October 25, 2018 – Reportedly, this is Robert Redford's last film, at least in a starring role, and it is a fitting end for an actor who so easily inhabits these kinds of roles, as he did in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) and “Sneakers” (1992). As in those movies, here, he plays the likable outlaw with a twinkle in his eye. He's a crook, but he has fun robbing banks, and he has style.

Based loosely on a true story (New Yorker article of the same name written by David Grann) about a career criminal named Forrest Tucker who reportedly escaped from custody 18 times. Tucker (born in 1920, died in 2004, and yes, he had the same first and last name as TV's “F-Troop” actor) was married three times and had two children. None of his wives supposedly knew of his criminal career until they learned about it from police. One such romance is featured in this film, with Tucker (played by Redford) romancing Jewel, played by Sissy Spacek of “The Help”.

The story is set near the end of Tucker's life. Flashbacks (including brief scenes from early Redford films) show some of his famous escapes. Two fellow crooks who help Tucker, Teddy and Waller, are played by Danny Glover and Tom Waits, respectively. Tucker's favorite target is banks. He usually robs banks with the aid of fearful bank managers who are threatened by Tucker and his confederates. He also robs the till sometimes on his own.

Most of the robberies are small time, so Tucker escapes the attention of the FBI, despite the fact that he regularly crosses state lines to pull jobs. One robbery, however, is bigger, and results in shots being fired. Detective John Hunt (played by Casey Affleck of “Manchester by the Sea”) becomes interested in one of Tucker's hold ups and discovers it is just one of many similar robberies over many years and in many jurisdictions.

After many hours of police work, Hunt finally discovers the true identity of the man he is chasing, and meets him face to face in a very odd encounter. By this time, the FBI has gotten jurisdiction over the case and is actively pursuing Tucker. At the same time, Tucker is romancing Jewel, and is serious enough about her to pay off the mortgage on her ranch.

Tucker is at last wealthy enough, and certainly old enough to retire. There is just one problem. He is having too much fun robbing banks. This is a fairly light movie, with plenty of humor, a little romance, and a little drama. Redford, Spacek and Affleck all give strong performances in this breezy little heist movie. This film rates a C+.

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