The Old Man & the Gun at HOME

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

The Old Man & the Gun at HOME Manchester, Manchester 7 — 20 December 2018 Tickets from £5.50 — Book now

Robert Redford is charming as ever in David Lowery’s (A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon) low-key throwback about real life bank robber Forrest Tucker and the audacious series of heists he pulled off in 1981 after escaping from San Quentin prison at 70-years-old. Joined by Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits), in the not entirely flatteringly named, “Over-the-Hill Gang”, Forrest’s magnetic presence leaves an impression wherever he goes. Indeed, local Texas cop John Hunt (Casey Affleck) – who is almost hot on the heels of the gang — is left somewhat bemused by the reactions to the just-robbed bank clerks he interviews. “He was also sort of a gentleman,” one manager tells him, whilst a teller looks wistful as she pines that “He just seemed happy…”

Shot on gorgeous, hazy 16mm by cinematographer Joe Anderson, The Old Man & the Gun harks back to the grown-up independent cinema of 1970s New Hollywood. Serious, yet playful, it’s obvious that everybody involved is having a ball. Lowery even allows Redford and Affleck to play out a variation of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s iconic Heat showdown – although he comically relocates the action to a diner men’s room. Of course Redford can bounce off of anybody, but the standout scenes are those in which he shares the screen with Sissy Spacek’s love interest. The pair have chemistry from the get-go, and Spacek believably imbues widowed, horse-riding retiree, Jewel with enough wit and warmth to tempt Forrest from his life of crime. Perhaps there’s nothing groundbreaking here, but it’s a rare treat to find a whimsical crime caper that packs as poignant a punch as this one.

The Old Man & the Gun at HOME Manchester, Manchester 7 — 20 December 2018 Tickets from £5.50 Book now

What's on at HOME Manchester

Where to go near The Old Man & the Gun at HOME

Manchester
Restaurant
Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester

Indian Tiffin Room is a restaurant specialising in Indian street food, with branches in Cheadle and Manchester. This is the information for the Manchester venue.

The Ritz Manchester live music venue
Manchester
Music venue
The Ritz

The Ritz was originally a dance hall, built in 1928, has hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Smiths and is still going strong as a gig venue now.

Homeground
Manchester
Event venue
Homeground

Homeground is HOME’s brand new outdoor venue, providing an open-air space for theatre, food, film, music, comedy and more.

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Burgess Cafe Bar
at IABF

Small but perfectly-formed café – which also serves as the in-house bookstore, stocking all manner of Burgess-related works, along with recordings of his music. It’s a welcoming space, with huge glass windows making for a bright, welcoming atmosphere.

Rain Bar pub in Manchester
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Rain Bar

This huge three-floor pub, formerly a Victorian warehouse, then an umbrella factory (hence the name), has one of the city centre’s largest beer gardens. The two-tier terrace overlooks the Rochdale canal and what used to be the back of the Hacienda, providing an unusual, historic view of the city.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Briton’s Protection

Standing on the corner of a junction opposite The Bridgewater Hall, The Briton’s Protection is Manchester’s oldest pub. It has occupied the same spot since 1795, going under the equally patriotic name The Ancient Britain.

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