Old Guy

"Old Guy" is a somewhat cliched but still quite watchable action flick. Yes its filled with tired tropes and lacks originality. That said, its very much defined by the performance of lead actor, Christoph Waltz. I've always liked Waltz and his performance in the role of a gruffly charming womanising assassin bad guy, who just happens to have a heart and an albeit rusty, moral compass, carries this film forward. What also makes this film work is its "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" vibe. The Brits know how to make this kind of gritty crime action film plausible and engaging, in a way their US counterparts, just don't comprehend. The characters have depth to them, at times vicious at times very human. The scene with the crime lord granddad, the assassins and his young granddaughter, one such example. What does not work so well is the dirty old man, womaniser routine and the weirdly androgynous, apprentice assassin. I suspect he's supposed to contrast Waltz's old school macho lead. He doesn't drink, he wears pink sweaters and has black painted fingernails. Suffice to say, as an attempt at staged humour, for me, it falls flat. As does the bland performance from Lucy Liu. In summary, "Old Guy" is a mixed bag. It could have been more with less cliched handling but for my money there's still a lot more here to like than not. Worth a look.