20140127: Drama Review--Standup Guys

Stand Up Guys

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American live action feature length film, 2012, rated R, 95 minutes, drama, comedy.
2. IMDB: 6.6/10.0 from 30,528 audience ratings; aspect 2.35
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 37% on the meter; 48% liked it from 16,580 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.7/5.0 from 381,517 audience ratings.
5. Directed by: Fisher Stevens.
6. Starring: Al Pacino as Valentine, Christopher Walken as Doc, Alan Arkin as Richard Hirsch, Julianna Margulies as Nina Hirsch, Mark Margolis as Claphands, Vanessa Ferlito as Sylvia.


2. Setup and Plot
1. Val gets out of jail after 28 years; Doc picks him up.  They are both so much older than when Val went in.  Twenty-eight years ago, Val had killed Claphands' son in the commission of a crime gone bad.  Claphands let Doc live on the condition that he kill Val when he got out of jail.  Claphands reminds Doc rather strongly of that.


2. Val is older, and needs to use Viagra to do the partying he wants to do.  This leads to a drugstore break in, then a visit to a brothel.  This eventually ends with a hospital visit.  They meet Nina in the ER, which leads to their getting her father, Hirsch, out of a home.  They travel about in a new, high end car they stole from some active criminals.  Hirsch evades a pair of police cruisers.


3. As with Val, Hirsch feels some return of lust for life; they head back to the same brothel.  They continue the wild ride next.  Before long, though, they discover a naked woman in the trunk.  She tells them her sad story, and they decide to drop some vengeance on her tormentors.


4. The burial scene was both surreal and funny, in a black humor sort of way.  The same could be said of the confessional scene toward the end.


5. How will Doc resolve his dilemma with Val and Claphands?  Val knows his fate, but can Doc go through with it?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Old friends deal with issues from the past when one gets out of prison.
2. Four stars of five.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 10/10 Excellent.


2. Sound: 10/10 No problems.


3. Acting: 10/10 Christopher Walken, Al Pacino, and Alan Arkin were wonderful.  The brothel personnel were amusing. Julianna Margulies and Vanessa Ferlito were fine.  Addison Timlin was a pleasant surprise as the waitress Alex who never sleeps.


4. Screenplay: 6/10 This could have been better, something to match the firepower of these fine actors.  The plot was rather ordinary, but it did have some good laughs.  Although this feels like a missed opportunity, the film was still well worth watching.  The ending was rather nice.