Going in Style

Rating:
Summary: Excellent comedy-drama
Review: A trio of elderly retirees (George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg), who live together in a New York apartment, decide to escape the deadly tedium of their waning years by robbing a bank. They complete the job successfully, but find that life goes on and a little bit of cash doesn't change everything. Director/writer Martin Brest and his talented cast avoid the easy road of aiming for a riotous comedy about some cute old men who break the law. These are fully developed characters, and there are some moments of powerful acting as the story takes these men to some very dark places. Those who think of Burns and Carney as the epitome of old-time jokey vaudeville-style humor may be surprised by their understated and effective performances. Of course, Strasberg, the father of method acting, is reliably superb. There is real joy in this film as well. The scenes in which the three old friends seem to come alive again during a day spent in the city preparing for their bank job and a later one in Las Vegas are wonderful and feature very good acting. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Young At Heart
Review: Going In Style boasts three Hollywood legends, teaming up, for a very solid comedy/drama that proves you are only as young as you feel.

Joe (George Burns), Al (Art Carney), and Willie (Lee Strasberg) are three mild-mannered retirees who usually spend their days sitting on a park bench. Tired of feeling like life is passing them by, the trio decides to rob a bank, hoping things will improve. They are convinced that, even if they are caught, because of their age--a visit to jail is out of the question. Little do they know, their lives are about to change in ways they never expected.

Director Martin Brest, who also wrote the script, couldn't have asked for a better cast. Burns, Carney, and Strasberg, make quite a team. These men play very well off of each other and all three are up to, both the comedic and dramatic demands of the story. Brest knows how to balance both genres with ease. Over the years, Going In Style, has been somewhat underated, in my opinion. It is funny, dramatic, touching, and even a bit dark at times. If you've never seen it, I recommend that you check it out...

Up until now, Going In Style, has only been available on VHS. I am happy to report though, that is about to change, and it will finally make it's DVD debut on March 30th 2004

Rating:
Summary: Solid Comedy
Review: If you like the best actors this country has seen and will probably not see again--vetran talent--see Going in Style. I remember it from when it came out over twenty years ago--I have not stopped laughing yet. It is the film that made me laugh the hardest--Carney, Burns and Strausberg are gone--but their legends live on in this great work.

Rating:
Summary: An underappreciated heist comedy-drama.
Review: Pretty much overlooked when it came out in 1979, this film is a rare gem. George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg play three retirees sharing a house in Queens. Bored and bitter, Joe (Burns) talks Al and Willie (Carney and Strasberg) into going in on a bank robbery. The three get a real buzz out of pulling off the job, the only excitement they've had in years. But what seems to have been the perfect crime soon begins to have tragic consequences. When Willie dies from a heart attack, Joe and Al take off for Vegas where they wind up getting into a once in a lifetime crap game. This excursion then takes on tragic consequences of its own, leading up to a bittersweet ending. While all three of the leads are terrific, it is really Burns who carries the film. I believe this to be his best film work. For those who have always felt that a little bit of George goes a long way, you should check this film out to see what a truly remarkable acting talent he could be when given the material. His work here is totally devoid of the "cuteness" that marked a lot of the films he was in such as "Oh, God!" A truly Oscar-worthy performance. One wonders what the atmosphere on the set must have been like with Burns and Carney, two masters of schtick, and Strasberg, the father of modern method acting. Whatever the chemistry, it definitely shows up on screen.