Film review: Stand Up Guys
Stand Up Guys is a strange film in which one of the most memorable scenes shows Val, a former convict played by Al Pacino who was released from prison earlier in the day, being rolled down a corridor on a hospital bed, his crotch at an obscene 90-degree angle under the covers.
In his desire to take advantage of his newly acquired freedom after 28 years of incarceration, this gray-haired man has swallowed a fistful of Viagra. His sentiment is understandable, but the presentation is unworthy of the character, the actor and the story.
Overall, the film is badly managed by lightweight director Fisher Stevens (you will not have seen any of his other projects), and it is a puzzle as to why three acting giants agreed to star in this underwhelming film about old men with guns.
Pacino is flanked by Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin in the lead roles, but while Walken and Arkin can comfortably get away with being expressionless and still have a major comedic impact, Pacino doesn’t have the same kind of appeal. Most likely, that is the reason we don’t think of him as a comedy actor.
Read the full review at The Prague Post.
(Still of Al Pacino, Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken in Stand Up Guys. © 2012 – Lionsgate via imdb.com)
