Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
Going in Style, a remake of the 1979 film of the same name, struts out of the Warner Brothers’ catalog to fill theaters with laughter once again. Joe (Michael Caine, formerly played by George Burns), Willie (Morgan Freeman, formerly Lee Strasberg), and Albert (Alan Arkin, formerly Art Carney) mix it up to form a hilariously bad trio bent on robbing the establishments that robbed them of their pension. For thirty plus years they worked for Wechsler Steel Company who suddenly relocates out of the country and dissolves their pension fund. Faced with foreclosure, a need for a kidney transplant, and the knowledge that they were robbed to pay their former employer’s utility bills drive Joe, Willie, and Al to rob WSB bank.
For decades, these three men have made us laugh over and over again. This holds true in Going in Style. My favorite Caine film probably is still Miss Congeniality. I’m sure everyone enjoyed Austin Powers in Goldmember, Batman Begins series, and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, too. Freeman time and time again delivers stellar performances in so many films, i.e. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Shawshank Redemption, Bruce Almighty series, and one of my faves, Se7en.
Arkin was great in So I Married an Axe Murderer and Little Miss Sunshine. A nice surprise was Ann-Margret as Annie. Sassy as ever, she is always a joy to watch in films like in Scarlett and Any Given Sunday. Also, I’m growing to love John Ortiz as Jesus. He’s so varied in his types of roles. I enjoy seeing actors mix it up and avoid typecasting. I’ve seen Ortiz in the Fast & Furious series, Take the Lead, and Silver Linings Playbook.
There were a few moments that didn’t play well (i.e. wheelchair lineup behavior), but overall everyone in the theater enjoyed Going in Style as much as I did. I could tell from the roaring laughter that accompanied most of the film as well as the boisterous clapping at its end. Also, the cutest little girl gets the spotlight and leaves a big impact. The cinematography is well balanced. Split screen shots and montages were used, but not excessively. Ever seen a person smuggle an entire pork loin out of a grocery store with their pants? A fun time all around.
GOOD COMEDY IS ALWAYS IN STYLE!
Janet L. White
Your friendly straightforward neighborhood critic