Stand Up Guys (2013)

It has been since Christopher Nolan's remake of "Insomnia" in 2002, that I have even cared about what Al Pacino was up to. He has done a string of films so awful since then, it was a wonder he even bothered to show his face in another film (okay, "Ocean's Thirteen" wasn't bad). "Stand Up Guys" is officially the end of that downward spiral. Director Fisher Stevens, working from first time feature writer Noah Haidle's script, has made a heartfelt and emotional film that features some great performances from its leading men. Though it does rely on some typical old man jokes early on, it really begins to take off once we get to know the characters. Pacino's Val has just been released from prison after 28 years, and his best friend, and former partner-in-crime, Doc (played by perfectly Christopher Walken) is about to show him a night on the town. The only catch is that Doc is supposed to kill Val by the following morning. The chemistry between the two is impeccable, and when Alan Arkin (playing a retired wheelman they spring from a nursing home) enters the picture, the laughs become more frequent, and it really becomes a picture worth watching. This is easily my favorite film so far this year, which isn't saying much (January was just awful), but I'm still going to put it out there.

Grade: A-
Easter Egg: No
3D: N/A

Starring: Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin
Director: Fisher Stevens
Writer(s); Noah Haidle
RT: 94 min
Rating: R for Lanuage, Violence, and Sexual References and Situations