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As stars age, they tend to end up being offered minor roles as ailing grandparents (unless they’re Liam Neeson, that is). But this year brought some more substantial roles for older stars—first with June Squibb in Thelma and now with Pierce Brosnan in The Last Rifleman.
The Last Rifleman stars Brosnan as Artie Crawford, a 92-year-old WWII veteran who lives in a nursing home in Belfast with his beloved wife, Maggie (Stella McCusker). After Maggie’s death, Artie is determined to travel to France to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day with his fellow veterans who fought on the beaches of Normandy. But when the nursing home staff denies his request, he escapes the home and sets out on his own—aided by the good people he meets along the way—to confront the ghosts of his past.
Much like June Squibb’s Thelma, Artie finds himself on an unlikely adventure—traveling from laundry van to train to bus to ferry on his quest to make it to Normandy without being caught. Artie’s misadventures definitely have some lovably madcap moments—and so many close calls—as everyone from his family to the press tries to track him down. And those moments help to keep things from getting too heavy.
Still, more than just a silly adventure following an old man on an ill-advised mission, though, The Last Rifleman is often an emotional journey. Artie has just lost his wife of 68 years, and he’s still living with so much pain and guilt from the things that happened during the war. As he travels, he meets new people and shares his story—and he hears other people’s stories, too. And it gives him a different perspective on some of his experiences.
Admittedly, though, the casting of a man in his early 70s as a character in his 90s seems questionable. Brosnan handles the mix of drama and comedy well—and his transformation from an aging but still incredibly suave former James Bond into this frail yet determined great-grandfather is pretty remarkable. But it seems that there are other actors who could have done as well while requiring less makeup. He makes Artie a charming character—but he seems like a strange choice for the part.
Despite its surprising casting, though, The Last Rifleman is a moving and often amusing story about stepping up and finally dealing with long-hidden guilt and pain. It’s not nearly as quirky as Thelma, but it’s still a lovable drama.
You can join Artie on his journey when The Last Rifleman arrives in theaters on November 8, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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