Co-written by Gavin Conlon and Adrian Delcan, who also directs, Old Man is a meta blur of fact and fiction. Lewis (Paolo Laskero) is a 20-something first-time independent director. For reasons he cannot articulate to his producers, cast, or crew, Lewis is not happy with the story. This is despite shooting on the production being very close to done. But in order to find himself and a narrative worth pouring his heart and soul into, Lewis shuts the film down for a few days.
From here, he visits his mom, Lily (Lisa Laubhan), at his childhood home. He invites lead actors Leon (Winston Salk) and Judy (Lynda Gibson) so they feel more personally connected to the film-within-a-film’s events. And then things get more meta, but even saying that might be spoiling a bit.
“…invites lead actors Leon and Judy so they feel more personally connected to the film-within-a-film’s events.”
The title Old Man refers to a father figure. Specifically, Lewis’s film is about how his parents’ divorce still affects how he relates to others. But there is much more going on with the idea of what a meaningful story is being fully explored, especially in the last 20 or so minutes. Other themes of nostalgia, hope, confusion, and artistic fulfillment circle in and out as things intertwine and twist on themselves as the 93-minute plot unfurls. The heart of the film quietly sneaks up on all watching, as it is not immediately clear how invested audiences become in these partially fake, somewhat real people and their pseudo-actual lives.
All of this meta-craziness means the cast has to play their respective roles who are people playing a part in a film. On top of that, their actual personas emerge at a certain part. This is a tall order for anyone, much less an indie project with limited resources. But everyone delivers in a big way. Laskero is likable and frustrating at the same time. Laubhan is so sweet and caring she tugs at the heartstrings with ease. Salk emerges as one of the best actors in the film, as he’s forced to deal with the meta-ness head-on. Gibson is fun, and her impersonation of Laubhan is impressive.
Old Man is best seen knowing as little as possible about it. The direction is strong, the story is genuinely affecting, and the cast is fantastic. If Lewis were real, he’d be happy to know he achieved his dreams. Wait… maybe he is real and is pleased to know this.
"…best seen knowing as little as possible about it."
