Movie Monday: Going in Style

My husband and I have been on a movie streak lately, seeing great movies every week, so I have some catching to do with reviews. A few weeks back, we watched Going in Style, a fun, heartwarming comedy with an all-star cast.

Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin star as life-long friends Joe, Willie, and Albert. The three men are retired and enjoying a quiet life. Willie and Albert share a house together, and Joe lives across the street with his daughter and grand-daughter. They play cards, meet at their favorite diner for coffee, and bowl together. They all worked for the same company which suddenly announces that its pension fund will no longer be funded. All three men depend on their pension checks, and Joe is even in danger of losing the house his family lives in.

While Joe is in the bank to find out why his mortgage payments keep going up, a robbery takes place. The group that pulls it off are professionals, wearing masks and waving guns but getting out with the money without anyone getting hurt. Joe gets the brilliant idea that he, Willie, and Albert should rob the bank where their pension fund resided, just to get back the amounts that were promised to them. Willie and Albert laugh him off at first, but as their funds dry up and things become more desperate, the three senior citizens get serious about pulling off a bank heist, even consulting with a local criminal for advice.

It's a silly premise, but it's not an entirely silly movie. There are plenty of laughs here (the scene of them gaining some experience by attempting to rob their local grocery store is hilarious), but there is also family drama, romance, and the warm and touching relationships between the three old friends. I would watch any of the three of these Hollywood legends in just about anything, and Caine, Freeman, and Arkin are wonderful here together. To give you an idea of their on-screen chemistry, just check out this very funny clip of their "interview" on the Today show (they spend all their time bickering and don't let Matt ask any questions!):



They mention in the interview that the final script was beefed up to add more depth than the original script had, and that is obvious. Going in Style is an entertaining and poignant movie. It's warm and funny, and the three legendary actors are a lot of fun to watch together.

Going in Style is now out on DVD. You can stream it on Amazon starting at $4.99 (link below).