Stand Up Guys

Stand Up Guys (2013)

** 1/2

Al Pacino as Valentine “Val”Â 

Christopher Walken as Doc 

Alan Arkin as Richard Hirsch 

Julianna Margulies as Nina Hirsch 

Mark Margolis as Claphands 

Katheryn Winnick as Oxana 

Vanessa Ferlito as Sylvia 

Addison Timlin as Alex 

Lucy Punch as Wendy

A first time for Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin  appearing  in the same movie.  At moments these three geezers muster some funny stuff but all-in-all “Stand Up Guys” is amateurish, in turn, lays at the feet of screenwriter Noah Haidle and perhaps at Director Fisher Stevens feet as well.  The Viagra jokes are excessive and the repeats at the brothel are tedious.

Val (Al Pacino) has just ended   28 year sentence in prison meeting long-time pal Doc (Christopher Walken) outside the prison gate.  Val”'s been imprisoned for refusing to snitch on one of his criminal associates.  Val and Doc re-unite with another old friend Hirsch (Alan Arkin) stealing a car riding wildly on the freeways like teenage boys.

Their days of glory are gone as they tell their stories of successes, un-successes, and excesses.  Val wants to party, after all, he hasn”'t done that in 28 years.  Doc reluctantly upholds Val”'s wishes and find a nightclub with a clientele barely half their age.  (All to easy for Val and Doc to enter a drugstore stealing Viagra and cholesterol medication at will.)

There”'s little in :Stand Up Men” to be much of a story although Hirch”'s granddaughter, Nina Hirsch, played by Julinana Margules, and Wendy, played by Lucy Punch, have nice touches up against three previous Oscar winners having fun

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