Whether you've been brought up with his films or have never seen any of his work, seeing this film will pretty much urge you to see his older films.
It starts off with an opening sequence that was liking watching any 1970s film. The style of it right down to the style of the font of the opening titles and the grainy look of the image made it feel that this was produced back then and had only been unlocked and discovered this year.
Also, the charm of Redford's character and the slick pacing already had me smiling and chuckling.
After that, I felt in safe hands and the film moved along at a smooth and gentle pace. There were some moments that almost paid homage to the style of 1970s films and even some of Redford's previous films.
By the time you could feel the end was coming, the emotions to the hype surrounding this gave us a satisfying ending.
This film is all about Robert Redford, and for good reason. He portrays this anti-heroic central character so well and the motives reflect Redford's real career so well that his casting for this was similar to Michael Keaton in Birdman.
His charm just oozes out of him and it's a joy to watch from start to finish.
While I wouldn't personally give Redford an Oscar nomination, I would be fine if they gave one to him. It is a very fun performance that will charm and please the crowds and you can tell Redford had a good time playing this role.
I also enjoyed his relationship with Sissy Spacek's character. It reminded me a lot of Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn in On Golden Pond. Both of them really rolled back the years, and they both did a great job.
Casey Affleck looked great and fitted the period perfectly. His performance was solid and his character being the chaser in this story gave it a nice comparison to Catch Me If You Can.
I also have to mention Tom Waites who while he did not have much screen-time, has one hilarious scene that steals the entire film.
From a technical side, it's rather well-made. As I said before, the 70's look in every department was great to see. The camerawork was pretty slick especially in its tracking shots. The costumes were on point with the period and with the film involving heists and disguises, the makeup was particularly noticeable.
I'm afraid I have to be cruel with this film, despite enjoying a lot of it. The whole film has very little depth and little to no substance. It's very straightforward in its story-telling and there feels to be no high risk or stakes. I agree that sometimes you need a film like this when you don't want something challenging. But when it comes to rating it with other films, it's a no-contest against some of the years best.
However, I am still happy to say how much of a fun, pleasant and charming watch this is. It certainly gives Redford a nice send-off. While it may not have much depth or substance, it's constant positive vibe gives you a good time to just relax and enjoy seeing Redford work his magic for one last time.
I loved the old school look to it in every department and it was almost refreshing to have something that wanted this story to be fun. In different hands, it could have done what almost everyone else would have done and it give it a dark and gritty tone and make it feel like everything else.
If you feel like that with a lot of films, then check this out if you just want a fun viewing experience.
Rating: 7/10
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