up Guys" before now was a mistake on my behalf, especially given the three acting heavyweighters that stars in the movie; Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin.

"Stand Up Guys" is a good comedy that has a nice story to tell. Although this is not the type of comedy that will have you spilling your drinks in your laps from laughing, it is the type of light-hearted comedy that will make you feel good.

The story is about Val (played by Al Pacino) who comes out from prison after 28 years of incarceration. Meeting him at the entrance is his old friend Doc (played by Christopher Walken). Doc has been hired to kill Val and has a time limit until the next morning; and during this time the old friends start up old habits and revisit old friends.

The characters in the movie were nicely fleshed out and nicely detailed. There is a really good chemistry between Pacino and Walken, and this really reflects well on both characters that they play, because there is a very good sense of friendship and intimacy's with one another as they are on the screen.

The movie offers drama, action, comedy and even a high speed chase.

"Stand Up Guys" is a fun and great movie, which offers 95 minutes of great entertainment. If not for the good story, then the movie is well worth watching for the three stars of the movie.

I got out to the theater to catch this movie and could not of been more pleased. I laughed hysterically at the cynical humor and really enjoyed how as the story progressed I really got ensconced into these characters. Loved beginning to end. I especially enjoyed Vanessa Ferlito's(deathproof) appearance I look forward to see much more of her in future films. Allan Arkin was a great compliment to Pacino and Walkens lead. I found it unfortunate that on opening day of this movie there were only four showtimes.As I awaited entrance at the concession I felt supreme confidence when the previous showing let out and there was nothing but smiles on the faces of the patrons exiting the previous showing.

This as good as it gets in the real sense, everything perfect, three great actors the mainstay of this movie, no words to describe anyone of them, Julianna Margulies a good actress herself looks wooden in comparison, though it would be unfair.

Whatever little violence there is has been underplayed to highlight the human aspect, heartwarming, not lacking in its comic moments, in fact it have everything, crime, drama, friendship, love, etc., etc., The movie has a warmth about it, well told story, superb acting and apt music for the film , one would wish they were a part of it, for a change Walken is sane, Pacino proves again he can be good at anything, you can't help but love Arkin in the cameo, I am a fan from his "wait until dark" days.

I did not expect any fireworks, I watched it for the cast, and I was not disappointed, an inferior cast may have not stood up to the challenge.

Overdone a little with the empty deserted streets, but the characters more than make up for any flaws A must watch movie, I give this 8/10 Al Pacino, Christopher Walken & Alan Arkin = A NEAR MASTERPIECE

Stand Up Guys is a true reminder of what film should be like: an entertaining experience that keeps you on your seat until the very end, and does a bit of everything else; it makes you laugh, touches you, and makes you wonder, and tops it off with theatrics that you accept delightfully. The script of the movie represents the simplest form of complexity. A director's masterpiece, for those who can appreciate the plot in the details. Acting is beyond praise, as everyone is on board, fully engaged in their roles. Everything makes sense, even the almost supernatural energy of the three aging musketeers. It's been such a long time since I've seen a film and at the end of thought that I wanted some more of it. Walken plays a great role at gluing everything together. Fisher Stevens has got the hang of good film making.

One thing about Fisher Stevens' "Stand Up Guys" is that how lonely, not only the primary characters are, but also how the locations are. Take for example, a simple scene where Val (Pacino) and Doc (Walken) walk down the barren street in the middle of the night, as if both represent a bygone era.

Not long after Val is released from prison, one of his two only friends, Doc, greets him at the prison gates. Doc actually is hired by an old employer to kill Val out of revenge, but Doc cannot bring himself to, even long after Val discover the plot. Surprisingly Val is content with it, but Doc isn't; this tension tests and strengthens their friendship further as the deadline becomes closer.

What ensues is a fun romp through the city, along with the last of the trio, Hirsch (Alan Arkin), involving brothels, car chases, bars, beating up punks and breaking into stores, "just like the good ol' days", Hirsch says. "But it's better now, since we can appreciate it," retorts Val. It might all seem silly and out of place, but it fits the characters, and it supports the notion that they want to go out with style, instead of dying broken and alone in some old folks' home. Just like the good ol' days, one last time.

Al Pacino is a magnificent actor, amongst the greatest ever. He isn't called a legend without reason. In this film, performing at his best in a long time, he embodies Val's solitude and longing for companionship perfectly. Here, in one scene after crudely remarking a young woman in a bar, since it's his first night out of prison, his body language and tone changes in his apology, his eyes become more focused. His gravel voice speaks in a somber tone, of the years that have passed, of missed opportunities, of lost friends and loved ones. "I just, wanna dance", he says, longing for the passion of a woman's beauty. The seemingly perverted old man has disappeared completely into this haunted soul of a human being.

Complementing Pacino's performance is Christopher Walken as Doc, also gifted, also great here. Doc paints for a living, and he is subtly in joy to be hanging out with his best pal before the deadline ends - and he is personally conflicted, not just with killing Val, but with his own personal demons. In a diner, Val and Doc discuss their predicament, Val sees right through him, Doc coolly tries to deny it, although there's no denying his facial and vocal expressions which say otherwise. A later scene in the movie briefly showcases Walken's underrated talent in playing vulnerable, broken characters.

Alan Arkin rounds up the Wild Bunch, his presence smoothens the tension between Val and Doc in a light-hearted, humorous way. He is more than eager to leave the nursing home once Val and Doc arrive, and he shows he 's still got it after eluding the police in wild car chase. Hirsch looks at life in a "whatever happens" manner, and Arkin hilariously does very good with his underscored performance of an adrenaline junkie who longs for a rush.

This is a good film, but it's not a great film. Fisher Stevens directs the film with ease, allowing the actors to have a blast and come out guns blazing while they dance around Noah Haidle's sorta-typical screenplay. I doubt that the film would be better if they were to cast younger and more dashing actors in the role - it just wouldn't work. Steven's handling of the progression between the serious and the silly (A "They Live" reference? Really?) doesn't quite gel together, and the ending, it would seem, is too gung-ho for a movie which builds up dramatic tension. Nevertheless, I would suspect that that's how Val and Doc would love to end it all - with a bang. Bon Jovi's solemn song "Not Running Anymore" perfectly sums up the movie's atmosphere.

Good, solid dramedy with a crime setting. This movie is not for everyone though. For a few generations, Pacino and Walken are iconic for being tough, gangster-like criminals who doesn't take crap from anyone. See this if you want to see them reveal their true depths as actors and show bits of how good they can really be.

I won't pretend to avidly follow new movie releases, but I am shocked that this movie, which is a superbly written and executed (pun intended) story about lifelong friendship, did not generate more attention. Is it because Pacino, Arkin and Walken are perceived to be past their red carpet primes themselves? I hope not! Doing for others because they are friends, with full knowledge of their flaws, is something we might want to consider more frequently. And what could be better than to do so with wit and great fun at the local house of ill repute? All things modernized since one character entered his long journey (close to three decades in prison) are underscored without being condescending. And ultimately, justice and mercy triumph.

I can't wait to watch this again.

Stand Up Guys is a low-budget film not only should earn appreciation by the older audience, but it certainly earned mine. I wasn't expecting anything crazy here, but I got a low-key drama featuring three very fine actors admittedly in their twilight years, a relatively good script, some good comedy, and the theme of friends being reunited after 28 years.

Fisher Stevens directs a film about a man named Val who has been released from prison after 28 years for being a stand up guy or a loyal friend. His best friend and partner named Doc has been ordered to kill him, but before he can follow that order, Val, Doc, and their other friend Hirsch decide to have one last night together.

As many people pointed out, I will admittedly watch anything on-screen featuring these trio of actors. They all done much better roles, but they are still good here. Al Pacino is of course a screen legend and his performance gave me some flashbacks. Christopher Walken is another screen legend and does a great job as the calm Doc. Alan Arkin, who seems to be having a career resurgence, does an excellent job in his limited role.

Overall, Stand Up Guys is not the greatest movie about friendship, but it is effective enough. The direction seems a little faulty at time and I was a little disappointed with the ending. It didn't end the way it should have. But the chemistry between these three acting greats is sky-high and it's nice to see together for one last hurrah. It wouldn't be a film featuring these older actors without those Viagra jokes. But the film can be funny, sweet, and dark and it also has some killer songs by Jon Bon Jovi. I rate this film 9/10.

'Stand Up Guys' is relentless fun! A crackling, engaging & memorable film, that works from start to end. A Gem!

'Stand Up Guys' Synopsis: A pair of aging stickup men try to get the old gang back together for one last hurrah before one of the guys takes his last assignment - to kill his comrade.

'Stand Up Guys' is about wise guys. Its about bad-asses. Its about kicking-ass. Noah Haidle's Screenplay is excellent. This one's a true crime/comedy, that has humour, violence & even a slight bit of drama. Fisher Stevens's Direction is top-notch. He has handled the film with complete command. A Special Mention for the crisp Editing.

Performance-Wise: 'Stand Up Guys' salutes the talents of the Al Pacino, Christopher Walken & Alan Arkin. The legendary Oscar-Winning actors pitch in incredible performances, that lead the film. Their on-screen chemistry, also, is electrifying! Julianna Margulies makes her presence felt. Lucy Punch & Addison Timlin are superb.

On the whole, 'Stand Up Guys' is one joyride! Highly Recommended!

It looks like this is the season for comebacks, with old timers and veterans proving a point that they still have it in them to pull off a film, at least with their charisma being top draw, and a bonus if the story does justice to their big screen return. Christopher Walken may had made his mark this year with Seven Psychopaths, but it's not until Stand Up Guys playing opposite Al Pacino and Alan Arkin that truly brought out a finer performance, making this Fisher Stevens directed movie one of the best this year so far in a tale about what it means to be friends.

Written by Noah Haidle, the story centers around Doc (Walken) who becomes the only one to meet long time friend and collaborator Val (Pacino) when he comes out of prison after 28 years. And while you'd like to think that's what friends are for, there's another agenda to this almost three decade wait, that he's the appointed hit man by a cruel mob boss who wants to settle scores with Val for killing his only son. And to wait that long for revenge, is to ensure Val knows what's coming for him, after serving his long sentence. To spice things up in a diabolical way, why not threaten one's best friend to finish the job? Doc is given a deadline until 10am the next day, or face further consequences that don't need any spelling out.

So in what would be like a last hurrah to celebrate their friendship, reminisce about old times, and essentially complete one's last supper with meals, drugs, getting laid and the whole shenanigans, Stand Up Guys follow the duo, which became a trio once they pick up Alan Arkin's Hirsch, through a night filled with a series of random adventures, from stealing cars, to picking up girls, and spend what would be their best time together before the inevitable had to happen. And it was such a pleasant ride that you'd hope it would have moved in real time instead, and more, with regular pit stops made at different points in the narrative that was as funny as they were necessary, to move the plot forward.

The success of this movie came from the story by Haidle, who had created quality characters filled with humanity in them, that they become a lot more than just characters on screen, but closer to people you would truly and easily care for, especially as the clock goes ticking away towards the deadline. The script's witty, and comical when it wants to, providing Pacino's Val with some of the best lines in the film, sometimes tinged with melancholy especially his eulogy about death - which you would have heard over the trailer - and often times filled with wry humour as a dead man would in knowing that his end is near.

Christopher Walken, playing off opposite Pacino, was the relatively serious counterpoint to Val, and I felt he stole the show from the more showy Pacino character through quieter moments, with plenty of emotional baggage of his character being worn on his sleeve given Doc's family issues, and the weight and pressure of having been assigned to bump off a good friend, which is something nobody should be put through. Alan Arkin's role may be the relatively smaller one, but when these three veterans get together, it's nothing but pure magic in the way cinema lights up when well written and developed characters get fleshed out by A- list performances, making it almost direct itself - no intent meant to take the shine from director Stevens for a job well done.

And the expanded supporting characters also added a little something special, especially those that dealt with family, because after sitting through this, and being dispensed with plenty of words of wisdom about love and life, you can't help but to fall in love with a film that had plenty of heart and soul. I'm clearly going to get this on DVD at least, to relive the experience again and hopefully with a little bit more extras being packaged together. A definite recommend!

The only word I can use to describe this is BRILLIANT...... for me anyway.

With actors like Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Margulies, Lucy Punch, Craig Sheffer and the one I have never seen before Addison Timlin, how could this be a bad movie.

The car chase was simply great and the brothel scenes afterward were very witty.

There are so many understated funny moments in this movie if you don't at least crack a smile you must be dead.

I loved the report between Al Pacino and Christopher Walken, they are such good actors they made it all seem natural which it was, they have a few things to show the new actors of today.

Julianna Margulies may not have been in it much, but in my biased opinion (I love The Good Wife) she is absolutely stunning and I will always adore her.

The final phone call had me in tears, and the final scenes were how I hoped the movie would end.

Don't listen to the nay sayers and do yourself a favour, go see this at the first opportunity.

9 out of 10

I guess that "Stand Up Guys" is intended to be Al Pacino and Christopher Walken's version of "The Bucket List," since apparently every aging male movie star is required to have one before wrapping up his career. And true to the body of work of these two seminal actors, this outing takes the form of a crime comedy/drama, in which they portray geriatric gangsters, one (Walken) retired and the other (Pacino) just paroled after 28 years in the slammer (I use the word "slammer" intentionally in an attempt to capture at least some of the anachronistic flavor of this throwback to a bygone era of gangster-movie melodrama). It turns out that Walken has only been allowed to live all these years on the condition that he whack Pacino for killing the only son of an equally decrepit mob boss played by Mark Margolis.

The humor in Noah Haidle's screenplay consists mainly of jokes about the men's various ailments (with a special emphasis on impotence) and medications. When they're not trying to procure Viagra, they're lamenting the good old days, banging hookers, or going off on little escapades like breaking their buddy (Alan Arkin) out of a retirement home for some just-for-old-times-sake "tough guy" fun-and-games on the road.

Directed by Fisher Stevens, the movie feels as wheezy and creaky as the characters it's depicting. The whole thing is based on the premise that there's nothing quite so amusing or heartwarming as watching an assortment of septuagenarians behaving as if they were still in their 20s. The result is patronizing and condescending to both the actors and the members of the audience regardless of their ages.

There's also a sequence at a cemetery (with a hapless Julianna Margulies bearing witness to it) that's a strong contender for Least Plausible Scene of the Year Award.

As to the performers themselves, Walken's effective underplaying is not sufficient to counteract Pacino's nonstop scenery-chewing.

And while it's nice to see actors of a certain age getting movie roles these days, does it really have to be in a vehicle of roughly the same vintage?

After twenty-eight years in prison, Valentine "Val" (Al Pacino) is released on probation and his old friend Doc (Christopher Walken) waits for him to bring him home in his old car. Doc has been pressed along all of these years by the powerful mobster Claphands (Mark Margolis) to kill Val since he blames Val for the death of his son in a heist.

Val decides to spend the night going to a brothel but he fails and they rob Viagra from a pharmacy. Then they go to a night-club and Val dances with a girl. When they live the place, they steal a sport car that belongs to a dangerous gangster. They go to a nursing home to pick up their old friend Hirch (Alan Arkin) and together they revive the old times of their friendship. They find a naked woman called Sylvia (Vanessa Ferlito) in the trunk and Doc and Val help Sylvia to get even with the gang that kidnapped her. Meanwhile Val feels that Doc is assigned to kill him and his friend confirm that Claphands wants him dead until the next morning. When Claphands threatens Doc's granddaughter, Doc and Val decide to pay a visit the mob boss.

"Stand Up Guys" is an overrated and disappointing movie about aging, friendship and farewell. The plot is not funny and the characters are unpleasant. But the worst is the conclusion, or the lack of conclusion of the story. It is ridiculous how many pretentious directors (usually American directors) do not understand the difference between a movie with open end (usual in European movies – Claude Chabrol was the master) with a movie without an end. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Amigos Inseparáveis" ("Inseparable Friends")

Three legends. Three Oscar winners directed by another Oscar winner (Fisher Stevens won as producer for a documentary). United in one movie. That should be enough and one should expect maybe just a decent script and then fine. "Stand Up Guys" promises too much while securing Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin in the front row but delivers less than expected with its usual crime/comedy elements focusing on aging criminals and very few to say. The cast chemistry is good (but Pacino already had movies with the other guys, sharing scene with Arkin in "Glengarry Glen Ross" and with Walken in "Gigli" although they don't share scenes in that thing) and it's probably the only reason why everybody wants to see this movie

But it's terribly generic. Pacino done his sentence and is released from prison. Walken is waiting for him for two reasons: 1) to see his old friend again and 2) to kill him, contracted by another criminal boss (Mark Margolis) who wants to revenge his son's death. Soon they rejoin Arkin and the gang is back on action. Besides the fact that they all have fun together after a long time without seeing each other, what's most important here is their reflections on life and time and enjoy the little moments. It's all very simplistic told - a little let down since we're delighted with great and powerful stars - but it achieves some effect.

The drama takes a long while to be really gripping, and the comedy only gets truly good when Arkin finally appears (despithe top billing with the other guys, he's there for very briefly, showing up after long thirty minutes). He made this something almost remarkable, efficiently funny. I think the actors presence and relative brilliance compensate the script's lack of real premise, lack of more movement and characters and even lack of challenge for everyone involved. Enjoy their company and that's it. That must be enough, sometimes. 6/10

A near masterpiece.? Excuse me? Are employees of Lionsgate writing these reviews because this is as bad as it gets. Here we have a crime comedy flick that guess what - isn't remotely funny. Its sad watching Pacinos career get flushed down the toilet bowl . Never as busy as De Niro gone are the days when he was more selective. Maybe decent scripts just don't arrive on his desk anymore.

The story for what its worth is hackneyed and clichéd and yet they still manage to mess up the script. Pacinos' character has another nasty medical escapade with his genitals.Oooh that needle must have hurt. Shouldn't have taken all those blue pills. Must have brought memories of People I Know flooding back. In fact male genitalia are the meat and drink for various unfunny gags during the first part of the movie.

Walken tries his best but he was much funnier in the equally lame Seven Psychopaths. Its Cocoon for the mob with Butch Cassidy thrown in the mix. 2013 just got off to a really poor start.

Having Walken and Pacino together in a gangster movie is sort of a throwback to Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster's turn at this...but they at least had an original and amusing plot with which to work.

Stand Up Guys is a letdown in that we are suppose to buy that two old pals who also happen to be old gangsters will allow one to kill the other on orders from their old boss...and Pacino the sacrifice will go calmly to his end. Of course, at the end of the film they get some balls, which they had all along, and go on the attack.

The film would have been better had they developed a plan for their revenge against the boss and then carried it through. Instead most of the film is just a nostalgic joyride through the night with their other close friend Alan Arkin.

Two bright spots were highlighting the talents of Judy Punch and the adorable Addison Timlin.

I was actually looking forward to this movie because of the cast. A crime comedy with a legendary cast, how could this possibly go wrong? Unforutantely, Stand Up Guys is a disaster.

Al Pacino and Christopher Walken try their best, but they have nothing to work with here. The script is awful and the two characters are lifeless, undeveloped, and have absolutely no chemistry with one another. The writing is surprisingly bad too with more than a handful of awful jokes that become increasingly irritating to listen to. There is a Viagra joke early on in the movie that is not only not funny, but has been ton a million times in other movies. Even worse, they milk the joke dry by forcibly bringing it up constantly within the first 30 minutes of the film. Alan Arkin has a very small role in the film and one of the few scenes he's in was one of the few parts I actually enjoyed in the film. The whole film is pretty much 90 minutes of "OH LOOK HOW OLD THESE ACTORS ARE HA HA HA", except none of the jokes are well-written and the film has no build up or pay off. It just keeps going on and on until it leads up to one of the worst most anti-climatic endings i've ever seen. The worst part of it might be though is having to watch these legendary actors go to new lows to the point where it becomes embarrassing to watch them.

After seeing this, i'm really not surprised Lionsgate is dumping it in February and not even really making any attempts to market it. They obviously know that it's a stinker and want to get it in and out of theaters as fast as possible without anyone noticing. Don't waste your time with this one even if you're a fan of these actors.

Well it is pretty awesome to see Walken and Pacino together and they do make a pretty good on screen team, but the movie itself is very poorly written which tends to kinda ruin their performance..if they actually did try to give a performance.

The movie flirts with justice and emotions of the characters but the fact that the characters were written without any real depth to them , it fails to deliver.

I would have been really happy and would give it a higher number of points if the Pacino character was killed by Walken at the end, I mean the last scene with the shoot out ...it seemed more funny than dangerous, but that's just me.And not to mention the girl from the truck, they should have left that part out and made the granddaughter character appear more and have more substance. Anyhow...Alan Arkin was the only one that to me had genuine feeling in his character.

Val (Al Pacino) is released from prison after 28 years. His best friend Doc (Christopher Walken) is there to greet him and give him a place to stay. The movie covers the next 22 hours as they eat, drink, carouse, drink some more, steal drugs, steal a car, "rescue" their friend Hirsch (Alan Arkin) from a nursing home, carouse some more, and make peace with the fact that one of them is being forced to kill another.

The story is very simplistic and unrealistic. The paradigm is that writers are supposed to write what they know; it's clear that Noah Haidle was imagining a scenario in which an aging nursing home resident on IVs and oxygen could disconnect both and take over as wheel man of a stolen car and outrun the police. He imagined that a couple of sexagenarians could be stronger and quicker than criminals half their age. He imagined that a woman who had been kidnapped and violated would want her next move to be a sandwich with some old men. Since Scent of a Woman, Al Pacino apparently needs a gratuitous dance sequence with a very young woman. It had no bearing on the story and seemed out of place. But it added about six minutes to a 95 minute movie.

So take this film as what it is: a fairy tale for three terrific actors. Hopefully better work awaits.

May contain spoilers. This film was terrible. A waste of time. Horrible performances by a great cast ...how the hell do you mange that. The Script was really bad same old hack stuff nothing innovative or original. It looks like the kid that wrote it must be the son or cousin of the producer or some other dirty hook up within the world of who you know as apposed to what you know. It really is a wonder how millions of dollars are spent on and wasted on films like this....but bullshit and lack of talent are two commodities run a plenty in Hollywood and.....here you go in SPADES. The only redeeming factor was Walken was descent and stood out from the other performers and he wasn't great, but he showed up the best he could, with a bad script and awful direction. Al Pacino on the other hand was bad he really should hang it up at this point ...I was a huge fan of his but sadly he has just lost it and is just a joke.

One the best of 2012.

The three main leads are reprising their stereotypes in this heart wrenching film.

Walken and Pacino break into a pharmacy and we can see Walken move as if to a rhythm as he searches the shelves for his fix. In another scene, he actually pulls off a move that is so subtle and beautiful that you want to hug this guy and tell him he's still the man.

Speaking of dancing, Pacino - who has been released from the cooler after twenty eight years - first overdoses on Viagra, wants to 'party' and eventually refreshes our memories from 'Scent of a Woman (1992)' as he sweet talks a lady (young enough to be his granddaughter) into dancing with him. That scene alone has the power to throw you off balance. It is ethereal to watch a man in need of a woman's touch relishing every moment of the little tango.

Arkin gets little screen presence but man, is it presence or what. I'm not revealing anything, just that it is a pretty cool scene with an end that symbolizes the dearth of good actors in Hollywood these days.

Walken and Pacino reminisce about old times and the plot (not saying a thing again), and these scenes are the heart of the movie. Two double- talking jive, east-enders from Brooklyn intentionally do not put in any tough guy macho talk. They're retired, they just wanna go home, have a drink and sleep.

It is a movie about Hollywood and its actors and how they age and eventually have to come to terms with the 'has been' tag.

It's a lovely movie with great acting and humor. The action set-pieces are blatantly tongue-in-cheek; showing the boss's henchmen what the real wise guys used to be like, back in the day.

When Pacino overdoses on Viagra and when the effect kicks in, this is what he says, 'Hoo ha! Mount Everest just moved into my pants.' Remember the 'hoo ha'?

I'll end this review with an exchange of dialogue that says it all about the movie:

Hirsch (Arkin): Hey, Val, it's like the old days, isn't it? Val (Pacino): No! It's better. Hirsch: Yeah! Why? Val: Because this time we can appreciate it. Hirsch: Yeah, that's why.

God bless the acting legends.