You want to resist the urge to reduce things to a black and white view, but if you were going to look at anyone in the indie movie scene and say there were winning, well, frankly, David Lowery is winning. The filmmaker behind “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” is arguably one of the best directors working today. And he’s on a total roll. The jump to the big leagues with Disney’s “Pete’s Dragon” was no sell-out move or film where the studio took control; Lowery’s adaptation of the cartoon was genuinely tender and heartfelt. Lowery then returned to his indie roots for “A Ghost Story,” which reteamed him with his ‘Saints’ stars Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, and he’s got a terrific follow-up with “The Old Man And The Gun.”
READ MORE: The 100 Best And Most Exciting Directors Working Today
The film, which already stars Affleck, Robert Redford (who co-starred in “Pete’s Dragon”) and Sissy Spacek, just got that much better with the addition of Elisabeth Moss, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Tika Sumpter and Isiah Whitlock Jr. That’s a hell of a cast, and Fox Searchlight, sensing a winner, has pounced on the movie to land U.S. distribution. “The Old Man And The Gun” centers on an elderly bank robber (Redford) who’s managed to escape from prison over a dozen times in his life before moving to a retirement community, and now he’s looking to spice things up with another heist.
The movie begins shooting in April and knowing Lowery’s quick pace, the film will easily be ready for Sundance — that is, unless Searchlight wants to save the picture for another frame or festival (Cannes, where “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” appeared?). Either way, one of the most anticipated films of 2018? Bet on it.
[Deadline]
