Going in Style Reviews

The laughs seem strained but the poignance comes on strong. Three elderly gents (Burns, Carney and Strasberg), tired of the indifference society shows them and the pervasive feeling of uselessness that shrouds their lives, decide to rob a bank. It's really Burns who promotes the idea, more as a way of relieving boredom than increasing his savings account; it's also appealing to Strasberg and Carey as a means of striking back at a system that's abandoned them as human beings. Wearing funny masks and wielding guns, the threesome robs a Manhattan bank of a small fortune. Burns is absolutely fascinating in his portrayal of a crafty, wise and wholly adaptable old man outwitting the fast-moving young world about him. There are some sublimely serious parts to give the whole thing roots, such as a moving scene where Burns looks through a box of old photos that actually show him as a young vaudeville trooper and some shots with his real-life wife Gracie Allen. He begins to weep as he looks back on days no more, images that drag at his heart. This nostalgic interlude is brought to an abrupt halt when Burns suddenly stands up, swearing, as he realizes that he has wet his trousers--age again, intruding upon his reveries. Director Brest does a great job with a sensitive subject, drawing fine performances from everyone. Carney is a standout as the jovial, ready-for-anything sidekick who has the time of his life rolling points in Las Vegas. He really dies happy, flattered to glowing pride that a pretty young thing in gambler's paradise propositioned him. A consistently funny and warm movie.