Going in Style (2017)

I had not heard about this Zach Braff comedy when it was in theaters last year. The only reason I know about it now is that it was played on my tour bus. A few minutes in, I determined that it was one of those Hollywood pieces that doesn't bother trying to be better than run-of-the-mill, but the speaker was on too loud for me to tune it out, so I watched.

Friends Joe (Michael Caine), Willie (Morgan Freeman), and Albert (Alan Arkin) are all retirees in dire financial straits due to a seemingly unethical but fully legal move on the bank's part. I flashed back to I, Daniel Blake, up until a key difference arrived: the factor of armed robbery. Joe gets the bright idea to knock over the bank, and the others become desperate enough to go along with it. Of course, at their ages, they have more setbacks than average, so they need to practice first....

Ordinarily, I don't like to say how a film ends; but in this case, it may well make the difference in whether you want to see it. So here's the (anti?)spoiler: They get away with it. And no, I can't get behind that. No matter how wrong a bank is, no matter how well it can eat its losses, and no matter what you do with the loot, you have no ethical business holding up a place with weapons, especially with innocent customers around. Even if you try to treat those bystanders relatively nicely, you could scare one into a heart attack.

I hate to say it, but the master criminal who guides the robbers (John Ortiz) may be the smartest character. Everyone else displays only average intellect at best, and he alone provides something of a twist. Despite the main trio wearing Rat Pack masks for their robbery, this is no Ocean's Eleven; the only time the scheme comes anywhere close to brilliant is in the false alibis.

By the characters' own admission, they make several significant mistakes, including the kind that tend to get reported as real-life examples of criminal stupidity. So how do they succeed? Dumb luck and overly compassionate victims, as only a sympathetic writer can provide. I realize that comedies thrive on the unlikely, but at some point, it feels like an insult to the viewer's intelligence.

Also by the characters' own admission, the stakes are low. They figure the worst that can happen is that they'll spend the short rest of their lives in prison, which beats their present prospects. Of course, they do risk getting shot, but at this point, that too might be a blessing. They claim to have nothing to lose, so the only suspense is in how much better things will get for them. To me, that's the makers shooting themselves in the foot.

You may think that the cast alone makes the movie worth a look. I'm fond of all three main actors, as well as Christopher Lloyd, herein playing a semi-senile acquaintance. But while they occasionally get in some choice banter, it's not nearly funny enough to make up for the problems outlined above.

My friend on the bus fell asleep a short way into GiS. I told him he didn't miss much. Kinda envied him.