Going in Style (1979)

You won't be disappointed!

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

GOING IN STYLE is a sweet little film starring George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg as a trio of oldsters struggling to survive on their pension money. They hit upon the idea of robbing a bank. What could go wrong? Filled with humor and heart and terrific performances. The Las Vegas scenes are a hoot. Burns and Carney especially deserved awards but the film got no attention until a remake surfaced in 2017. Despite its cast, the film forgot the heart. Anyway, the 1979 film is a jewel. The amazing Burns was 83. When he met the 27-year-old director Martin Brest, he quipped, "I have neckties older than you." Burns and Carney had already won their Oscars by the time this was made. The scene where Burns goes thru his old box of photos (one shows him and Gracie Allen from the old days) is a killer.

Lee Strassberg when he wasn't being the king of crime as Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II decides to dabble in it along with his two elderly friends George Burns and Art Carney in Going In Style. This film was impeccably cast. Strassberg we know, but Carney made his big screen bones with a Best Actor playing an elderly man in Harry And Tonto. And George Burns managed to extend his career decades with an Oscar for The Sunshine Boys and a slew of jokes about how old he was.These three play elderly friends who in their declining years are having trouble making ends meet. Getting into that bracket myself I can certainly sympathize. But I'm not a nimble as these three and I doubt I could pull of bank robbery which these three decide is their solution to a cash flow problem.They actually execute a good robbery, but they are amateurs.Going In Style turns deadly serious when the strain of things kills two of them. The third survivor is the one in real life actually known for his unflappability. Other than the leads the only character given any depth is that of Charles Hallahan playing Carney's nephew who does a fine job.Going In Style on the strength of its elderly leads has some serious things to say about old age and how rough it can be. But the message is given wit and charm by its script and performances.

The depiction of daily life in an apartment shared by elderly men on Social Security, in a city park filled with children playing on structures covered with graffiti and the streets and subways make this an American classic. Boredom and low expectations had become a part of life in the New York/New Jersey urban area for the characters in the film as well as for the era in the 70's, and this is the background depicted in every scene of "Going in Style." The plot has a couple of minor holes, the only one worth mentioning is that there's really no indication at all as to how the police figured out who to pursue, but the foundation of this film is the absolutely remarkable performance by George Burns, who proved that he was not only a comedian and a beloved personality but a true actor. His performance is deeply emotional and entirely convincing. It really is a masterful performance in every way. He had won an Oscar for the not so good "The Sunshine Boys," so the Academy voters had likely figured that he had already been honored, but surely he should have been handed another Oscar for "Going in Style." This film is a must-see.

Feisty Joe (a marvelously sprightly performance by George Burns), jolly Al (a terrific Art Carney), and mopey Willie (the excellent Lee Strasberg) are three old retirees who share an apartment in Queens, New York. The guys decide to pull off a daring and outrageous bank robbery in order to alleviate the stultifying tedium of their dreary and uneventful twilight years. Writer/director Martin Brest, who was only 28 when he did this picture, offers a moving and amusing seriocomic delight about the plight of the elderly and the need to go out with a bang instead of a whimper. Among the notable highlights in this often funny and sometimes surprisingly poignant winner are Al's impromptu street dance, the hilarious heist sequence (our heroes all wear Groucho Marx glasses!), Joe crying while looking at an old black and white photo of his deceased wife, and Joe and Al living it up in Las Vegas. Burns, Carney and Strasberg all shine in their roles; Burns in particular is simply superb. Charles Hallahan lends nice support as Al's amiable nephew Pete. Billy Williams' bright, polished cinematography, Michael Small's catchy, jaunty score, and the warm, gentle, upbeat tone all further enhance the overall sterling quality of this sweet little treat.