GOING IN STYLE

We are never quite as confronted with some of life’s most-searing existential

questions as we are when we are fast approaching or already in our twilight years.
Then we take stock of our lives and almost always, they fall short of our
expectations. That plan you never made, that relationship you never had, that trip
you never took or those things you never said or wished you hadn’t said.

It is a crossroad we will all get to eventually one way or the other. But when faced
with those questions and realizing that we have fallen short of our expectations,
how do we react? Do we accept it with disappointing equanimity realizing that we
have long passed our prime to be able to do anything about it? Or do we say stuff
it, come rain or falling dentures; I am going to have a shot at one last hurrah?

In Going in style, our trio of geriatric protagonists has reached that existential
crossroad. Life-long friends, they had worked a lifetime at a steel company that
was shutting down its American operations to head to Vietnam where production
costs are more in tune with the selfish expectations of corporate America. Sadly
for our trio, it is not just their jobs they were losing. Their pensions too were also
gone.

Joe (played by Michael Caine) receives a yellow mortgage letter from his bank
notifying him of the increase in his mortgage payments. He visits his bank to sort
it out with the manager. Whilst getting shafted by the manager, the Bank comes
under a robbery attack.

After the bank robbery, they find out that the same bank is managing the
liquidation of their pension fund. Joe comes up with a plan to rob the bank (or
more appropriately, take back their pension form the bank).

Willie (played by Morgan Freeman) jumps on board with the ease and enthusiasm
that hanging by a very thin thread tied to a fragile tree branch can afford you.
Albert (played by Alan Arkin), the grumpiest one of the lot turns out the lone
voice of reason who initially opts out of the plan but eventually capitulates.
Joe eventually gets served with a red letter by his bank threatening foreclosure.
So, with just 20 days left before foreclosure, the geriatric trio goes through a boot
camp of sorts conducting recon-surveillance of the bank, putting in place an alibi,
and in between; Albert yields to the not-so-subtle charm of geriatric grocer, Annie
(played by Ann Margret), and they both get their freak on surprisingly (and
disappointingly so )not to the background strains of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s get it
on”, Hollywood’s usual song of choice for such dalliances.

It is in the simplicity of the everyday lives of the equally average Joe geriatric
protagonists that Going in style weaves its charms and sucks in the audience. The
non-glamourous and ordinary working class lives portrayed by both the
protagonists and supporting casts are such that every audience can identify with
and their struggles have universal resonance.

Going in style provides a vista into that stage of everyone’s life that never gets the
center table of attention. It is the elephant in the room that we have all become
quite adept at ignoring. We usually ignore it not because we don’t consider it
important. We do so because we are either too busy (or pretend to be too busy)
to address it or because we prefer to get to the bridge first before crossing it.

The movie could have chosen to be all preachy about the social issues it
confronted as its theme but ultimately; it went the route of using those issues as
a canvass for its comedic take on them. Thus, the social issues of its theme were a
means to an end rather than an end in and of themselves.

Going this route enabled the movie to take liberties with the actions and
repercussions consequences of its theme. For this reason; Willie could easily tell a
little girl not to steal whilst he was in the middle of robbing a bank, a robber from
the opening scene could tell Joe that society owes its senior citizens the
responsibility of taking care of them whilst he was robbing a bank, and Joe could
tell his deadbeat former son-in-law to be a man and step up to the plate by taking
care of his daughter whilst he and his geriatric buddies were about to pull off a
bank heist.
As lead protagonist, Joe, Michael Caine gave a convincing and heartfelt
performance as a doting grandfather too wearied by the years put in earning an
honest living but still with enough spunk to plan a daring bank heist to get back at
a system that had shafted him.

As Willie, Morgan Freeman was impressive as a weary old timer open to one
more chance at a last hurrah even if it was going to be the death of him.

As Albert, Alan Arkin was your stereotypical grumpy old man who puts up a
façade of grumpiness only as a shield to protect a vulnerable and caring heart. He
will throw down if he has to but his biggest battle is with himself and allowing
himself to feel happiness even when it comes in his last days.

Going in style checks all the boxes when it comes to being a campy, predictable
and feel-good movie. But it is in its simplicity and the non-fussiness about the
story it tells that it endears itself to the audience.

It confronts them with some of the biggest issues they will eventually face in their
lives but knows well enough to soften the punch to a friendly tender jab as it
makes impact. It is not so much softening you for the kill as it is softening you for
a long heartfelt laugh that leaves a big old smile on your face.