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David Lowery

Stealing the Show: 1on1 with Barlow Jacobs (THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN)

October 1, 2018 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Taking place in the early 80s, The Old Man and the Gun follows the (mostly) true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), a man in his seventies who’s sole passion is robbing banks. Acting as a gentleman but packing a gun, Tucker and his ‘Over-The-Hill Gang’ set out to rob banks across the country. Wrapped up in the pursuit are Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and Jewel (Sissy Spacek), a woman who loves Tucker in spite of his chosen profession.

When invited to play Detective Offerman in the film, actor Barlow Jacobs immediately accepted so that he could have the opportunity to work with writer/director David Lowery again.

“What excited me about [the film] is David Lowery, period. He’s one of the most exciting directors working in my opinion,” beams Jacobs. “He’s on that list of people who, when they say they’ve [written] something for you, [you] don’t need to read anything. If he’s investing his energy into it, then I know it’s going to be something special. We met on the film festival circuit in 2007. We just really hit it off and pretty immediately started a creative collaboration. We had a couple of writing projects we were working on together and when he did his first feature, he asked me to be in it. Then, when The Old Man and the Gun came around, we were at Sundance for A Ghost Story and he had pulled me aside and said he’d written something for me for it. So, I said, ‘Just tell me where to show up.’ I don’t often get to play funny or comedic relief. So that was really appealing to me.”

Despite its focus on the early 1980s, The Old Man and the Gun has a timeless feel to it that doesn’t feel slavish to its time period. With this in mind, Jacobs explains that this enduring quality to the story stems from Lowery’s dedication to the narrative over the visuals.

“For me, the thing I like about David, [is that] I feel like all [his] stories kind of exist somewhere between like 1978 and 1998,” he states. “Even though this one is definitely specifically period, I think a lot of mistakes that these films make is that they’re just too self-consciously period. So they kind of overdo production is on and, and it’s like, or they get like too on the nose of the period. [For instance, if] it’s 1981 and everything on the thing is from 1981, [it doesn’t make sense.] In real life in 1981, everything looked a lot more like 1976 or 1974 because like no one was getting new appliances for 1981 across the board. I think David and his team were very conscious of that and really created a seamless [environment] where you walk on on and it does feel that even though it does feel very period.”

“I think the thing that I liked about the movie is like it does feel like a homage to those movies that I loved from the seventies but also feels very modern as well. I wasn’t distracted I guess by the period. There’s a lot of challenges and a lot of opportunity to take missteps. I think his ability to kind of do a period film without it being distracting because… it doesn’t feel like a slave to that period. You’ve got so many characters, so many different story lines, and the fact that he was able to pull all that off was just really awesome to watch.”

In light of its ‘timeless’ approach, Lowery’s film also has a sense of genuineness and joyfulness embedded within it that brings life to its characters.

“There’s a sweetness to [the script] that’s really wonderful,” Jacobs explains. “It’s a sentimental film without using sentimentality, which I think is really difficult to do. I think most people when they do something sentimental, they lean on a lot of tropes that are in with that. It lends itself to a cheapness and not a well-thought sentimental tone. To me, [the film] just really resonated for that because it’s rare to find those kinds of movies. There is a lot of dark, dark edges, especially in the indie world and so, to do something like that that feels really honest, sweet and sentimental without being cheap or cheesy. It’s really special.”

Since Old Man and the Gun is based on a true story, one begins to ask which story points or characters are true and which are fictional. Though his character of Detective Offerman is a composite, Jacobs argues that this also offers him a lot more freedom than if he had been based on a real person.

“From what I understood, it was a couple of different characters,” Jacobs believes. “I think my character kind of came to embrace the officers that thought the whole thing was a joke. And so I think I was like, what? There wasn’t one Detective Offerman who just busted on John’s chops all the time but I’m sure he was a representative of everybody. It’s nice to have [a real person] as a resource when you’re preparing, but it’s also nice not to have to feel like you have to be beholden to certain responsibility that comes along with playing a real person.”

“David gave me a lot of freedom to kind of do what I wanted to do that character and have fun with it,” says Jacobs. “Most times, I end up playing somewhat serious characters. In this case it was just nice to not have to be carrying that weight and come in and be playful. David creates a really safe environment and really encourages you to push yourself and feel the boundaries of where you can go. I don’t have to self-govern myself. I know if I’m pushing too far, he’ll dial me back in and that’s really nice. That’s something I wouldn’t do with all directors… I think whenever you have that kind of trust your director as an actor, it allows that environment to be so much more productive and inspiring.”

With the release of this film, there have been questions and comments (some by the actor himself) as to whether or not this is Robert Redford’s last film. Asked if there was anything that he learned from the iconic actor, Jacobs notes that the way that Redford engages the material—not to mention the cast and crew—is amazing to see.

“I think you get to be around all the caliber of [this cast] as an actor, you just want to watch the process,” he feels. “I’ve been really fortunate to have worked with a lot of gifted directors and actors. When you have that kind of talent there, you just want to watch and to watch him and Danny and Tom Waits, it’s just magic. I think with Robert, he’s got an air of professionalism to him. He’s obviously someone who I really admire. Whether this is or isn’t his last film, he just is a professional and treats everyone with respect and respects the process, the director and the crew. He carries himself that way.”

To hear audio of our interview with Barlow, click here.

The Old Man and the Gun is in theatres on Friday, September 28th, 2018.

 

Filed Under: Film, Film Festivals, Interviews, Podcast, TIFF Tagged With: Barlow Jacobs, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, David Lowery, Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, The Old Man and the Gun, TIFF, TIFF18, Tom Waits

The Old Man and the Gun: Time is On My Side

September 27, 2018 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Taking place in the early 80s, The Old Man and the Gun follows the (mostly) true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), a man in his 70s who’s sole passion is robbing banks. Acting as a gentleman but packing a gun, Tucker and his ‘Over-The-Hill Gang’ set out to rob banks across the country. Wrapped up in the pursuit are Detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and Jewel (Sissy Spacek), a woman who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.

Written and directed by David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon, A Ghost Story), Old Man has a timeless feel to it that adds to its charm. Filmed largely on older technology, Old Man simply looks as though it has been lost in time. More importantly, however, the film seems to exude pure joy in every aspect. Riding on the back of Redford’s inimitable charm, the film is captivating from start to finish. Rumoured to potentially be Redford’s last acting role, Old Manwould be the most appropriate example of his talent as he simply owns every scene of the film. Whether he’s charming his beloved Jewel or playing cat-and-mouse with Detective Hunt, Redford’s star power is on full display in this piece. If the rumours are true, it would be a fitting close to a career playing lovable outlaws in such films as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or The Sting. (For what it’s worth, this is not to take away from the rest of the cast either. Every person in this film plays their role with earnestness and free-wheeling enthusiasm.)

Appropriately, Lowery’s script speaks to the concept of time (and timelessness). The story of Tucker and his team catches fire not because of the sheer number of their crimes but, rather, because of their age. With each robbery, the gang gains notoriety for their charm and humility as they move from heist to heist. (In fact, their victims are so pleased with the thieves that they almost seem pleased to have been a part of the heist…) Their age, style and sheer enthusiasm for their art builds a respect across the country for their thieving ways.

In many ways, stealing gives Tucker life.

His ‘profession’ is not one of angst or revenge. It’s simply what he’s best at and gives him joy. In many ways, Tucker serves as inspiration for Detective Hunt, rather than foil. Burned out and frustrated at work, Hunt seems lost and lifeless. Despite his love for his family, Hunt is a man who has no direction in his life… until Tucker invites him to play his game. Tucker serves as an example of what it means to enjoy life and, as the two begin their chase, Hunt gradually breathes life again. In many ways, Hunt needs Tucker to survive… and Tucker needs Hunt to thrive. They inspire one another to greatness (and, oddly, demonstrate the power of pouring into one another’s lives.)

In the end, The Old Man and the Gun may not appeal to a younger audience initially, simply based on its style. But those that stay away would be missing out. This film is a celebration of life and the career of one of Hollywood’s greatest sons. However, it is a film to be cherished and is filled with joy. Whether or not it is Redford’s last role is almost irrelevant.

Despite his age, Redford has never seemed younger.

For audio of our full interview with one of the film’s stars, Barlow Jacobs, click here.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, David Lowery, Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, The Old Man and the Gun, TIFF

Breakthrough S2: Ep 1 and 2 – Protect Thyself

May 10, 2017 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

Eighteen months ago, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard decided to spearhead a series on National Geographic Channel involving advances in scientific technology.  Entitled Breakthrough, each episode was created by a specific director and tackled a unique aspect of how science could help society in general. The series was recently renewed for a second season (10PM/9 CT on Tuesdays), providing the viewing audience six more glimpses into a world where science meets life head-on.

The first episode aired last week and centered around an issue many people deal with on a daily basis: addiction.  This doesn’t necessarily refer to drugs or tobacco, but can also refer to cell phone usage, selfies, or other items/hobbies that become “something more” to a person.  There are numerous ways addictions can be dealt with, but the episode focused on an experimental technique—psychedelic drugs such as LSD, Ibogaine, or Psilocybin (magic mushrooms).  The treatment is not for all, that’s for sure—but in the three cases shown, director David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon) made the treatment process look absolutely spellbinding.  The episode was definitely not what I expected, but was intriguing nevertheless.

Cyber terror was the subject of the second episode—an issue many of us summarily dismiss as something that can’t happen to us.  Target doesn’t think so after seeing their online system compromised a number of years ago with millions of credit card numbers exposed for the world to use.  It doesn’t take a lot to break into a computer – a simple USB drive can wreak all sorts of havoc.  However, there are white hat hackers who legally help companies secure their networks by attempting to break into them.  They have lots of work to do—major companies’ detection rate of cyberattacks is only 6%, and when they do find something, it takes seven months to find it.   In fact, by 2019, cyberattacks will cost the global economy $2 trillion dollars. It needs to be fixed now.

To make things worse, director Steven Hoggard (Inside the Green Berets) reveals that cybercriminals (black hat hackers) are using encryption-based devices to recruit people into terrorist groups such as ISIS. Some have even been able to hack into US Central Command!  Some journalists in the UK havegone undercover to help stop this from occurring, using a similar technique to how criminals were caught on the show To Catch a Predator.  Do they always succeed?  Not quite. But stopping one attack is better than none.  That’s why it’s always important to protect oneself from the attacks of enemies who cannot be seen.  It sounds eerily like what Paul told the church in Ephesus when describing the armor of God.  The various components—helmet, breastplate, sword, and other elements—protect a Christian from the attacks of the devil and his minions (see Ephesians 6:11-20). Protection can be a good thing—we just need to be aware of the problem and prepare accordingly.

Filed Under: Current Events, Reviews, Television Tagged With: addiction, Armor of God, black hat, Breakthrough, Brian Grazer, Cyber Terror, David Lowery, drugs, Ephesus, Inside the Green Berets, ISIS, Paul, Pete's Dragon, Protection, Ron Howard, Steven Hoggard, Target, USB Drive, white hat

Pete’s Dragon – A World of Wonder

August 11, 2016 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

“Just because you don’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

“Just because you say it’s true doesn’t mean it is.”

Pete’s Dragon really isn’t a remake of the 1977 Disney live action/animation musical. Disney is calling it a reimagining of the story. The only similarities are the title and the basic premise of a boy and his dragon. This is a totally different story with new setting and characters. In place of a dopey looking, amiable animated dragon is a slightly less dopey looking, amiable CG dragon (who has shaggy fur, not scales).

When Pete is five, he is traveling with his parents on an “adventure” in the woods in the Pacific Northwest. A car accident leaves him orphaned and alone in the forest. He is rescued and taken in by a dragon that lives in the woods. Then the story skips ahead six years.

There is local lore about a dragon living in the forest, mostly based on accounts of Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), who has been telling children what seems to be a tall tale for many years. His daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a forest ranger who has never seen the dragon in all her years in the woods and claims there is nothing to them.

Meanwhile, Pete (Oakes Fegley) and the dragon (whom he calls Eliot because of the book he had with him and has read over and over through the years) have been living an idyllic existence. It is not so much a parent child relationship as that of a boy and his dog (take your pick which character is in which role). They frolic and play. Think of Pete as another version of Mowgli from Jungle Book. Pete and Eliot are both alone—the only ones of their kinds that they know of—so they form a kind of family.

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One day, loggers are working in the area when the boss’s daughter Natalie (Oona Laurence) sees him and goes into the forest after him. Soon, Pete is caught and brought to town where Grace and Natalie’s father Jack (Wes Bentley) care for him. Pete just wants to go home to Eliot. Meanwhile, some of the loggers have set out to find and capture Eliot. Eliot and those who support him and the loggers all converge on Eliot about the same time, which leads to Eliot’s capture. Soon it will require all Pete and his new friends can do to rescue the dragon who first rescued Pete.

There are three themes worth noting in the film. The film has a slight (maybe too slight) environmental message. The forest is a place of wonder. Grace loves the woods and does everything she can to protect it. Jack (with whom Grace has a relationship) seeks to be a responsible logger. Jack’s brother Gavin (Karl Urban) wants to cut down many more trees than he is supposed to. These views of how we relate to nature transfer to the way people approach Eliot. Grace and Jack seek to save him. Gavin and others seek to exploit him, just as they want to exploit the forest. Gavin is not an evil person or really even what we would call a villain. He is just one who operates out of selfishness whether it has to do with trees or Eliot.

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The film also seeks to emphasize the importance of family and belonging. Even though Pete and Eliot have what seems like a family bond, we know that they are both missing what it means to be with those of their own kind. The family motif plays out with Meacham and Grace, with Jack and Natalie, and even with Jack and Gavin. But the real ideal of family is seen in the bond between Eliot and Pete, even though it is not a real family. It is that relationship that all the others want to have in their own lives.

Finally, the film is about wonder and faith. When Meacham tells Grace the non-tall tale version of his encounter so many years before, he says he didn’t experience fear, but rather awe at the magic in the world. He says, “It changed the way I see the world.” Ever since his encounter with Eliot, he has lived with that sense of wonder and tried, through his storytelling, to convey it to the generations that have followed. Pete and Eliot bring the reality of his story to the town. Encounters with Eliot and discovering that there is magic in the world lead many to new ways of seeing the world, just as it had for Meacham. Often faith is understanding that things we may not see really are there.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Bryce Dallas Howard, David Lowery, Disney, environmentalism, Faith, Family, Karl Urban, Oakes Fegley, Oona Laurence, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley

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