The small pleasure that is ‘Stand Up Guys’

MANILA, Philippines – My main problem with the movie “Stand Up Guys” is its title’s punctuation offense: it’s missing a hyphen within that compound adjective. (No, a comma after “Up” doesn’t apply here, grammar cops.) 

Many others’ main problem with this part-drama, part-comedy, however, is more intense: that for a movie featuring 3 of the finest Hollywood actors alive, “Stand Up Guys” is one lackluster affair. It fails to unleash the full potential of its lead triumvirate of Oscar winners, they say.   

Disappointed as majority of its critics may be, this viewer instead belongs to the few who are pleased by the movie. Directed by prolific character actor Fisher Stevens from a script by relative newcomer Noah Haidle, “Stand Up Guys” may be a tad simplistic and far from gripping compared to, say, “The Godfather,” “The Deer Hunter,” or “Argo,” yet it is far from bereft of pleasures.

Al Pacino and Christopher Walken are the two lead stand-up guys of the title, erstwhile underworld partners who are reunited after Pacino’s “Val” gets paroled after 28 years of jail time. (The way Al plays Val, you could practically see Robert Downey Jr.’s own future as a 60-something actor.)

There is no seniority complex between Val and Walken’s “Doc,” allowing the two veterans to deliver some witty, equal-footing banter. The distinction lies in their personalities: Val is a free-spirited extrovert raring to partake of hedonistic pleasures (namely sex, “legal” drugs, and chow), while Doc is more straight-laced, stifled by his being “retired” from goodfella rackets and by a secret mission that is revealed soon enough. 

Alan Arkin, as Val and Doc’s former getaway driver, comes in midway through the narrative and adds his own grizzled bearing to the amusing proceedings. Together, the aging trio ironically brings life to “Stand Up Guys,” largely through boys-will-be-boys repartee. And even when Arkin is away, Pacino and Walken do keep things percolating.  

There are ladies galore in “Stand Up Guys,” though mostly relegated to fleeting appearances. Leading the femme pack is Julianna Margulies, who somehow got convinced to play a hospital nurse and essentially reprise her old “ER” role. There’s Lucy Punch as an all-business brothel manager, and Vanessa Ferlito as a random kidnap victim who gets to get back at her abductors. The best sight for sore eyes is Addison Timlin, as a diner waitress who turns out to be more than that to one of the “guys.” 

(Supporting actor Mark Margolis was also cast, the sole consolation of his stereotypical mob boss role is in having the peculiar gangster nickname “Claphands.”)  

“Stand Up Guys’” one other major asset is its music. Putting together classic singles and effective musical scoring by Lyle Workman, the film’s soundtrack is a dazzling mix of old soul, R&B, and rock and roll—notwithstanding the presence of two new songs from Jon Bon Jovi. When the likes of Sam and Dave’s “When Something is Wrong with My Baby” or Charles Bradley’s “How Long” come on through the speakers, you just might want to close your eyes if it would help open your ears some more.

Sure, there is such richness to the respective filmographies of Pacino, Walken, and Arkin, while “Stand Up Guys,” once seen, might come off as an insignificant sum of its esteemed parts. But savored on its own merits, the movie is a worthy theatrical diversion. (Had actors of lesser caliber or renown been cast, this might have come off as a curious indie flick.)   

Audience members expecting a big shebang or an all-out party of a movie should be aware that this big-screen treat is more of a low-key reunion among old friends. Its overall vibe is one of best buddies getting back together for some drinks and a few laughs after being apart for a long while, and leaving you grinning almost the entire time.

That small-not-big contrast is epitomized by the brief slow dance Pacino and a willing lass engage in in the movie’s first half. It’s not a “Scent of a Woman” tango but the moment is a charming bit of intimacy, made more so when Pacino’s “Val” likens the moment to “two people holding each other, smiling at time.”

Here is the trailer for ‘Stand Up Guys’: 

The 94-minute film even manages to dispense a few “C’est la vie” reminders. One is that, when things are going downhill, it’s best to just enjoy the ride. To wit: As Val says during a prolonged car chase with night-duty cops, “The way I see it, I’m already f***ed five ways to Sunday…so let’s rumble!”

And before the whole thing comes to a cliffhanger conclusion (accentuating the film’s underlying point that, hey, it’s the journey, not the destination), “Stand Up Guys” dispenses a trite yet incisive quote: “The best thing a person can be is of some use.”

Conversely, sometimes the best thing a movie can be is of some delight, and on that score, “Stand Up Guys” is a small-scale success. – Rappler.com 

‘Stand Up Guys’ will be showing in Philippine cinemas starting May 15.